Customer Reviews

Beowulf (Mentor)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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+

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.

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.

I once made the joke that Grendel was the first beo-degradable monster in history...

GROAN!

When I gave this joke to an English professor, he used it in class, and promptly returned it to me.

Okay. I'll accept that. But, Beowulf deserves the kind of serious attention that would prompt people to want to make bad jokes about it (unimportant things are ignored; only important things are held up in jest).

Beowulf is an old poem--often considered the first in English. This is technically not true, for linguistic and other reasons (where the demarcations of English beginnings fall are debatable; also there is the fact that there are older poems, just not epic poems). An epic is a long, narrative poem, a literary form undervalued today, but which was probably the equivalent of a Cecil B. DeMille production in more ancient times. The Illiad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid, Gilgamesh--all these are epic poems. Generally, they recount heroic deeds, and most often were composed and intended as oral history. Beowulf consists of 3182 existing lines.

Scholars also disagree on the 'British heritage' of the poem, many believing it more likely to be an import from Anglo-Saxon European homelands than a composition original to the Britain. The tale does portray two leaders, Hrothgar, leader of the Danes, and Beowulf, leader of the Geats, a Swedish tribe. These are interconnected through generations of family intermarriages, and Beowulf because of this loyalty takes his men to help defend Hrothgar's home against the monster Grendel.

The tale of Beowulf involves heroism, sacrifice, loyalty, warfare, conflict and resolution--all the elements that go into a good action feature. It also has moral overtones (so it was meant to educate and inspire as well as entertain). It carries the strong message that a fighting man's allegiance to the overlord and to God should be absolute (something that is often instilled in soldiers of today). It is almost decidedly Klingon in the glorification of battle (in fact, I've often wondered if the Star Trek universe took a leaf out of this epic to create the Klingon idea)--Beowulf fights three battles (a holy trinity of battles, almost), dying gloriously in the final battle with a great dragon, after having lived an honourable and courageous life.

This story contains elements of both early Christianity and late paganism, however in some cases the Christian aspects may be later additions by monks who transcribed the manuscripts (monks were noted for doing that in many circumstances, including Biblical texts). The oldest existing manuscript dates from about the tenth century and is preserved in the British Museum.

This particular translation is by Burton Raffel, poet and scholar. This edition is perhaps the most commonly used one for students - it has an introduction that discusses both the poem and the context for old English literature. There is a glossary of names (very handy for modern English readers, because the names are not readily remembered by many), as well as small genealogical tree of the major families in the poem. In the afterword by Robert Creed, he states that 'in Burton Raffel's clear song, both the freshness and the melancholy of this great poem can speak directly to us in our time.'

A great poem, and good translation in verse form, bridging the past and the present together.

Beowulf is the ultimate story of true courage, strength, honor and heroism. It's about a man who sacrifices his life to help others and to rid the world of evil and darkness. Beowulf is the perfect example of how every man must act and be. It is suggested that one understand the background to this story before reading. It is a little difficult to read, at first. Also, there is a lot of meaning in most of what happens that is not too obvious just by reading..so it is good to know what those are too..but not necessary to understand the story. It is a great story that everybody should read..it is a total departure on how modern man thinks and believes what true honor, strength, courage and heroism is. This is the true meaning of what those are. It is truly awe-inspiring.

For those of you that rated this book as it should have been rated, I applaud you. However, some of these reviews struck me as being overly harsh. First off, people write at length about how egotistical he is...did it ever occur to you that that may have been a major part of the story? That his pride, or hubris, was a key factor? I suppose not, you may wish to listen to your English teachers more. As to this story being boring, remember that it was written originally sometime between the 7th and 10th centuries A.D. They didn't have Playstation, or Hollywood, etc., and this fantastic tale certainly came from a mind that had a brilliant imagination for his time.

I was browsing through the book store, and came across a small book with the word "BEOWULF" across the cover. I thought it an odd name so i picked it up.

When i read the intro (By Mr Raffel) i was instantly sold to buy this book. The fact alone that it was written between 1200 and 1600 years ago should credit this book enough for everyone to want to read it.

The story itself is motivating. It really lets you imagine a great warrior who had his priorities straight. Sometimes the most basic story of a hero winning battles will grip your heart and squeeze it with inspiration. I give this 5 stars because it was a really entertaining "poem" to read. I say poem because it was supposed to be a poem. But fear not; this book reads as a short story, and i would encourage people to read it and have their kids read it (older kids: say 12 and up). Once you understand the story it might be fun for your kids to try it, and you can "enlighten" them on any points they think they've missed.

