Penguin Classics Beowulf by Michael Alexander

by Unknown .

Genres: Poetry, Audiobook, Medieval, Classics

Paperback

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Reviews

[Bianca Vecchio]

Just beautiful! I have always loved old English writing but this translation was just so lyrical and accessible. As recommended I read this through listening to the audio book. Beowulf was meant to be heard not read this format was stunningly orated and made me feel closer to the original intended audience 😍

[Samuel Leask]

Translation was awesome; as a Tolkien fan I ate this up like a Michelin-starred meal

[Nathaniel]

The language is epic, although hard to understand. Best when listened to as if it was an oral story. Even the commenter says it’s “not meant to be readable, but listened to.”

[Roan Varble]

One of my favorite stories I've ever read. Maybe I just love epics!

The plot is beautifully simple, centered on Beowulf's glorious rise and then heroic fall. However, on top of the overall structure, which centers on Beowulf, are dozens of smaller stories. These range from the sagas of royal houses, to the dooms of haughty earls, and even to the backstories of individual weapons (which have names, how cool is that!). These stories are recounted by bards, in the speeches of chieftains, and often, in the boasting of heroes.

I really enjoyed these digressions, hinting as they do at an enormous pool of stories and folklore of which only the barest droplet has been preserved. These stories also help situate the reader in the world of Beowulf, a mythologized version of the 6th century Germanic world, full of tribal blood feuds, daring voyages, rowdy mead halls, and heroic thanes.

As I said before, one of the best parts of Beowulf is the extraordinary richness of its language. While there is debate over whether it was originally a literary or oral composition, I highly favor the latter explanation. When reading Beowulf, one can almost hear the bard's voice echoing through a feasting hall. The tone is almost conversational, like a speech, filled to the brim with synonyms and epithets and similes.

Take for instance the very start of Beowulf

"Attend! We have heard of the thriving of the throne of Denmark, how the folk-kings flourished in former days, how those royal athelings earned that glory."

I can almost imagine the crowd of thanes and earls hushing silent at the first line, and then the melody of the skald's voice washing across the hall.

Again, the prose is so amazingly rich, even moreso than that of Homer (in my opinion). Take this passage, for instance.

"The stern war-king sat on the headland, spoke encouragement to the friends of his hearth, the gold-friend of the Geats. Gloomy was his spirit though, death-eager, wandering; the weird was at hand that was to overcome the old man there, seek his soul's hoard, and separate the life from the body; not for long now would the atheling's life be lapped in flesh."

The imagery of Beowulf is also greatly enhanced by descriptions of not just visuals, but also of sounds, and of smells. The whole menagerie of senses receives their due.

But most of all, to me there is just a certain magic to the text. I struggle to really define it, but I think it has to do with having such an intimate window into the world of those who composed Beowulf, getting to see what they valued, what they believed, how they told their own histories. Given our scant knowledge of the period and region through other sources, both textual and archaeological, it really feels like a darkened room being illuminated for a millisecond by a flash of lightning. And to some extent, I really enjoy the morays of Beowulf, of how they defined heroism, and how they saw the world and themselves. In a way some of my most formative pieces of literature, such as Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, or of course the Lord of the Rings, trace their source to Beowulf. Pardon my sappiness, but in this way it feels like discovering something that was always already it my soul, but that I hadn't yet discovered.

I highly recommend reading it!

[Daniel J Truman]

Not a single wulf actually appears in this

[Mazen O]

Great translation of old english literature

3.5⭐️

[Kevin Dingess]

Beowulf stands as one of the most significant works of early English literature, offering a rich portrayal of heroic culture, moral struggle, and the tension between pagan and Christian values. Set in Scandinavia, the poem follows the warrior Beowulf as he confronts three formidable adversaries, Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon, each representing different dimensions of chaos and mortality.

One of the poem’s greatest strengths lies in its exploration of heroism. Beowulf embodies the ideal warrior: courageous, loyal, and driven by a desire for glory. Yet, the narrative does not present heroism as purely triumphant. Instead, it highlights the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of earthly fame. By the time Beowulf faces the dragon in his old age, the tone shifts from youthful confidence to somber reflection, emphasizing the cost of leadership and the burden of legacy.

The poem also offers valuable insight into the social structure of Anglo-Saxon society. Concepts such as kinship, loyalty to one’s lord, and the importance of reputation are central to the narrative. The mead hall, particularly Heorot, serves as a symbol of community and order, constantly threatened by external forces of disorder like Grendel. This tension reinforces the fragility of human achievement.

Stylistically, Beowulf is notable for its use of alliteration, kennings, and formal diction, which contribute to its rhythmic and elevated tone. While these features can present challenges for modern readers, they also enhance the poem’s oral tradition and poetic depth.

Overall, Beowulf remains a powerful and enduring work that examines timeless themes such as bravery, mortality, and the search for meaning. Its blend of action, philosophy, and cultural insight ensures its continued relevance in literary studies.

[Tom]

Read the whole thing out loud in my apartment the weekend before my lazy Old English section in World Lit 101; I had read it before but not out loud; I enjoyed it immensely. Alexander does sort of render the poem in slightly Poundese alliterative verse but unlike the Heaney version it's not shit. His introduction is solid, addressed to the layman without being patronising; I wish he'd lived to finish his bizarre Dante; I might have read Dante. I put it aside without reviewing it here because I was going to go over it again and try and make sense of the Fight at Finnsburg fragment, try to get my head around what's going on with the realistic intrusions in the poem, but that, I fear, will wait for next time.

[Sandy Millin]

It was interesting to read this but I found it quite hard going at times. I knew bits of the Grendel part of the story having seen a film version at one point. I found it challenging to keep track of all the names, despite the notes in the book.

[Brandon Skanes]

I prefer the Seamus Heaney translation, but this was still good.

[Matilda]

Usually I wouldn't rate an epic so low, but this translation really let the story down.

[Flora G]

i had no idea what was going on, should probably re read, want to read the seamus heany version

[Nomsfxx]

pretty pawsome as one might say

I like homoerotic friendships / comradery

[O AM]

An epic that pulls you into a time of myths, a window into a beautiful, long-dead world.

[Eric]

Nice bedtime story

[Peri East]

- And ultimately the end must come, the frail house of flesh must crumble and fall at its hour.

[Isla (lovednonebutyou)]

Everyone say thank you Michael Alexander for the commentary because that's going to get me through rereading this again tomorrow (and it's what increased my rating from 3 stars to 4)