Beowulf: A New Translation Reviews

This 3182-line-long Anglo-Saxon poem tells the story of Beowulf, a mighty Geat hero warrior, who comes to the rescue of the Danish king, Hrothgar, when the latter's mead hall Heorot is attacked by the monster Grendel. Beowulf kills the beast bare-handed and gains great renown, and later sets off to slay Grendel's mother as well. After going back to Sweden and reigning for over fifty years, he'll die wresting with yet another creature, a dragon.

The poem has a nice cadence, which pushes you forward, and Seamus Heaney's modern English translation is very enjoyable to read. I regret not having been able to concentrate on the poem all the time (I was sometimes distracted by personal concerns and my mind started wandering off), and I think this is something I'll definitely read again.