Who's Afraid of Beowulf?

by Tom Holt

Digging up the remains of an ancient band of Vikings, archaeologist Hildy is astounded when they rise from the dead, bearing an appetite for seagulls, a twelve-thousand-year-old grudge, and a thirst for war.

Genres: Fantasy, Humor, Fiction, Comedy, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Tom Holt (Thomas Charles Louis Holt) is a British novelist.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, Norse literature is my thing. Really, really my thing. But while there were parts of this book where I was slightly annoyed by inaccuracies (kite shields? in the eighth century? I think not), the Anglicisation of names (eths are my favourite letters :3 ), and the text's attitude to textual criticism (the whole idea of 'authorship' of a saga kind of pains me), it was so much fun that actually I didn't care that much.

It was pretty clear that the author really did know his stuff - all those allusions to the Eddas, and gripping beasts, and all the heroes' names, it was like reading an extended version of a Gesta article (Gesta Asnacorum being my department's spoof magazine). I loved it. And Hildy was so great! The cover of my copy made me worry that it would be all 'modern woman meets Vikings and they are so manly, swoon', but it wasn't at all! She was all, 'Yes, so I have some questions about the eighth century, by god I'm going to at least get a decent article out of all this,' and it was wonderful, and yeah, I really liked it. And her Viking nickname was so good.

It all just felt really nice and good-natured. A+, would definitely read more Tom Holt.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Holt novel and I enjoyed it. It was like an urban fantasy Dicworld.

I really liked that the Vikings weren't impressed by the modern world or any of the tech which they already had through magic.

Hildy wanted to say ‘I’m not sure’, but she realised that the man was being sarcastic, which was the last thing she expected. ‘I’m Hildy Frederiksen,’ she mumbled, aware that in all this vastness and mystery that one small fact could have little significance. Still, she wanted it put on record before it was wiped out of her mind.
‘Well, now,’ said the leader, still sarcastic but with a hint of sympathy in his voice, ‘you shouldn’t have told me that, should you? After all, when strangers meet by night on the fells, they should not disclose their names, nor the names of their fathers, until they have tested each other’s heart with shrewd enquiry.’
Then his face seemed to relax a little behind the fixed scowl of his visor. ‘Don’t ask me why, mind. It’s just the rule.’

Something the King had said about magic had started her thinking and, although her idea was scarcely distinguishable from healthy American paranoia, that was not in itself a reason for discarding it. God, guts and paranoia made America great.

He had never believed in God or any other sort of conspiracy theory, and he could never summon up enough credulity to be entertained by spy thrillers. But even he had sometimes wondered about the telelogy of his own particular field of interest. All computer programmers have at some stage come face to face with the one and only metaphysical question of what happens to all the stuff that gets swallowed by the computer.

The only criticism is that none of the characters were really devloped except Hildy, and even her not so much. If you're looking for a good fun read this is a good start.

[Stamatios Mantzouranis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having read this book based on its ravenous reviews, I feel cheated and slightly suspicious about the general population's sense of humour. Tom Holt has been compared to Terry Pratchett, but his fantasy creatures set on a contemporary setting could not be any less funny than Pratchett's. The awoken Vikings that rise from their tomb in modern-day Scotland to fight and defeat their nemesis once and for all speak perfect English (courtesy of a spell), catch up on the last 1500 years of history after a quick chat with the archeologist who found them and don't blink an eye when they see advanced technology (magic/technology are two sides of the same coin to them). Having read the brief, I expected plenty of laughs, but frustratingly, Holt manages to waste all the potential of his own idea.

To top it off, the prose and pace are terrible. Most of the action happens "off-screen". Holt has the annoying habit of switching between events in a most confusing manner (there's a useless sub-plot that takes place in Scotland with half of the Viking team that has absolutely no impact to the main plot) only to come back a few paragraphs later and describe in third-person what happened in the meantime. Ridiculous.

Tom Holt obviously knows his way around old Viking myths and is a fan of that period, but the way he throws his references around would make you believe he copy-pasted them from Wikipedia. An anticlimactic final battle and a long-running epilogue, where everyone says goodbye to everyone else at least three times and they talk about Valhalla, are the final nails in the coffin that is "Who's Afraid of Beowulf".

[Faith Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn't really matter if you're a Beowulf fan. If you like snarky British humor, noble kings, and a goofy cast of support characters, you'll enjoy this book.

There are definitely references only true Beowulf fans will understand, and there were several times I felt left out of a joke. Even so, it was still an entertaining read.

My only complaint is that the ending fell pretty flat, which was somewhat excusable, given the lighthearted tone of the book, but it still disappointed me.

So yeah. Beowulf. Fun times.

