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Beowulf: The New Translation
- Narrated by: John Hanks
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
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Publisher's summary
J. R. R. Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, in his famous 1936 lecture, "Beowulf, the Monsters and the Critics", said, "Beowulf is among my most valued sources. It is a work of genius, rare and surprising in the period, and it is worth studying. In Beowulf we have an historical story about the pagan past. Beowulf is not an actual picture of historic Denmark or Geatland or Sweden about 500 A.D. But it is, on a general view, a self-consistent picture, a construction bearing clearly the marks of design and thought. Beowulf is, indeed, the most successful old english heroic elegy."
The origins, history and authorship of Beowulf are shrouded in uncertainty. This heroic epic probably began, as most do, with a wandering troubadour strumming a stringed instrument, sitting before a hearth-fire, and singing the verses to a spellbound audience arrayed before him. At some point, the words of the troubadour were inscribed in manuscript form, in order to preserve the story for posterity. The events depicted in this story take place during the late fifth to early sixth century. However, there is great dispute among scholars as to when the manuscript itself was actually transcribed. Tolkien believed it was written about the eighth century, while other serious experts assert it was written as late as the early 11th century. Beowulf is a rousing adventure story, filled with intrepid heroes, monsters and fire-breathing dragons, which can be listened to for the sheer enjoyment of the tale.
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Since his youth, living in poverty in a cave in Italy, Roland's mother has taught him that someday he will be a brave hero like his father, Milon, and serve with the great army of Charlemagne. He learns from her that he is descended from great heroes of old and that his mother is Charlemagne's sister, the Princess Bertha.
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Surprisingly Excellent!
- By Paul on 06-14-11
By: Unknown
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The Children of Hurin
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Christopher Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of the Rings. The story told in this book is set in the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once walked, but which were drowned in the great cataclysm that ended the First Age of the World.
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Powerful and Disturbing
- By Catherine Dalzell on 12-19-09
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Beowulf
- By: Anonymous
- Narrated by: Crawford Logan
- Length: 2 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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The oldest long poem in Old English, written about AD 1,000, Beowulf tells the story of a great warrior of southern Scandinavia, in both youth and maturity. The monster Grendel terrorizes the Scyldings of Hrothgar's Danish Kingdom until Beowulf defeats him. As a result, he has to face her enraged mother. Beowulf dies after a battle against a fierce dragon.
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Beowulf lives again!
- By Andrew on 02-13-12
By: Anonymous
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The Song of Roland
- By: Michael A. H. Newth - translator
- Narrated by: Greg Marston, Summe Williams, Julian DouglasSmith
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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The Song of Roland is acknowledged today as the first masterpiece of French vernacular literature and one of the world’s greatest epic poems. Written down around the year 1090, The Song of Roland finely crafted verses tell of the betrayal and defeat of Charlemagne’s beloved nephew at the Pass of Roncevaux in the Pyrenees and of the revenge subsequently sought on his behalf.
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Excellent production
- By Tad Davis on 11-09-11
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The Story of the Volsungs
- The Volsunga Saga
- By: Anonymous
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Originally written in Icelandic in the 13th century AD by an anonymous author, The Story of The Volsungs is a legendary saga based on Norse mythology. The epic describes the legendary history and heroic feats of several generations of mythic Viking families and derives from many sources, including preexisting Edda, or heroic poems, Norse legends, historical events, and orally transmitted folklore. The saga is imbued throughout with themes of power, jealousy, love, vengeance, and fear.
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Passionate, Poetic, Bloody, Heroic, & Tragic Saga
- By Jefferson on 03-28-12
By: Anonymous
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Mythology: Captivating Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Celtic and Roman Myths of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters
- By: Matt Clayton
- Narrated by: Randy Whitlow, Dryw McArthur
- Length: 19 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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This audiobook collection includes five captivating books, a huge collection of the best myths and stories of gods, goddesses, monsters, and mortals.
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Not what I expected
- By Wayne Willmore on 12-11-18
By: Matt Clayton
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The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights
- By: James Knowles
- Narrated by: Eric Brooks
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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King Arthur was a legendary British leader of the late fifth and early sixth century who, according to the medieval histories and romances, led the defense of the Romano-Celtic British against the Saxon invaders in the early sixth century. This book gives an account of the life of this great legend of all times.
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This was painful!
- By T. Rod on 09-05-14
By: James Knowles
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Bulfinch’s Mythology
- The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes
- By: Thomas Bulfinch
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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First published in three separate volumes from 1855 to 1863, Bulfinch's Mythology quickly became the standard source of classic tales from ancient Greece and Rome, the Norse tradition, and beyond. This edition contains the full text of The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes, the first volume of Bulfinch's seminal work. From stories of the Greek gods of Mt. Olympus to retellings of the Iliad and the Odyssey, from descriptions of mythological monsters to tales of Hindu and Egyptian deities, Bulfinch's versions of these classic stories bring their characters to life.
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new stories, and covers alot.
