Beowulf

by Unknown, Michael Alexander (Translator)

When an evil monster terrorizes the land, only one man can stop him. A new horror stalks the ancient kingdom of the Danes. Grendel, a hideous beast, has crawled from hell to lay waste to the country and devour its people. His reign of slaughter seems unstoppable. The mighty warrior Beowulf comes forward to fight this demonic enemy. But Grendel has a powerful and deadly ally. Can Beowulf survive the rage of a fiendish mother who will destroy anyone who harms her child?

Genres: Classics, Poetry, Fiction, Fantasy, Literature, School, Read For School

117 pages, Paperback

Published May 4, 2006

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Unknown" when the author or editor (as applicable) is not known and cannot be discovered. If at all possible, list at least one actual author or editor for a book instead of using "Unknown".

Books whose authorship is purposefully withheld should be attributed instead to Anonymous.

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is Beowulf. How can you rate a long-winded fantasy poem centuries and centuries old? I think it was originally drafted as an Old English song chanted by chanticleers. Beowulf was the original Nordic monster slayer. I read this ages ago, when I was in high school, long before I could appreciate story-lines and character development. I remember being fascinated with the background; the frozen seas, the dark forests, the empty bogs, with their lurking monsters and worms. This book contains many more Christian references than I remember but maybe I just notice them more. A good book to reread after you have had a full life to look back and reflect upon.

[Rabbia Riaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Literally the Last Lines of the Last Literary book I Listened on Librivox Leisurely Lying on (not my) bed in Legroom Latenight in Lahore in the Last minutes of the Last hour of the Last Lively day of the Last week of the Last month of the Last year in Little Low mood Lately bcz I Love Literature and Live Literature
La-LaLa-LaLa-La
'After they burn my body, tell my warriors to build a great burial mound on the cliffs that stick out into the sea. The sailors steering their ships on the gloomy waters will see it and call it Beowulf's barrow, and my people will remember me."

[Andrew H · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear and useful translation

[klau · Rating 3 out of 5]

first reading for my english literature class, and i'm just so happy that i understood it that i don't really care about what's going on. i was expecting something much worse so slay. 2'5/5

[Alberto Monroy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being an Epic Poem, I knew what to expect from it, yet was, as always happens with me, inspired by the notions of heroism, honor, friendship surpassing the love of kinship, unending belligerent spirit and dreams of everlasting grandeur to be told of in songs. That is what Beowulf is, a poem that tells of a great hero, trying to leave his mark in this world, to have his name named by everyone in the world; and as an Epic, you get exactly that, for its narrative is quite linear, even when characters voice their thoughts, which most of the times are repetetive and tautological. When reading Beowulf, it is appreciation for its significance as a historical document, telling of the English people's ancestry through the eyes of a christian man, that makes it interesting, to see how the word of god is poised on heathen lips. The trascendent Christian style of the poem makes it a subject of a unity that does not allow any deviation or choosing of paths within its textuality; and the logocentric image to which we go back to again and again, strangles the story, squeezing the passionate life of Beowulf with allmighty hands. Although the poem does capture the impassioned liveliness of these people, it gets boring for it doesn't provide anything new. I had to really force myself to finish reading it, since it redundantly extends and painfully stretches into the following scenes, on which you lose track by stumbling into the oddest names of characters which are not strongly enough embraced by the narrative. The poem ends with an elegy, with the words proffered by the hero himself, told of by a brother in arms that was witness to his last words. All being said, it is a great work of art, and beautifully told from a christian perspective.

[TiffanyLamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time, I was slowly salivating all over my arm and could barely make out the voices around me. One by one, the voices would change, and I was forced to break away from what I was doing to hear a word or two, but they were quickly dismissed. Then, my 11th grade English teacher calls my name and I abruptly raise my head from my desk and open my eyes as wide as I can to prove that I was NOT sleeping. It was my turn to read from the story in our school books. I began to read and noticed that I was not the only one who had absolutely no interest in what was being read. As I continued, the story line started to grab my attention and pull me in. I looked up in amazement and asked my teacher what I was reading. It still amazes me that just a few paragraphs of this ancient tale could attract me so quickly. Since then, this has been one of my favorite stories I read in high school.