[Michelle Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was a fun little book that takes the fierceness of Vikings and mixes in more than a fair amount of silliness, I don’t think it will be particularly memorable. A lot of people have said Tom Holt writes like Pratchett. I sort of see their point. The comedy and dry wit could be there at times, but it falls short of Pratchett’s ability to craft a good story with great characters under all the humor. I don’t feel any of the Vikings stood out much on their own as individuals, and all of the other characters didn’t seem to serve much purpose other than bland vehicles for the weak plot to sit on. And I completely failed to grasp the purpose of the little light/electric spirits, or even how they functioned.

Still, the humor was charming, and I love the concept even if the execution lacked enough oomph to help it reach its full potential. As a collective group, the Vikings were a delight - still resourceful and fierce as one would expect, but they were funny, too, and I love the weird little dynamic they had with Hildy as their guide to modern times.

Overall, fun but not enough to keep me coming back for more. I enjoyed my time with it, but I’m happy to move on to my next book.

[Nighteye · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know far too much about history for me liking this a little... stoped reading it, to bad presentation of the Norse. It have its funny parts but not that many either. Have been my sitting-on-the-buss-but-too-tired-to-read-anything-with-story-to-focus-on-book.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the funniest things I have Ever read, cannot possibly recommend it enough

[Faith Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the idea that electrical current is a magical state enabled in the Dark Ages by a sorcerer's craft, but we think of it as normal because it has always been there. Then, when the spell is broken, the modern world is switched off.

Do it, do it, do it!

Oh, as I speak, Russia's already doing it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A present day Archeologist discovers, underground, a ship of Norse Vikings – intact, fully preserved. If you like mythology, Scotland and laughter, check out what happens when a ship of Vikings awakes in present day… to save the world from a Computer Magnate who happens to be a sorcerer who has been living in England for several hundred years. It seems a thousand years ago King Rolf Earthstar of Caithness, and his bickering band of Viking bro’s fought a dreadful battle with the evil Sorcerer King, won the battle but lost track of their enemy. To rectify the situation, they put themselves into an enchanted sleep to wake when they are needed to destroy the Sorcerer King once and for all; in present time London. Great characters, pithy, hilarious.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good comedy fantasy book. Great story and characters. Very recommended

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun romp similar to Terry Pratchett

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this on Dan's recommendation but my husband says he's read it at least twice. I enjoyed the way King Hrolf picked up the modern situation and technologies so that there was a minimum of having to introduce the theory and result of various inventions and the acceptance by the heroes of whatever decisions the king made meant that they just followed along without explanations too. The introduction of most of the board and card games we play as if they were all one game was good and I liked the two chthonic spirits, one the reverse (the negative?) of the other. Someone commented that the plot isn't completely realized and I think I have to agree that the whole thing was a little weak if you thought too much about it and I'm not too sure of the ending, either, but it was a great ride!

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holt's books are so much delicious fun. I've always enjoyed them but sometimes find them a bit hard to follow as they meander through a landscape of imagination. This one struck me as a bit different; more organized and well-structured than some others I have read. Or maybe I was just in a better state of mind and relate more to the subject matter. Although I'm not sure why I would relate better to Vikings in the modern world but that's irrelevant. Loads of fun anyway.

[Sarah Morenon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended by people in Terry Pratchett FB fan groups, I think. I started reading and the main character, an archaeologist, did something no professional archaeologist would ever do, so I almost threw it down on the reject pile. BUT it was so funny that I continued, luckily for me. I love this type of witty humor, and in 2019, I need humor desperately. I will proceed with more Tom Holt books for sure.
Re-reading it, 2025. Even funnier.

[Shane Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, charming, and relaxing, this book’s title lies. The actual book has little-to-nothing to do with Beowulf. Instead, it is an example of the very rare Fantasy/Comedy story. It is also surprisingly gentle considering that it involves a busload of Vikings and an evil immortal wizard.
Highly recommended for fans of Douglas Adams, particularly “Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency”, as this was more like that than anything else I’ve ever read.

[Carl Hempel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly fun!

[Robert Rabinowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart, funny, unpredictable, unique.

[Johan D'Haenen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik maakte mijn licentiaatsthesis rond de Oudnoorse letterkunde. Beowulf maakt daar deel van uit en het was dan ook met blijde interesse en verwachting dat ik begon aan dit werk van Tom Holt.
Wat staat er te gebeuren wanneer een welmenende maar onvoorzichtige archeologe een 1200 jaar oud dodenschip van de Vikings tot ontwaken brengt en 12 op wraak beluste Vikings losgelaten worden in het 20ste eeuwse Engeland? “Nothing but general mayhem” zou je verwachten, en dat is wat je krijgt.
Moeten we Tom Holt vergelijken met Terry Pratchett of met Neil Gaiman? Natuurlijk niet. Tom Holt is Tom Holt, maar de humor is bijwijlen net zo balorig en onverwacht als die van Tom Sharpe, maar dan toch wel met de nodige portie wijsheid erbij.
En wanneer alles voorbij is – eind goed, al goed – blijft enkel de vraag, “Waar in Odin’s naam is Beowulf?” maar ja, Virginia Woolf komt ook niet voor in “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, want het staat voor “Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?”

