Customer Reviews

Beowulf

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Kiernan has provided a fine retelling of the Beowulf saga. While it is based on the Gaiman screenplay, she has obviously pulled from many other source materials, including the original, to create a fresh view of an old and fascinating story. It is certainly not a 'cliff's notes' version - if that is what you want you should go buy some 'cliff's notes'. This is a dark, gritty and magical world not seen since "Grendel" by John Gardner. Like her other original works, this novel speaks to the hero and the monster in us all.

It's an exciting, readable, visual telling of the classic story. It has all the heroic essentials, including manly combat, seductive but evil beings (guess where Angelina Jolie comes in), terrible monsters, sword-swinging, and lots more. If you're already eager for the movie to come out, this appetizer gets your taste up for it, making you want that coming movie even more. Hey, that's the job it's supposed to do (in addition to lifting a few more bucks from your pocket). Good story, good art, and an interesting connection to super-hero stories a thousand years old.

My sister in law teaches medieval English lit - she even had a dog named Beowulf. She won't like it. It's not true enough to the original story. It's too cartoony. It's not respectful of the tradition. It doesn't take the serious story seriously enough.

Well, she doesn't read comics anyway. I like the fact that it puts the old stories in front of new audiences, something that probably wouldn't have happened without a fair bit of modern retelling. That's true to the original oral tradition though: retelling it again for each new generation, keeping it alive and relevant as the world changes around it. And who knows, maybe this will stir a few readers to hunt down a traditional version (I recommend Beowulf: A New Verse Translation). Would that have happened without the popularized redering?

-- wiredweird

Personally, I very much enjoyed this novelization. The departures from the orignal "epic" poem were quite interesting and well written, and definitely kept me hanging on. The intense action scenes and vivid descriptions lend themselves well to the mind's power to invision the author's intentions. Though this is not her "typical" work (as it is such an understatement to call her work "typical" in any reference), still a success for Kiernan.

From the depths of my memory the name Beowulf rings a bell after seeing the movie trailer inside the darkened theater and I told myself that I'll watch that movie when it opens in theaters but sad to say, due to time constraints (because I wanted to read the original epic translation of Beowulf first before watching the film version) I somehow missed it and worse, I couldn't find the original epic book version.

But it looks like the heavens are with me because an officemate gave me this movie-tie in book version by Caitlin R. Kiernan as a belated birthday gift (to you who gave me this, thank you!). I was planning to read this last November 2007 but I kept putting it off maybe because it wasn't the original translation and because I didn't get to see the movie the whole three weeks it was showing in theaters.

It was only during the Christmas break that I finally got around to reading it because of the fact that I have nothing new to read and I remembered I still have Beowulf gathering dust as he waits for me to remember, go back to and get to know him.

Having zero knowledge about what the epic Beowulf is all about except for the fact that he is some country's long forgotten hero and the fact that his song is in the list of the world's best literature that my high school English teacher enumerated with such a brief description it completely slipped off my mind and was easily relegated to the darkest recesses of my memory. Of course, I'm too lazy to Google it at that time (because what I might read on the net might ruin the suspense for me) and, like I said before, I'd like to be surprised and be entertained when I read a story.

My journey with Beowulf started on December 28, 2007 and ended just last January 1, 2008 and though I could have read the novel in the span of one day, I didn't gobble it up like I usually do and I don't know why I prolonged the agony of suspense.

It was indeed a memorable journey for me because ever since my teacher enumerated that list of the world's best literature, I wanted to own every book listed there and now at least two of them are mine now.

Beowulf is a Geat who sailed the seas towards the kingdom of King Hrothgar with fourteen men with him, warriors all of them, when it has been said that King Hrothgar's kingdom is cursed by a demon. They journeyed on despite bad weather and towering walls of water in the hopes of finding glory if they survive because their names will be sung until the end of time or to die gloriously in battle and earn a seat at Odin's Valhalla at Asgard rather than to die of old age.