In case anyone was wondering, I did pass all the work and tests that were associated with this assignment. And I did not enjoy the computer animated junk of a movie that was released following my new found love. It is a classic, translated over time and should remain as such, in my opinion.

[Andres Borbon · Rating 5 out of 5]

¿Qué decir de esta historia? La he leído montones de veces y me encanta. Probablemente se trate de ese gusto infantil que persiste a lo largo de toda la vida, pues mi primer acercamiento a Beowulf fue cuando tenía 9 ó 10 años. Un amigo llevó a la escuela un libro profusamente ilustrado que contaba las hazañas del héroe godo y quedé fascinado leyéndolo en lugar de poner atención a la maestra. Pedí que me lo prestara pero se negó, argumentando la rigidez de su madre, pero no me convenció. Sin embargo, llevó el libro a la escuela dos días más, con lo que recorrí la historia tres veces y me enamoré de ella. Por las noches, soñaba que yo era Beowulf. Le arrancaba el brazo al cruel Grendel y conseguía levantar la espada del gigante.

Cosas así no se olvidan, pero hay que recordarlas de vez en cuando.

[Kiersten Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read, but a good read nonetheless. Beowulf is a rare classic, and one of the oldest, but it has a lot of influence in many areas, namely Skyrim and The Lord of the Rings. I enjoyed reading this style of narrative, it is much different than other formats seen today. Though I find it humorous that Beowulf, a legendary warrior, always fights with his hands either because he is too proud or his sword breaks, usually the latter.

[Matthew Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic I fell in love with while at school, however, my exposure to the story stopped at Grendel’s Mother. Translated into beautiful prose and striking imagery. You can feel every mead-soaked, fire stoked word being shared around open fires by battle-hardened Vikings under the Northern Lights. Finding the rhythm of the text can sometimes prove a little tricky and would probably be better served said aloud as intended. A wonderful piece of classic literature that is worthy of the admiration it receives and a crime the unknown true author cannot garner the recognition they so deserve.

[Maya Elkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The alliterative verse is actually quite soothing to read. This epic is widely considered one of the oldest pieces of English literature. The trials Beowulf experiences are entertaining and show him to be a true hero. Wiglaf is my favorite though...

[Laurence Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first significant literary works in English, the epic poem Beowulf portrays the great battles of Beowulf, hero of the Geats. Through the depiction of Beowulf, the desirable attributes of the Anglo-Saxons, including loyalty, bravery, and honesty, are celebrated.

[Gilbert Rayner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic that is over 1000 years old

[Jared Berriman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true epic depicting perhaps the greatest hero ever penned. Read it aloud you coward.

[Jack Kostiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love reading all the books I missed in High School. I set a goal to read them when my kids were in school and I have 3 in school right now, so I am a busy reader!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Am I allowed to rate a classic epic poem only 2 stars? Nothing against it, just not my personal taste/preference. I didn’t see much development/growth in Beowulf. And violence isn’t my thing, so didn’t love some of the descriptive fight scenes. Still a classic with thought-provoking themes, so that was good, just not my thing.