I wish we knew more about such an awsome tale.

I tip my cap to the Unkown Author for giving us a truly beautiful tale of a warrior who knows no defeat, but also knows that all good things must eventually come to an end.

As a footnote, I might advise you to purchase the "black-covered" book with the man in chain-mail. I picked it up at the bookstore (after having read this copy) and it looked a lot more interesting and provocative than mine. In addition to side notes, and footnotes, that version also shows the original text (in old english) and i though that you seemed to get more for just a few extra bucks.

Imagine a story charged with energy, composed of heroes, dragons, monsters, revenge, honor and electrifying battles. Beowulf, an epic tale of a hero that conquers the forces of Evil, it just that. It grasps the reader with its action, drama and adventure and retains them for the duration of the tale.

This excerpt about one of the monsters shows the author's use of chilling figurative language. Prevalent throughout the book, it grips the reader and pulls them into the adventure. "Grendel snatched at the first Geat he came to, ripped him apart, cut his bod to bits with powerful jaws, drank the blood from his veins...death and Grendel's great teeth came together, snapping life shut." Another example: "The beast went back...planning a bloody revenge...counting off the hours till the Almighty's candel went out...Glowing with rage it left the tower, impatient to repay its enemies...the angry monster meant to leave nothing alive..." These are just two of the many illustrations of the foreceful verse that the author uses to seize the reader's imagination and rature.

Beowulf, the epitome of a hero, fights these creatures, leaving his life up to fate. In his words: "Fate will unwind as it must." He bravely forges ahead, with his mind set "to win...or die in battle...live in greatness and courage, or...welcome...death!" To discover the fate of Beowulf and the monsters, pick up the book and read - it will be well worth the time.

About a month ago an acquaintance of mine noticed at work that I was reading Beowulf on my break. He said that he hated Beowulf, and that it was ridiculously archaic and boring, and that the hero was far too strong for his own good. I remarked that "yes, of course it's archaic, and that's precisely why it's great."

Now Beowulf, it should be acknowledged, isn't simply a story about a herculean man who bests great beasts and fire breathing dragons. Dig deeper and deeper and you'll find, perhaps, that Beowulf speaks across the generations about a culture that was vastly different than the one we know now. Their society was one based on honor and reputation, which was gained in large part by one's ancestors. When we are first introduced to Beowulf, he does not boast of his own name, but of his father, Edgetho's. We learn that the culture emphasizes wealth, not necessarily as a means to gain material possessions--indeed, the wealth itself is material--but to cement one's position in society as a reputable citizen. Beowulf himself represents that actual ideal; he was the fictitious warrior told about in campfire situations as a means of passing along the time, or perhaps even to raise spirits before a great battle.

The title of this review speaks also of human destiny. In several parts Beowulf addresses this concern about human destiny. While delivering a great speech to Hrothgar, king of the Danes, about his intention to destroy Grendel, Beowulf explains, "my hands / Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life / Against the monster," (37). Further, he says "God must decide / Who will be given to death's cold grip" (37). Beowulf here strongly emphasizes the need to destroy the monster with his bare hands. We later figure out why, for when the battle occurs, his fellow Geats find their sharp swords suddenly dulled away by the monster Grendel's tough skin. They were unallowed to fight the monster; that was Beowulf's job.

Why might this be important? As I said before, Beowulf reaches beyond the bounds of mere storytelling; it reinforced the culture of the time. In telling these great stories of ideal heroes with brute strength, who could best the greatest and toughest of monsters, everybody was--as might be familiar in our culture today, what with many manipulative ads in the media--reminded of the ideal, and thus strove to achieve that ideal.

In reading Beowulf, one should understand that one does not have to agree with the manly ideal, or with the unending thirst for the acquisition of wealth and reputation. I also don't propose that Beowulf is important merely because it is historical--indeed, some history is frivolous balderdash! I propose that this is important history because in some sense we can relate much of this tale, in a grander sense, to today, and can realize that we still regard our good reputations and our positions in society as necessary rather than optional. Perchance to look at the idea of human destiny is simply for fun. Then again, it gives one the knowledge that spirituality was then an important human construct.

Read Beowulf and enjoy. It is one of the most important works around. It's influential. It's epic. It's just fun.

As I look over the reviews of the classic works of literature, I am appalled by how often I see the word boring being used. I guess it's because great books don't come with big screens, speakers and a joy stick. Welcome to the Millenium