Play Book Tag discussion

Beowulf is one of the oldest surviving works of English literature. The poem tells the story of Beowulf, a Geatish warrior who rises to fame through acts of courage, strength, and ultimately self-sacrifice.

It tells the story of Beowulf as he travels to Denmark to help King Hrothgar, whose hall is terrorized by the monster Grendel. Beowulf defeats Grendel through sheer physical might, later conquering Grendel’s vindictive mother, and returns home celebrated as a hero. The story then shifts forward in time, depicting Beowulf as an aging king who faces a final enemy, a dragon threatening his people.

Like many modern readers I struggled with the language. I got both the book and the audio translation by Seamus Heaney and read along with the audio. It was still a struggle but I felt like that particular translation respected the strangeness of the original while making it fairly readable. "Beowulf" remains compelling because of its exploration of heroism, mortality and leadership. For readers willing to engage with its language and themes, "Beowulf" remains a rewarding and influential work that continues to shape our understanding of heroism as well as storytelling.

Beowulf does take work!

I agree that the Seamus Heaney translation is most accessible and doing both print and his reading of it the best. I got to hear hime read a section live the summer right after his translaton came out, as part of a Lincoln Center festival. He was such a dynamic reader, clearly loving this story.

When I was a kid, I had a scholastic version of Beowulf and loved it.

As an adult I read the Seamus Heaney version and became hooked all over again.

Shortly after I read Grendel by John Gardner and it all seemed to fit.