Customer Reviews

Wealtheow: Her Telling of Beowulf

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ashley Crownover's retelling of Beowulf from the perspective of the Dane's queen Wealhtheow is a retelling that was not at all well done. Beowulf scholars everywhere can cringe over this work of what Iroquois Press has decided literature to be. While having a few good historical connections, Crownover creates in Wealhtheow a character who has no agency of her own, but is at the beck and call of her husband.

It's not only that Wealhthoew has no agency of her own, but she is an immature 15 year old the whole book, even when it is some time later after Grendel has been ravaging Heorot and Hrothgar's people. There is no character development, and the chapters in which Wealhtheow and Hrothgar are intimate with each other seems to be written by a twelve-year-old girl who hasn't been allowed to watch the dirty parts of Titanic (1997) but is imagining what they were like.

The only redeeming part of this horrible retelling is Chapter 3, in which the story of Grendel is told from the perspective of Grendel's Mother (which is also interesting since it isn't really her story.) After that one chapter, the perspectives change so much that the reader soon loses track of which woman is telling the story. Following up with this, in the scene with the lake that Grendel and his Mother live in, the water in the lake changes so quickly that the author suggests instantaneous time transposal - which is something I just made up on the spot, which is accurate because that is exactly what half this book seems to be.

There is no real historical link between this book and the historical Norse, except for the use of the gods. I believe that the Beowulf Poet, John Gardner, and Michael Crichton are all turning over in their graves because of this adaption which is on par with the Neil Gaiman/Roger Avary translation of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem - which was a complete flop (THERE ARE NO MOUNTAINS IN DENMARK).

I do not recommend this book to anyone who knows anything about Beowulf at all, and please read Beowulf and appreciate it before you read this "book".

This novel would be enjoyable if you were a 13-year-old girl. However, it is a disgrace to the original epic and to writing in general. The author uses adverbs as a crutch and often resorts to anachronisms. Oh my Thor! It does not add new light to the original story, even though the idea of Wealtheow's perspective fascinated me. In the end, I can only recommend this novel to those trying to get a young teenager somewhat familiar with the basics of the Beowulf story.

I admit that I'm rather jaded against the "feminist revision" of numerous traditional tales. I enjoyed MZB's Mists of Avalon way back when, but got tired of the "Women are always good" vibe I got after a while (as well as the Avalonian-Goddess-worship-is-historical movement that also rose up in response to the novels). And I continue to see rather awkward, "GIRL POWER!" reworkings of various stories and themes, including in fantasy lit.

Wealtheow manages to avoid the cliched pitfalls while maintaining a unique perspective on the story of Beowulf. The story centers on Hrothgar's wife, Wealtheow, from the time of their marriage through Grendel's siege and on into Beowulf's arrival. Rather than presenting a simpering maiden or a GODDESS! worshipper, Crownover gives us a Wealtheow who is dedicated to her people (both those she grew up among, and those she married into), as well as to the sanctity of the land. Though she shows strength of character, this is no Mary Sue; not everything is perfect for her. And the devastating secret that brings about the creation of Grendel becomes a burden only she can truly carry. And I like how the story doesn't turn into "Women are always good, men are the bad guys" dualism; Grendel's mother has a surprising origin in this tale!

This is a very quick read; I finished it in a day, and it would be a good book to take on a plane trip. It's well-written, though. I had no trouble remembering which character was which, and she manages to tell a relatively short story without using cardboard characters. She weaves the traditional tale of Beowulf with her own embellishments that are believable and blend well with the original. I can't speak to the historical accuracy, so I can't guarantee that modern heathens won't be having similar wincing moments that other pagans had in response to the Avalon books. However, the descriptions of Danish culture and religion didn't strike me as nearly as fanciful as some other modern revisionist tales, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying the tale rather than groaning in pain from some poorly executed "update" or "improvement".

Overall, this is a great debut novel, and I very much look forward to more from this author.

Written by the Publisher, Todd Bottorff. I would like to comment on why I published this book.

It seems that everyone had to read Beowulf at some point or another and it can best be described as a tough read, a valuable read, but a tough read. Any reader of books must include the classic themes of Beowulf in their reading education-good vs. evil, bravery vs. cowardice, etc. But as our society has evolved, so has our perspective on those themes. We start with the simple and absolute and then develop a greater understanding of the grey areas and more complex conflicts that exist. Wealtheow gives us another evolutionary step on the original themes of Beowulf, presenting new questions and perspectives.

The themes and perspectives of the original are an essential foundation but they are also black and white and are limited to a single perspective. John Gardner, in Grendel, masterfully provided a counterpoint to the original by giving the monster a voice, a captivating, insightful and sometimes humorous voice. What Ashley Crownover has done in Wealtheow is to provide a perspective on the original with female characters. In Beowulf the female characters are all but silent. Crownover's writing style is not as radical a departure from Beowulf as Gardner's, but her style is appropriate considering the perspective of the protagonist. It is also modern (vs. ancient) prose making it much more accessible to modern readers. In addition, Crownover makes a extraordinary statement on good and evil by suggesting that good and evil are not absolute as the original would suggest. She alleges that good people can behave in evil ways and otherwise good characters can be driven to evil as a result of evil actions by traditionally "good" people. It is a more complex view and one that invites serious discussion on the topic.

She also comments on the role of the power of women. In contrast to the original, she indicates the methods that strong women use to wield power that are more subtle than sword and shield. These more feminine methods are more applicable in a modern sense. She does that without eliminating the traditional overlay of females roles in that ancient society.

Finally, Crownover adds a plot element that has not existed before, creating a backstory for the origin of Grendel and Grendel's mother. The original would allege that evil is primordial. It just exists as part of life. Crownover creates a human tale for Grendel and Grendel's mother that is captivating and compelling.

To summarize:

-new perspective that has been missing
-modern style
-additions to the plot

I hope that readers will enjoy the work and find it interesting.

Wealtheow is the young bride to Hrothgar, king of the Danes. When the monstrous Grendel begins attacking their people, all hope seems lost until the bold warrior Beowulf promises to exact revenge.

Told from Wealtheow's point of view, as well as the mother of Grendel, this legend is retold from a female perspective with powerful drama. Grendel's mother was forced to flee her home and raise him in the wild. She has a path and purpose for Grendel that becomes a bloody and violent rampage.

Wealtheow is a kind and compassionate woman who learns the truth behind Grendel and his past. And instead of having a vengeful heart, Wealtheow follows her heart and makes difficult decisions in the midst of heartache.

A quick read, at only 208 pages, Wealtheow: Her Telling of Beowulf, is a fascinating and vivid tale of love, heartache, revenge, and hope. It is beautifully written, with plenty of emotion, and gives a fresh take on the old legend.

I was immediately interested in this book when I heard about it. I love the story of Beowulf and couldn't wait to read the tale again from a different perspective. I was worried about being disappointed since I had such high hopes... But that was unnecessary because this book captured me from the first page! I practically could not put it down and the only disappointment I felt was when I finished reading it, because I enjoyed it so much I didn't want it to end. I especially love the back-story and mother-son relationship of Grendel (wow--how creative!). I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I have told everyone about it, and hope that it becomes the classic that it deserves to be. KUDOS to you Ms. Crownover! I hope to see more works of yours in the future!!!