[Charley Robson]

Ah, Tom Holt, we meet again. And we arrive at the same conclusion.

I should love this book. It's well researched, well paced, well characterised, and jam packed full of things I love. It has some moments of genuine hilarious wit, and pepperings of Very Specific Facts And Knowledge that show just how much research went into it.

I should love it. I should have a whole shelf dedicated to these things... but something about Holt's style just doesn't gel with me. Perhaps it's the hopping perspectives. Or perhaps the fact that this is my 3rd or 4th Holt and I, by now, have learned what themes to expect, which rather takes the punch out of the whole thing.

That said, I did love this one particularly for the ending, which was also one of my very favourite things in its bittersweet hopefulness.

Ah well. There we are again - something I love to pieces in theory but can't say more than "yeah, I liked it" about in theory. Until our next meeting then, Mr Holt.

[Ashlea F C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. I'm still going to read more of Tom Holt's books, but this one didn't do too much for me. I appreciate the absurdist humor and thought I'd really love the combination of old viking heroes, magic, electricity, and confused locals. Unfortunately, it all fell somewhat flat.

Like others have said, maybe it's because it all came too easy. There is no real conflict between then and now. I get wanting to keep things light in a comic novel, but it was unsettling how these men from the 8th century accepted everything about the '90s so readily and without need for explanation. No matter how used to magic they may have been, it was an odd choice.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Hilda Fredricksen of Long Island’s mentor sends her out to examine a possible Viking burial mound in rural Scotland she hopes to find something that will further her archaeological career. What she finds is a groups of Vikings who have been sleeping in the burial mound for the time to rise and fight a battle against evil that will determine the future of the world. But, since they are not exactly adept at the ways of the modern world, they need Hilda’s help. Tom Holt’s madcap pseudomythical characters and strange situations are entertaining escapism. If you like Terry Pratchett with a bit of Wodehouse, I think you will like this.

[Jim Bogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. A shy American archaeologist finds a band of Vikings preserved in time, in Scotland. And they recruit her to teach them enough about the modern world to overcome their ancient enemy.
Holt’s style is light and humorous. His characters are well developed, if idiosyncratic. And this is a great way to learn about the machinations of a modern Dark Tower.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. I've read and loved a lot of this author's work as K. J. Parker. His work as Tom Holt is much lighter (though I would say just as funny, just a different sort of humor). This was an easy, entertaining read. The comparisons to Terry Pratchett make sense, though the Discworld books past the first 4 or 5 are much deeper and than this is. But it does what it sets out to do, and that's an accomplishment.

[Hannah F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it lots. short and good amount of funny and a bit sweet.
Yes its simple but noevls don't have to have deep thoughts or characters having epiphanys...especially humorous ones .
You want that ?read those annoying chick lit books (this natural female abhors them)..or biographies.

Especially liked Zxerp& Prexz..they're the cutest! They really need their own book..if you're reading this Holt !🤣.

[Budge Burgess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gave this a whirl because the title made me chuckle and I fancied a good laugh. Well, the title made me chuckle, and there were a couple of funny lines in the course of the book, but boring, determined to be clever, a poor man's attempt at Terry Pratchett - and my apologies to Mr.Pratchett for alluding to such a comparison.
It rambles on, eventually grinds to a halt (though you suspect the characters are lurking for a reprise). This has not enriched my life.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed other of his work, so I picked this one up when I saw it on my library's shelf. In reading the publishing date and writers bio I found this was one of his earlier works. Knowing that I'd say that feels about right. The story is engaging and I enjoyed it. It has the feel of the later stories, but not quite as fleshed out. Say 2.5 stars? Still and all - a nice read.

[Robert Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when a Viking ship has been uncovered in 20th century Scotland still intact… complete with a group of groggy Vikings that have been awakened from a magical 1200 year sleep? Wackiness ensues of course.

It is humorous historical fiction that has a hint of Monty Python feel to it.

Fun quick read.

[Thevogon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up. Reads like a first effort, which is puzzling when, certainly in publication terms, it's not, and positively baffling after the very professional Mapp and Lucia sequels. Two hundred pages of mild whimsy which loses its way after about twenty. I didn't find a better joke than the title which deserved a slightly different book. Much better to come later in the sequence.

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had been on my shelf for a long while. It was a good story, a little confusing at the end, but overall a fun twist on what legends, tales and myths really are and can be, and more importantly, what technology really is: just fancier, generally less functional magic.

[James Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holt's funny trip through Norse mythology with well-drawn and all-too-human Heroes. it is like the Edda taking place inside your local supermarket, but for real. A very witty take on all things Scandanavian and actually a great read in and of itself. Very funny.