[Aaron Martz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another reviewer mentioned how this is basically an unfilmed Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, and I agree. It has to be the most macho book I've read. All of the men are greased up hulks with glistening body armor and swords sharp enough to cut God, and their muscles and body armor and swords are described ad nausem, especially the hero, Beowulf, who is Arnold in his Conan days, except Nordic. When they're not out slaughtering enemy armies, they're drinking mead in what is essentially a giant bar they live and sleep in. Kings admire them and heap gold and treasure upon them and women serve them in every possible way and serve no other function. The plot is one action scene after another with drinking and hero worship in between. Beowulf, the greatest hero of them all, is then tasked with killing a giant monster, then its mother, then, because there are still twenty pages or so left, why not a dragon? Finally, because he's the greatest hero of them all and is not without a supremely inflated ego boosted no doubt by everyone calling him the greatest hero of them all over and over again, his dying wish is that a large fort be built in his name on the highest cliff by the greatest architects so that every seafarer on the horizon will remember him forever and ever as the best there ever was and the best there ever will be! It's cheesy fun from beginning to end, and if I had to guess probably inspired more barroom brawls in olden times than any book of the bible.

[Nicholas Morpus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to rate an epic poem passed down, retranslated, and altered so many times that it most likely no longer reflects the original retelling. What is truly fascinating about the story of Beowulf isn’t necessarily the plot itself, which reads like an orally told folklore tale (because that’s what it is), but instead is interesting based on the history that shaped the modern understanding of the tale.

What started as a Norse epic poem of heroism and strength evolved into an example of cultured stories changing based on conquest. The known rendition of Beowulf is essentially a manufacturing concocted by catholic munks after the British lands were conquered by the Romans, where Beowulf is now a hero killing the monster Grendel for king, country, and the Christian God, rather than simply to aid the king of the Gaets.

But still, either way, the story is a great example of heroic Norse storytelling in the tradition of oral folklore and an interesting introduction into the discussion of shifting cultural storytelling throughout history.

[Rupert Stanbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Legends or myths don’t just come from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Beowulf is an epic tale about the North European tribes in the 5th and 6th centuries.

It’s actually an English poem written sometime between about 700 and a thousand AD. It concerns the heroic deeds of Beowulf, who in his early life fights monsters in Denmark, and in later years takes on a dragon which is ravaging his homeland in what is now known as Southern Sweden.

Like most epic poems it was almost certainly recounted orally to begin with before being recorded in written form. Although it's authorship is anonymous, it was likely written by a Christian cleric ( if only because they were the only people who could read and write at the time ), but dealt with a pre-Christian time when paganism was rife in Northern Europe.

I find it very difficult to rate a book written over a thousand years ago. It is a fine read, but shorter and less expansive than the classical works of Homer and Virgil. Accordingly, I give it 4 Stars.

[Laurie Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Reading now and it was written near 1000 AD and I understand it so well. It is a translation which helps. I just love how the story is written about this land where Kings rule and how the rulers are all generational. They are good and mighty kings who care for their kingdom. Then a beast, a monster comes to tear at the current King and drives him to madness. The kingdom prays but they get not the answer and so they turn to the devil. And Grendal is released, who is a decendent of Cain. I love how descriptive this book. I am about halfway through and loving it. It's like a long poem but can be read like a story. Can't wait to finish. I had to put 5 stars because I am completely sure I am going to love every word.
Totally recommend this book. It will show you how much like our ancestors we are. They had the sense of humor and the pain and struggles and love and passion that we have today. And they felt every bit of it just as strongly as we do.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haha, but this book is kind of review proof, right? I was struck by the scene when B rips off G's arm and hangs it from the roof, and the last battle, with the dragon, gave me an idea for a totally innovative take on the dragon fantasy series, only it's an idea that's been had by everyone who took high school, ever.

Really, my rating (as always) reflects on me as a reader; this is a book that I probably shouldn't talk about without taking a class-- it seems pretty obvious that value (and meaning) of the book is in the interstitial bits between the three battles, but that whole part of the book, which I think must be more than half the lines, was pretty mysterious to me.

But, technically speaking, I read it.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a _ton_ of tangent-stories in here, and with so many different names (most of which start with H) it's hard to keep track of who the story is about at any given moment. Fight-scenes were anticlimactic - Two or more pages of lead-up to no more than one page of fight, in which the famed sword fails to inflict any damage and then there is either a swift victory or a loss. But if you ever feel like reading eloquent stories of ancient heroes who can rip apart savage monsters with their bare hands, featuring literary gore in both battle and a funeral pyre, it's worth a shot. Just either be prepared to glean the gist of a page and move on, or have some ibuprofen ready for the headache.

