A review by 12dejamoo
Beowulf by

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This translation of Beowulf is really something else. It's so so readable. It reads like a story told in a mead hall, and I think something in the telling really puts the reader into that mental space. I struggled to get through Beowulf last time I read it, but with this translation, it flowed and pulled you along to the next scene. This is the translation to start with and to really get a grasp on the story.

I'll leave this review with these ending lines (3174-3182), so spoiler alert:

They did all this grieving the way men do,
but, bro, no man knows, not me, not you,
how to get to goodbye. His guys tried.
They remembered the right words. Our king!
Lonely ring-wielder! Inheritor of everything!
He was our man, but every man dies.
Here he is now! Here our best boy lies!
He rode hard! He stayed thirsty! He was the man!
He was the man.
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