Beowulf: The New Translation

De: Gerald J. Davis

Narrado por: John Hanks

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.

©2013 Gerald J. Davis (P)2014 Gerald J. Davis

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.

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.

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 :-) )

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.

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!)