[Madison Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally! I’m done this stupid book! I get it, Beowulf is cool and he kills a bunch of monsters. Great anything more interesting? This book bored me so much that I honestly hated reading and I have a tattoo of books. Historically, this is super important and played a large part in the Nordic culture which is awesome, but I just didn’t care. For such a short book, this felt like it dragged on forever and I couldn’t wait to be done it. There was nothing enjoyable about this book other than reading the last word of it. I guess this could be enjoyable to other people, but I really just needed to get this small rant out.

[Joshua Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good look into the past. As with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, this book serves as a good reminder of where storytelling started. What is great about this book is that even if some parts are difficult to interpret, based on how they are told, the story retells many things to reiterate past details.

I do wish that it didn't drag on so much. With looking at how it's a poetic view of a nordic hero, it makes plenty of sense both historically and contextually why so many details were fleshed out.

6/10

This does make me appreciate how storytelling has gotten to the point that it has.

[Bethany Griffith]

I will definitely be reading more translations of this epic poem. I read John McNamara's translation through the Barnes and Noble classics paperback series, and I don't feel like it's the best translation. I'm really excited for Tolkien's translation to come out May 2014! Plus I'll probably read another one or two translations. I didn't quite pay enough attention to grasp the whole story with all the similar names, but then again, I was reading it rather quickly just to get the main just of Beowulf's adventures. Tolkien's inspiration was fairly obvious. :)

[Gregg Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read BeoWulf about 3 times in my life and each was a different translation. The first time as a teen, I really loved it and the heroics. A brave man who risks life and reputation for saving the Geats (many ways to spell that tribal name) from monsters. At the second reading we see a man with personal ambition.

I would still recommend this story for teens to read. The story mirrors what we are today.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEOWULF

Beowulf, an epic poem written in Old English, tells the story of the mighty warrior of the Geats who comes to Danes to help their king, Hrothgar, defeat a vicious monster named Grendel who has been terrorizing their town and mead hall. Beowulf uses his epic strength and ability to defeat the monster with his bare hands and slay his evil mother when she seeks revenge. Beowulf becomes king of his own people, but a new monster awaits, a dragon guarding buried treasure.

[Sunnyss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to read Beowulf after re-reading the Hobbit and becoming fascinated with Tolkien (I know, I'm late to the party). After reading this it's clear where Tolkien received his inspiration from and why. I didn't expect the poem to have such a dark and foreboding atmosphere as it did. Or a character who seems simple but is actually complex. Needless to say, I fell in love with it and I have to give kudos to this translation for making that possible.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you review one of the oldest stories around? It's wonderful. Alexander's translation to me felt easy to understand, lyrical in places (2441-2465 in this version are haunting), and pleasantly mournful in tone.

The structure of the story itself, with its digressions and unheralded mentions of various kinsmen and feuding clans, is of course up for debate, but Alexander's introduction and footnotes provide much-appreciated context.

It's beautiful, crisp, elegiac, and timeless.

[Clay]

i am not gonna rate a book from the early medieval period for a literal insane number of reasons but the translation is pretty good from what i can tell, very intent on being faithful to the original, and is in verse which is a feat on its own (i dont read anglo-saxon so grains of salt). read this if youre interested in the genealogy of the modern fantasy genre, early medieval northern sea culture, or just like stories about stabbing big monsters

[zora · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ~☆~

It was an average epic adventure story. The thing I was most interested in was the history of this story. But the one thing I wanted to point out was Baowulf (Main Character) was fighting all these monsters when he was young. Then he had to fight a dragon, they killed it but he died from a wound to his neck. I can’t believe Laios, Marcille, Chilchuck, and Senshi could defeat a damn dragon and lived but he couldn’t… F in chat.