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Beowulf  By  cover art

Beowulf

By: Anonymous
Narrated by: Crawford Logan
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Publisher's summary

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.

©2006 Naxos AudioBooks (P)2006 Naxos AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"Common to every experience of Beowulf is the sense that its poetry reaches, somehow like lightning, to the core of what we understand about ourselves stripped to basics, even amid the twentieth-century world of central heating and computers." (Humanities)

What listeners say about Beowulf

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Beowulf lives again!

What did you love best about Beowulf?

As a teacher of English, I'm interested in all aspects of the language. The sheer scope of this Anglo-Saxon epic marks it out as the most important surviving text of its kind anywhere. Of course, not everyone can read or understand the Old English language of Anglo-Saxon times, so Naxos have performed a masterstroke in producing a beautifully read modern (prose) translation of the story, thus making it available to a much wider audience. Any translation is, by definition, a compromise, but comparing this modern reading with the energy and beauty of the original alliterative verse shows that it can be done and, as in this case, most convincingly. Anyone interested in Beowulf - even for the first time - will be enthralled by this version and, as with all Naxos products, be happily surprised by the very reasonable price. I have been buying Naxos products for years and I must say I have never once regretted it. The recording quality is superb and the production team seem to be experts in putting together top-quality performances!

What other book might you compare Beowulf to and why?

Sir Gawain and The Green Giant is another masterstroke in making one of the greatest poetical works of Middle English available to a modern audience. The verse translation retains much of the alliteration and power of the original and will appeal to audiences of various age groups.

Have you listened to any of Crawford Logan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to various versions of Beowulf, but this is the first time I've heard Crawford Logan reading anything. His performance of this epic is wonderfully alive and certainly the best reading I have heard to date.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The story is already well known to me, so I was more interested in how close to the original this modern reading comes across. This is a superb reading in every respect!

Any additional comments?

Buy it, and enjoy Anglo-Saxon history at its best! You may even be tempted to do a course and study the original Old English verse some day!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Beowulf

My son used this for a class he is taking. It is a modern translation, and his understanding of the work seemed to be very high compared to those in his classroom.

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4 people found this helpful

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Excellent

Great reading and a great translation. Interesting portal into anglo saxon warrior life in the cold north country.

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2 people found this helpful

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Good Version for Someone New to Beowulf

This is a very good narration of Beowulf. Since I'm new to this work, I'd suggest this version as a way to become familiar with this epic. Crawford Logan's narration is very good. It is intimate, as if you are the only one he is telling the story to.

I know the quality of Naxos Audio Books, and this reading is right up there with other material I've gotten from them. The reference guide does a good job of laying out the background, and I'm thankful this material was offered on Audible.

If you're teaching this epic to a high school or college course, this reading is worth having in your school library. Anyone struggling with Beowulf in school may also benefit from this narration.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The rythm of the narrator

I think the rythm of the narration made the story even more beautiful. I was almost too short, but when all said and done what could add without destroying the work.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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good translation, good reading I recommend this

many students will have to read Beowulf in school.
it will definitely help if they invest the two and a half hours and one audible credit into this audio version. overall, it's a pretty good reading and a decent translation. Beowulf is a classic. it is a decent story, but it is the oldest story in an English language, be it old english. it is important for historical reasons, and again it's not a bad story at all. it doesn't hurt to read it, and a two and a half hours of listening to this makes it more intelligible.
.

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first time listening to this story

Well read and enjoyed the translation . My son who is a Sophomore in high school said it was a fun and thrilling story.

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Great narration and translation

The translation by Flynn is an excellent balance of clarity yet faithful word choice. Narrator does an excellent job. Highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

100% Recommend

This audio book takes you on a journey back to the Dark Ages, and gives you an experience you'll never forget. Beowulf is one of the best books in Old English literature that you'll ever read/ listen to. This audio book deserves 6 stars, and I 100% recommend this.

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  • Overall
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Viking poetry

Interesting and read well with relivant voice acent but not to heavy. I liked the pace and valume. listenwd to it while bottling wine.

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