My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Beowulf is thought to have been written around the year 1000 AD, give or take a century. And the author is the extremely famous, very popular and world renowned writer… Unknown. Got you there, didn’t I? LOL Probably not… if you’re on Goodreads and studied American or English literature, you probably already knew this is one of the most famous works without an author.
It was first really published in the 1800s, using the Old English version where many have translated it, but there are still some blurry parts of the story. Essentially, a monster named Grendel hunts and kills the people of a town and many warriors have died fighting against it. Beowulf tackles the monster and its mother, and well… you’re gonna have to read it to find out. Or if you can’t get yourself there, watch the Star Trek or Simpsons episode which does a nice little rendition.
Here’s the reasons why you should take a look at the story:
1. Many famous writers and editors have attempted to translate the story into more modern English. Tolkien is a famous example. Each reader has his/her own interpretation. So pick one whose style you like and go to that version.
2. It’s a translated book… other than the famous Greek literature we read in high school, it’s one of the earliest translated forms of literature. Makes it worth taking a gander.
3. It’s a really great story. Monster terrorizes people. Someone strong steps up to fight it. There is a victory of sorts. Momma wants revenge. So… how many books have you read that have just copied… I mean borrowed… that entire plot?
4. There is a lot of beauty in the prose and the verse, and when you hear the words describe the creatures, it’s a bit like fantasy.
Here’s why you may not like it:
1. It’s long.
2. It’s hard to understand at some points.
3. It’s 1000 years old and you just like modern stories.
My advice… pick a passage or two, read for 30 minutes and decide if it’s something you want to read more of. But you should always give a chance to some part of our early heritage and culture. Right?
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews… here’s the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you’ll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I’ve visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
It was the precursor to so many mythical tales that came after…..
Exactly!