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Beowulf

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( 339,976 ratings, 12,986 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, presents an epic tale of heroism, recounting the adventures of the titular protagonist, Beowulf, as he battles the terrifying monster Grendel, Grendel's vengeful mother, and later in life, a fearsome dragon. Set in a world of legendary courage and epic struggles, it explores themes of bravery, honour, and the timeless conflict between good and evil against the backdrop of early medieval Scandinavian history and mythology.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you appreciate captivating poetry that combines ancient legends with masterful modern translation. You might enjoy it for its riveting tale of heroism, epic battles, and its exploration of themes like bravery, loyalty, and the struggle between good and evil, all vividly brought to life by an acclaimed poet.

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A bilingual edition of Heaney's prize-winning bestseller, Beowulf.

A bi-lingual edition of Seamus Heaney's prize-winning bestseller, Beowulf.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Beowulf, composed between the seventh and tenth century, is the elegiac narrative of the adventures of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes from the seemingly invincible monster Grendel, and, later, from Grendel's mother. He returns to his own country and dies in old age in a vivid battle against a dragon.

The poem is about encountering the monstrous, defeating it, and living on in the exhausted aftermath.

Heaney's celebrated translation honours what is remote and intuits what is uncannily familiar, at the end of the twentieth century, in this founding masterpiece of English poetry. Now, for the first time, the Old English textโ€”which survived only in a single scorched manuscript, now held in the British Museumโ€”can be read in conjunction with the translation on facing pages.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf is lauded for its intelligence and sensitivity, enlivening the ancient text as a poignant meditation on themes such as duty, glory, and loss. Critics admire his ability to balance the Christian and pagan elements while making the language vividly current. The translation is praised as a masterpiece, skillfully bridging historical and modern contexts.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571230419

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 March 2007

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main - bilingual edition

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 137.0mm

Height: 217.0mm

Weight: 330g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Seamus Heaney was born in County Derry in Northern Ireland. Death of a Naturalist, his first collection, appeared in 1966, and since then he has published poetry, criticism and translations which have established him as one of the leading poets of his generation. In 1995 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. District and Cirle is his twelfth collection of poems, and his first new collection for five years.

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