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The Beowulf Manuscript

Complete Texts and The Fight at Finnsburg
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( 150 ratings, 27 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 stands as a crowning achievement of medieval vernacular literature. This volume uniquely presents the Old English poem alongside the other four texts from its sole surviving manuscript: the prose Passion of Saint Christopher, The Wonders of the East, The Letter of Alexander the Great to Aristotle, and the poem Judith. Together, they offer readers fresh perspectives by restoring each work to its original context and suggest a unifying medieval fascination with the monstrous.
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Format: Hardback
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This edition is ideal for both first-time readers curious about Anglo-Saxon literature and established scholars seeking comprehensive access to these influential medieval texts in a beautifully produced format.

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For the first time in the history of Beowulf scholarship, the poem appears alongside the other four texts from its sole surviving manuscript: the prose Passion of Saint Christopher, The Wonders of the East, The Letter of Alexander the Great to Aristotle, and the poem Judith.

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 is one of the finest works of vernacular literature from the European Middle Ages and as such is a fitting title to head the Old English family of texts published in the Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library.

This volume offers something unique. For the first time in the history of Beowulf scholarship, the poem appears alongside the other four texts from its sole surviving manuscript: the prose Passion of Saint Christopher, The Wonders of the East, The Letter of Alexander the Great to Aristotle, and (following Beowulf) the poem Judith. First-time readers as well as established scholars can now gain new insights into Beowulfβ€”and the four other textsβ€”by approaching each in its original context.

Could a fascination with the monstrous have motivated the compiler of this manuscript, working over a thousand years ago, to pull together this diverse grouping into a single volume? The prose translation by R. D. Fulk, based on the most recent editorial understanding, allows readers to rediscover Beowulf's brilliant mastery along with otherworldly delights in the four companion texts in The Beowulf Manuscript.

Series: Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library

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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?

Bernard O'Donoghue praises this publication as an "inspired project" that includes authoritative translations and notes by renowned scholar R. D. Fulk. He highlights the elegant, slightly archaic prose style that unifies all texts, noting the volume's compact yet rich commentary. The book is deemed a graceful addition to the distinguished Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library series. Times Literary Supplement

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674052956

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 22 November 2010

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Contributors:

  • Edited and translated by R. D. Fulk

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 133.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 522g

Pages: 400

About the Author

R. D. Fulk is Class of 1964 Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of English at Indiana University, Bloomington.

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