- By Felisa Kay on 03-28-17
By: Thomas Bulfinch
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Mythology
- By: Edith Hamilton
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Since its original publication by Little, Brown and Company, in 1942, Edith Hamilton's Mythology has sold millions of copies throughout the world and established itself as a perennial best-seller in its various available formats. Mythology succeeds like no other audiobook in bringing to life for the modern listener the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths and legends that are the keystone of Western culture - the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present.
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Good reading of classical myths
- By Kathi on 03-18-13
By: Edith Hamilton
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The Mabinogion
- By: Charlotte Guest
- Narrated by: Richard Mitchley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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The Mabinogion, the earliest literary jewel of Wales, is a collection of ancient tales and legends compiled around the 12th and 13th century deriving from storytelling and the songs of bards handed down over the ages. It is a remarkable document in many ways. From an historical perspective, it is the earliest prose literature of Britain. But it is in its drama that many surprises await, not least the central role of King Arthur, his wife, Gwenhwyvar, and his court at Caerlleon upon Usk.
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A Wonder Whose Origin is Unknown
- By John on 07-28-17
By: Charlotte Guest
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New York Times best seller and Whitebread Book of the Year, Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's new translation of Beowulf comes to life in this gripping audio. Heaney's performance reminds us that Beowulf, written near the turn of another millennium, was intended to be heard not read.
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Why, oh, why is it abridged?
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A man seeks to prove himself as a hero. A monster seeks silence in his territory. A warrior seeks to avenge her murdered son. A dragon ends it all. The familiar elements of the epic poem are seen with a novelist’s eye toward gender, genre, and history - Beowulf has always been a tale of entitlement and encroachment, powerful men seeking to become more powerful, and one woman seeking justice for her child, but this version brings new context to an old story.
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Ridiculous
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The Old English epic poem Beowulf, recorded in its original Saxon dialect for the first time. Performed by Icelandic poet, playwright, professional storyteller and performer Svanur Thorkelsson, Audible’s production gives listeners the opportunity to experience how it might have felt to hear bards recite sections of the 3000-line poem from memory in Anglo Saxon dining halls. Audible’s Beowulf recaptures the heroic style and vast scale of what can be considered ‘England’s first native audiobook’.
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Recorded in Anglo-Saxon, not Modern English
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The oldest long poem in Old English, written about AD 1,000, Beowulf tells the story of a great warrior of southern Scandinavia, in both youth and maturity. The monster Grendel terrorizes the Scyldings of Hrothgar's Danish Kingdom until Beowulf defeats him. As a result, he has to face her enraged mother. Beowulf dies after a battle against a fierce dragon.
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Beowulf lives again!
- By Andrew on 02-13-12
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Stephen Mitchell's marvelously clear and vivid rendering recreates the robust masculine music of the original. It both hews closely to the Old English and captures its wild energy and vitality, not just as a deep "work of literature" but also as a rousing entertainment that can still stir our feelings and rivet our attention today, after more than a thousand years. This new translation - spare, sinuous, vigorous in its narration, and translucent in its poetry - makes a masterpiece accessible to everyone.
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Great translation, weak reading
- By Tad Davis on 10-24-17
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Beowulf
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Beowulf is the greatest surviving work of literature in Old English, unparalleled in its epic grandeur and scope. It tells the story of the heroic Beowulf and of his battles, first with the monster Grendel, who has laid waste to the great hall of the Danish king Hrothgar, then with Grendel's avenging mother and finally with a dragon that threatens to devastate his homeland.
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Excellent translation and reading
- By Tad Davis on 04-10-21
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New York Times best seller and Whitebread Book of the Year, Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's new translation of Beowulf comes to life in this gripping audio. Heaney's performance reminds us that Beowulf, written near the turn of another millennium, was intended to be heard not read.
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Why, oh, why is it abridged?
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A man seeks to prove himself as a hero. A monster seeks silence in his territory. A warrior seeks to avenge her murdered son. A dragon ends it all. The familiar elements of the epic poem are seen with a novelist’s eye toward gender, genre, and history - Beowulf has always been a tale of entitlement and encroachment, powerful men seeking to become more powerful, and one woman seeking justice for her child, but this version brings new context to an old story.
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Ridiculous
- By Corinna D. Girard on 01-02-21
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The oldest long poem in Old English, written about AD 1,000, Beowulf tells the story of a great warrior of southern Scandinavia, in both youth and maturity. The monster Grendel terrorizes the Scyldings of Hrothgar's Danish Kingdom until Beowulf defeats him. As a result, he has to face her enraged mother. Beowulf dies after a battle against a fierce dragon.
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Beowulf lives again!
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-
Great translation, weak reading
- By Tad Davis on 10-24-17
By: Stephen Mitchell
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Beowulf
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Beowulf is the greatest surviving work of literature in Old English, unparalleled in its epic grandeur and scope. It tells the story of the heroic Beowulf and of his battles, first with the monster Grendel, who has laid waste to the great hall of the Danish king Hrothgar, then with Grendel's avenging mother and finally with a dragon that threatens to devastate his homeland.
