Beowulf

By: Anonymous

Narrated by: Crawford Logan

Length: 2 hrs and 24 mins

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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©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)

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.

A Must-Listen Classic

Would you listen to Beowulf again? Why?

Yes, I would definitely listen to Beowulf again in order to catch some of the details that I missed while getting my mind wrapped around the ancient style of heroic poetry. Also, it's a terrific story well worth a second or third visit.

What did you like best about this story?

Discovering the source for much of today's portrayal of the Norsemen life and culture was fun and more than a little interesting. Also, I kept waiting for a betrayal or ambush that never happened. . . these were men of honor and who were bound by the rules of hospitality and of warfare. That may not be the way it actually was, but it's refreshing to read of a time of heroes.

Which character – as performed by Crawford Logan – was your favorite?

Beowulf was my favorite character, as the author intended him to be. His honor and dedication to purpose was inspiring.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me marvel at the beauty of a tale well told, of unashamed hero worship. I could well imagine sitting in a great hall listening as this tale unfolded and filling an evening with adventure.

Any additional comments?

How fitting it is for Beowulf to be an audio performance. Epic poetry was intended to be heard rather than read. I'm so glad to have experienced it first in this way. I may well seek out the written version to pour over details of style and language, but I'll always consider this an oral performance.

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.

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!

good perhaps not great rendition

like Beowulf though i know it's not for everyone and this is a fine translation, but see my other reviews of B

Great to have such a classic available as Audible

Listen! is how this book starts which seems very fitting. Full of adventures the listener can imagine not just the oral telling but the setting where the story would be related. What I really love and admire is the concept of woman as peacemaker, as a new bride leaves her home it is the hope she will bring peace between her old and new home. A tall order for anytime but when Beowulf was doing deed of great bravery so was his wife. Crawford Logan does a great job. I already has listened twice - at some point don't miss this legendary tail.

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.

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.

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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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.