A widely celebrated translator's vivid,accessible,and elegantly concise rendering of an ancient English masterpieceBeowulftells the story of a Scandinavian hero who defeats three evil creatures-a huge,cannibalistic ogre named Grendel,Grendel's monstrous mother,and a dragon-and then dies,mortally wounded during his last encounter. If the definition of a superhero is "someone who uses his special powers to fight evil,"thenBeowulfis our first English superhero story,and arguably our best. It is also a deeply pious poem,so bold in its reverence for a virtuous pagan past that it teeters on the edge of heresy. From beginning to end,we feel we are in the hands of a master storyteller. Stephen Mitchell's marvelously clear and vivid rendering re-creates the robust masculine music of the original. It both hews closely to the meaning of the Old English and captures its wild energy and vitality,not just as a deep "work of literature"but also as a rousing entertainment that can still stir our feelings and rivet our attention today,after more than a thousand years. This new translation-spare,sinuous,vigorous in its narration,and translucent in its poetry-makes a masterpiece accessible to everyone.
MEDIA REVIEWS
Publisher: Yale University PressISBN: 9780300236668Number of pages: 264Weight: 290 gDimensions: 210 x 140 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
"Mitchell aims to find for Beowulf a'contemporary language that seems natural and alive',and he does this well... His rendering of Beowulf has much to offer -narrative momentum,clarity,a sense of the poem's heroic verve,and a contemporary slant."-Susan Irvine,Times Literary Supplement"A most readable,energetic,and colorful translation of this savage epic....An amazing achievement."-Billy Collins"Stephen Mitchell's new translation of Beowulf is elegantly wrought,highly accurate,and fully annotated. It is a compact and remarkably readable version."-Eric Weiskott,Boston College
"Stephen Mitchell comes as close to fulfilling the translator's task as anyone at work today. He admirably balances two imperatives: to maintain fidelity to the text while rendering it available to the English we speak today. Mitchell's reader-friendly version of Beowulf honors the narrative and will extend the readership for this foundational work of English literature."-DavidLehman
"Mitchell's version is eloquent and conveys a true sense of the original. In addition,his notes are a great enhancement."-Harold Bloom
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