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Excellent translation and reading
- By Tad Davis on 04-10-21
By: Michael Alexander, and others
What listeners say about Beowulf: The New Translation
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Eileen
- 05-08-14
A Classic
Would you consider the audio edition of Beowulf: The New Translation to be better than the print version?
The narrator did a excellent job telling the story and bringing the reader into the story.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Beowulf because of his battles with Grendel's mother and the dragon.
What about John Hanks’s performance did you like?
He did a excellent job.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Thomas More
- 04-27-15
A good translation of an ancient text
An archetype of English adventure. It celebrates the virtues of brotherhood, loyalty, generosity, goodness, and strength. John Hanks does an adequate job in his reading, though it could have been loads better.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Katincan
- 07-05-14
An enjoyable listen
Where does Beowulf: The New Translation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is the third time I have tried to post a review for "Beowulf: The New Translation" by Gerald J. Davis. The other two reviews? Lost during computer malfunctions. What I was trying to say in those reviews, In a nutshell, is that through no fault of the author, I became confused a couple of times. When I realized there were stories within the story it all started making sense to me again. Beowulf is known by other names. That took me a while to figure out. In the end I felt that "Beowulf: The New Translation" by Gerald J. Davis was well presented and kept my interest throughout. A translation like this is not everyone's cup of tea but I think Gerald J. Davis will have more readers/listeners finding themselves carried away by the epic story of Beowulf if they give it a go.
Which character – as performed by John Hanks – was your favorite?
All characters.The narrator was brilliant. Bravo.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
What the world needs today is a Beowulf
Any additional comments?
Thank you to Gerald J. Davis for the free copy in return for an unbiased review.(I hope my review passes muster :-) )
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3 people found this helpful
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- S. Cremona
- 04-29-22
A great read and highly recommend
“Beowulf” is one of the books on my “bucket List” to read and I now have experienced this classic legend. The translation was smooth and made the expressions of that time period understandable in today’s language. WOW, the brutality, values, and expectation of Beowulf and his fellow warriors comes thru the words in the poem. There defiantly is a clear understanding of the presence of GOD in their lives and a hope for the afterlife for being faithful and just. Worth the time investment in reading and highly recommend. Reading several times would contribute to the fullness of the experience. Experienced as an Audio book.
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- The Cultural Norm
- 09-12-16
Very good story and performance
I cannot evaluate this translation on its scholarly merits. However, I can say it was a fine story and good performance. I think you may find it to be so, too. The "new" translation is not obnoxiously modernized. Rather, the attempt to capture the alliteration present in the Old English is admirable and not intrusive. This is a story that should be listened to, not read. (I wish my high school English teacher had known this!)
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- David Holmes
- 01-15-23
An excellent translation of a story that should be more widely known
I tried two other translations or two other readers before settling on Gerald Davis’ translation read by John Hanks. Beowulf is a foundational story that has many themes that resonate later in English literary history up to and including the Lord of the Rings. I highly recommend it to my fellow readers.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-16-14
An enjoyable listen
I have never read or listened to any translation of Beowulf. I found this translation easy to understand and follow. It's a good story and interesting for it's historic value. I will seek out other translations by this author. The narration wasn't bad, just a little low and slow. It was much better at 1.25 speed, but since I was not familiar with the story, I kept it at regular speed so I didn't miss anything.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
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3 people found this helpful
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- CSterle
- 10-14-14
Hard to follow as audio
I got this audiobook for free with an honest review and since I've always wanted to read Beowulf I was looking forward to it. I'm not sure of anything to say specifically about the translation itself although I enjoyed the forward and explanations, and the text was seamless enough for my tastes. Having never read Beowulf elsewhere however I have nothing to compare it to. One thing I would say is that I think this was one story better read than listened to. I love audiobooks and typically follow and comprehend them very well. Additionally the reader for this audiobook did a superb job and I think his voice was the perfect fit for the classic tale. However, I did have trouble following it. I feel like I got the gist, but my overall comprehension and retention were not what I would like. I think I will definitely need to give it another listen or two, or pick up a text copy so I can really dwell on lines instead of having them pass me by.
Overall if you're looking for a copy of Beowulf I have no scruples about recommending this one, or the reader, as both the translator and reader did an excellent job. Just be prepared for subject material that might take a little more concentration than other stories.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Kelly Kidney
- 05-24-15
Good narrator/ story was ok.
I had to read this for school. Listening to the story made it easier to comprehend. And the narrator had a good voice. The story was just not that interesting to me.
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- K
- 05-03-14
A classic story, beautifully told
Disclaimer: I received this audiobook from the translator in exchange for an honest review
I read Beowulf in high school and enjoyed it, but would have had a greater appreciation for it had I heard this version. I found this audio version of Beowulf to be beautiful and poetic. While the story itself is powerful and timeless, Davis' translation and Hanks' narration improve upon it. John Hanks is a hidden gem, his voice is broad and resonant and he can voice whimsical passages as skillfully as he narrates more serious, dramatic scenes. This is a beautiful story, beautifully told... my only complaint is that at 3 hours and change, I enjoyed it so much that I wished it were longer. Highly recommended
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3 people found this helpful