Beowulf in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Aug 28, 2020 Melissa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: to-review, badass-ladies, translation

Maria's long-awaited (hey, she made an adorable Grim in the middle, so we'll accept the wait) translation of Beowulf.

It might sound weird to say a translation of an Old English poem is "bouncy" but it is. It has a very jaunty, devil-may-care feel to it since Maria mixed older words like "scop", descriptive terms like "opened his word-hoard" (which is such a great way to set up a speech), and of-the-minute soundbites like "hashtag: blessed" (got a zing off that one because it nails the rhythm of ...more

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Nov 06, 2017 Donna rated it really liked it

Shelves: poetry

I've always wanted to read this book and finally in connection with my class on the Middle Ages I have! In some ways it is a simple story of a hero who faces three enormous challenges. And yet like the great Greek and Roman epics, it is far larger than its simple story.

I'll admit to being intrigued by the Old English printed in this bilingual edition, but not enough to learn it. I am also fascinated by the story that there is only one copy of the book that came close to not surviving at all. On ...more

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May 28, 2014 Kerry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, adventure, audible, translation, dragons, old_english

I don't really remember anything about Beowulf from the first time I listened to it, but I liked this translation. There's an introduction where he talks about how there's a lot of alliteration in the original text, and then the text uses a lot of alliteration, so that was okay with me. I like alliteration, it's one of my favorite literary techniques.

The narration was good as well. (Although Mr. Hanks says "AHF-ter" in a weird faux-British way, though everything else was in an American accent; ...more

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Nov 10, 2020 Samantha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

When I read the Heaney translation in college, it felt like a challenge. But coming to this translation as an adult was such a treat. Headley has made her translation hyper-readable and enjoyable all while staying faithful to the story. I found such joy in her use of language, that I pulled my Heaney translation of the shelf a few times just to compare her interpretation versus his. And while some may raise their eyebrows at her use of words like "bro!" or "hashtag: blessed" she provides thoroug ...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Jenny rated it it was amazing

My high school English teacher sister in law told me I had to read this book. I did and it was great. It wasn't as hard and traumatic as I thought it would be, and there was no Angelia Jolie in it so yay for that! I now know where my friends got the name Grendel for their mastiff/great dane mix black dog! Go read this translation of Beowulf. It will make you feel cultured and intelligent. ...more

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