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Beowulf

Beowulf Poet

Start date: April 1, 2015

Finish date: April 30, 2015

Discussion: Old School Classics, Pre-1915

Why we're reading this: April 2015 Old School Classics Group Read
[close] April 2015 Old School Classics Group Read

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Old School Classics, Pre-1915

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What Members Thought

Mar 03, 2018 Peter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, favorites, myths-legends, reviewed-sort-of, read-2018

This (Gummere) is my favourite of the 3 translations I've read. Read the Heaney translation in school and hated it, then read what I'm pretty sure was the Alexander translation some years later, and thought it was pretty good.

Gummere's translation is the most alliterative of the three, and once I got used to it I loved it. ...more

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Sep 10, 2020 S. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I finished listening to the audiobook last week, but have yet to write a review!

With that said...

I had originally intended to read this in print (e-book or otherwise), but am SO glad I opted for the audiobook instead. J.D. Jackson's narration is frigging fantastic, and I felt so immersed in the story.

This translation is worth it alone for MDH's introduction--she discusses the translation process, and making monsters out of women who step outside of their narrow gendered roles... to say the leas ...more

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Oct 09, 2020 Jamie rated it it was amazing

I love how Heaney kept the Old English internal alliteration in his translation.

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Nov 13, 2020 Alisa added it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, classics, 2020

This was the first time I read Beowulf. Don't sleep on that intro, it helped me enjoy the story more. It centralizes the question of the story: How do you make a legacy live on long after a life has gone?

The alliteration apparent in the audio accentuates the experience, 10/10, poets oughta aspire higher.

Now, about the modern slang. The "Bro!" bit is funny, but Beowulf's swagger shines best in the bold punchy lines. If you like your Bossip tweets saucy, then there is hope for you here. Persnicket ...more

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