Beowulf thought the real monster was Grendel but King Hrothgar, Queen Wealthow, and Unferth knew better and later Beowulf finally understands who the real monster is but then it is already too late for such realizations or regrets as it usually is the case with regrets always coming in the end.

It is a great story and it does deserve its place as one of the world's best literature but then, I still wonder how did it all start - the part where it is said that the demon's curse started since the time of King Hrothgar's great ancestors and the curse probably ended with Beowulf but then the demon was trying to continue the cycle with the new king but he didn't fall for it and it is said that the demon can wait for as long as need be and she can be very persuasive. I wonder if that last king of the Old Ways did finally succumb to her spell or was he able to resist her potent magic and ultimately prevailed and thus freed the kingdom of the vile demon and her curse?

With all these unanswered questions still buzzing around in my head, I hope when I get to watch the movie I'll finally have my answers. If not, well, I can only imagine and I'd rather have a triumphant ending.

It is a great read and despite the holiday activities, I find it really hard to put the book down for an hour or two or more just to be able to finish my chores and errands and to rest my eyes and to sleep. Although this is not the original translation, I feel that the story of Beowulf was given due justice and the way Caitlin Kiernan describes everything truly brings Beowulf to life. The epic adventure of Beowulf teaches the readers not to underestimate anyone, whoever they may be; to be always prepared for the worst and best scenarios in life; and while it is alright to dream big and work hard for it, a person should know when to stop if greed is becoming your driving force to achieve your dreams; to learn from the mistakes of others; and to always keep in mind that by our own strengths will we achieve greatness and thus by our own faults our own downfall will be upon us.

I liked this book a lot it is written much better than the others. It is in a story format and is very descriptive and entertaining. It is much easier to read than the others not that its for dumber people its just modernpeoplealized. Anyway very good read Great storyline.

Adapted from the film screenplay of Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, "Beowulf" is the graphic novel adaptation of the major action/adventure film released by Paramount Picture and is the story of how a legendary Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century sought out and fought the man killing monster Grendel, Grendel's horrific mother, and a gold hoarding dragon. A timeless tale of honor, loyalty, love, and betrayal, "Beowulf" is a true classic that is perfectly adapted to the graphic novel format by writer Chis Ryalo, artist Gabriel Rodriguez, and a team of support that includes colorist Jay Folos, letterer Robbie Robbins, editor Justin Eisinger, and book designer Neil Uyetake. Flawless production values and an inherently gripping story combine to make "Beowulf" an enthusiastic recommendation for personal and community library Graphic Novel collections.

Having read the original novel many, many years ago, this is definately a re-imagining of the original with up-to-date material that was good in the book, but will be a huge Box Office smash with its ground-breaking special effects and terrific cast.

Watch out 300 - here comes a legendary hero to take your place for awhile.

For ArtBunny Jen-- I think you are a little bit confused. This book is Neil Gaiman's novelization of his Beowulf movie. Neil is a "him" not a "her". Caitlin Kiernan is not the author.

Lack of knowledge of the original Epic is obvious-Gaiman's "Not the Cliff Notes Version" of Beowulf lacks the classical style and profound language of the original verse. He substitutes nude fighting and illiterate medieval slang for the original story line-which contains no nude fighting-in all instances he wears a byrney or more. One star at most-a cheap capitalization on the film and as far as any literary worth or dignity: it has none! Like most modern translations of Shakespeare they lack the original quality and greatness of the original verses. Books of this nature written with dignity sometimes win nobel prizes-no prize here!

As a writer I see the author of this book with pitiful mind.
Movie is affected by many non-literature effects such as
to show within required time
to fit to photographying set (or computer graphics environments)
to minimize salary of the staffs and actors and actresss
So it is inevitable to twist the original story indepentent of artistic value.
It is foolish and humiliating for a writer to write novel just following movie story.