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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great translation, October 1, 2000
This review is from: Beowulf (Mentor) (Paperback)
Beowulf is the oldest existing poem in any modern European language. Written in Old English & dating from around the 8th century, just one copy survived Henry VIII's dissolution of the Catholic monasteries. The well known story is pretty straightforward; when Hrothgar (a Danish king) is confronted with Grendel, a monster who has taken to attacking his hall Herot, Beowulf of the Geats (Southern Sweden) comes & slays Grendel. Subsequently, Beowulf must slay Grendel's mother and towards the end of his own life, must battle a dragon. Everyone who has ever taken a survey of English Literature course probably started with Beowulf. One can only hope that they read this 1963 translation by Burton Raffel. He has taken this great epic & provided it with a worthy translation. Here is a sample: ..And after that bloody Combat the Danes laughed with delight. He who had come to them from across the sea, Bold and strong-minded, had driven affliction Off, purged Herot clean. He was happy, Now, with that night's fierce work; the Danes Had been served as he'd boasted he'd serve them; Beowulf. A prince of Geats, had killed Grendel, Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering Forced on Hrothgar's helpless people By a bloodthirsty fiend. No Dane doubted The victory, for the proof, hanging high From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's Arm, claw and shoulder and all. GRADE: A+
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An epic, legendary tale, rendered beautifuly and poetically...and intelligibly, February 2, 2006
How many times have you sat down to a poem, some epic of ages past, wanting desperately to read it and experience the grand tale...only to be daunted by out-dated terminology (sometimes without helpful footnotes) and words that seem to make no sense, even when you know what they mean?
Okay, okay...you're saying, "No kidding, Sherlock. That's part of reading literature--you get the whole cultural experience." Alright, I accept your arguement. But what if you could get the "whole cultural experience," the whole story itself, without struggling? What if this "modern" translation did not lose any flavor of the original, but in fact ENHANCED the original in sone indiscribable way? Would you go for it?
Of course you would. And such is the case with Raffel's rendition of "Beowulf," one of the greatest epic poems of all time. The reading is easy, beautiful, and genuinely suspenseful (something often lacking in epic poetry, I have noticed). This is modern diction and syntax that still manages to capture the rhythms and scenery of the original Old English. In his introduction, Raffel briefly dissects the poem and how he translated it (in his afterward, Robert Creed dissects Raffel's translation, and provides a brief history of the poem and Old English poetry in general; at the end of the book, a list/description of characters, and a geneology tree for some of the main characters, help with any clarification difficulties you might have). This version of "Beowulf" has become one of my favorite books I have ever read...a prestigious title that, until now, no translation has acheived. Raffel's version is brisk, it is beautiful, and it clearly represents the glory, the tragedy, and the majesty that we associate with "Beowulf." This is the must-have version of one of the best legends ever told.
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glad I Read It Again, June 4, 2001
I first read Beowulf in this edition as a high scholl student and I must admit that at the time I was not thrilled. When I learned that a new translation was available and rising on the charts, I felt that I should give this one a new look. Beowulf is the oldest extant poem in the English language but Raffel brings it to life. This is not the poetry of a long dead language but the vibrant poetry of today. In high school we were forced to read this for its literary technique not for the powerful story conveyed. This may have been my initial problem with the work. In retrospect this is a great story. Beowulf is the heroic epic on grand scale. We have good kings, bad kings, wars and battles with monsters. Beowulf does not only give us adventure however. It presents a unique historical document of the Sixth Century. It explains the codes that the various tribes lived by for their survival. This is a tale of kings and warriors that one owes himself the time to explore and enjoy. You won't be disappointed.
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