Beowulf by Stephen Mitchell.
Beowulf tells 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,” then Beowulf is 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.
 a good translation book. I did like the old language it was translated from. Different. 4*.

As someone who has been reading Stephen Mitchell since back when I was in high school a couple decades ago, this translation of Beowulf is right in line with both his strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: his translations are always approachable and legible. His prose is always clean, and he's good with concrete action: I know where everyone is, and how the action unfolds. Which brings me to his weaknesses: he doesn't have the soul of a poet, and his translations can be a little wan. I mean, sure I'm being a little unfair, because despite the thousand subtle ways Seamus Heany alters the original text of Beowulf to be more in line with distinctly Irish modes of storytelling, Heany's translation just a few years earlier is a masterwork, a poet at the height of his powers wrestling down the Beowulf narrator into someone understandable and human.

Mitchell definitely has the background in religious texts to take on the Beowulf narrator, but I'm not sure he's sly enough to translate his grandiloquent fatalism. The Beowulf narrator is a catty hater, who both believes in everyone's inevitable doom and the righteousness of the universe; he's somehow managed to twist Christian salvation with pagan pragmatism. Mitchell just isn't enough of a bitch to translate this effectively. He's got his own ideas about the religious text -- insofar as Beowulf is a religious text -- that mute the fatalism. Which is not to say I didn't enjoy this translation. While there is a place for artful, sometimes the more readable translation is called for, the plain meaning of the text evident.

The one thing that disappointed -- and this is a personal foible -- was that Mitchell didn't render that opening word from the Old English: hwæt. This word is a bugbear for translators, having no good translation in English. You can go with ye olde "hark", or call-to-arms it with "see here" or go with the more prosaic "so", but this word should be addressed, coming as it does in the place of the epic invocation of the muse. Mitchell dodges, and invokes Milton's take on epic poetry in English with an opening which starts with "of the..." Which, fine, given his background, I get it. This positions Beowulf in the history of the epic in English, but it cops out on the more medieval meanings of the poem, written right there on the knife's edge of the Christianization of Europe, when two antithetical world views existed in a dialectic with one another, impossibly, bloodily. Mitchell's translation is confident and competent, but it doesn't have a tune you can dance to.

To start, I love Beowulf. I've read the original and at least 10 translations. This one was well done, maintaining a lyrical feel and the heart of the story, and (as a teacher-librarian) I like having the original and translations parallel from a teaching standpoint. The doc I was sent formatted this terribly, but I am sure that the print will have this side by side, so I want to give it credit in my rating.

Beowulf is an incredibly old text; the original manuscripts are thought to date back somewhere between the 10th and 11th century, a period in which there is a lot of Scandinavian influence in Britain as a result of the Vikings, uh... permanent, self imposed visitation rights. Invasion - yes, that's a good word too!

I have a Danish work colleague, and I think it is funny to compare ideas on these things. From the British perspective, the Vikings invaded, pillaged, murdered... eventually settling with us. From the Danish view, men and women were seeking a better life for their families. Farming was near impossible in the Scandinavian climate and life was harsh. British soil offered security.

Anyway, that's a bit of background for you. Back to Beowulf!

I imagine (and am assured by other reviews) that any physical editions are presented so that the original text is on one page, with Stephen Mitchell's translation on the other page. Sadly, as I was reading an ebook version, this did not translate (pardon the pun) at all. The readable, English paragraphs were broken up with Olde English, so the text lost it's flow.

I wanted to read this epic poem for two reasons - one, because I am hugely interested in the historical period it is believed to have stemmed from; two, poetry is not an everyday read for me. Reading Beowulf reminded me of just why that is. Turns out, my competency of poetry extends about as far as mastering Green Eggs and Ham - but that's all. Other reviews gush over how Mitchell maintains some alliteration, which structures the poem, but I'll admit it passed me by.

So whilst I enjoyed the historical context and the story in it's own right, I couldn't fully appreciate the poem and it's construction for what it is. I just don't get it. I rated the book three stars, because I still enjoyed reading it. Anyone with a better eye or ear for poetics will probably have a better time of appreciating this than me - but all the same, Beowulf's acts of strength and heroism were an intriguing read.

I am not an English native speaker but I really enjoyed this translations of the ever famous and known saga. I love Beowulf, always have and I only wish I could master the language enough to understand the intricacies of the language.

Beowulf is set in 6th century Scandinavia. The poem is best known for the part where, Beowulf, a hero amongst a people called the Geats, goes with his band of brave warriors to help Hrothgar, King of the Danes. Hrothgar’s mead hall and palace, Heorot, has been attacked by a monster called Grendel. Beowulf slays Grendel, but then has to contend with Grendel’s mother who attacks the hall in revenge. She to is defeated after Beowulf dives into the murky depths of a lake at the bottom of which is her layer.
But the poem does not stop there. Beowulf, lives a long and productive life, eventually becoming a king. Although Beowulf does initially seem to lead a charmed life, we are brutally reminded at the end that he is far from immortal, when one of Beowulf’s escaped slaves tumbles into a dragon’s lair. The man steals a cup, which he takes to his master as a tribute to ask his forgiveness.
In an act familiar to readers of Tolkien, enraged by the theft, the dragon goes on the rampage burning everything in sight, forcing Beowulf to descend into the dragon’s layer where the hero finds he is no match for this foe. It is only through the help of a fellow warrior that the dragon is finally defeated. But by this point Beowulf is mortally wounded, dies and is given a memorable Viking send off.
Although this seems as if I have committed the sin of spoilers, Beowulf is one of those tales that is so largely writ on the collective consciousness, particularly as there has been a CGI film made of the story (although not a patch on getting immersed in the poem itself). So, I am giving little away.
This means the re-reading of the different translations of the poem and its vivid narrative is more to see what can be gleaned from new versions. The enjoyment is not only a great story but the possibility of some new perspective because of the way in which the text has been interpreted.
No matter what the translation, you will find dramatic locations, stunning battles, relationships put to the test and the type of monsters that are the stuff of nightmares. In other words, all the ingredients of a modern-day fantasy novel. So, if you have not read Beowulf, now is the time to indulge yourself.
I have read a few translations of Beowulf from the literal to the very liberal (in terms of veering a long way from the original metre) to see what has been done. Although my ventures into this classic has been as a reader who just enjoys a good story with some depth to it, not an expert in Old English epic poems. Having said that I do prefer the original language to be put side-by-side with the modern translation, which is done in this case, because it is possible to get a sense of the voice of the original and how well the translator has conveyed it.
My feeling is that this is the type of story which has been crafted for enactment by a storyteller around a fire, and this translation works well in that sense (see the excerpt of Julian Glover’s rendition below for this experience).

VIDEO
While reading the poem there is also a sense of familiarity with this story going back to ancient literature because the heroism, the camaraderie and the battles have a similar feel to ancient Greek, epic poetry, like the Iliad. The need to overcome your fears and to know that someone has your back in battle appears to be the same the world over, demonstrating little has changed in fantasy writing from ancient time to now.
Just because this version of Beowulf has been made readable does not mean that the poetic description has been pushed to one side. Surf crashes on the sand as warriors launch their ships at the beginning of their adventure, waves seethe with blood, and brave soldiers are “harrowed with fear”.
So, put your fantasy books to one side for a while and take the time to immerse yourself in this translation of Beowulf’s world.

Though familiar with the story I have not reread the saga in decades. Now I am so glad that I waited. Mitchell's facing page translation is lovely. The blank verse has rhythm in the words but isn't sing-song. It moves briskly but has a bit of a homey touch that, I suspect, is in the original.

His Introduction is short but full of information, not only about his approach as a translator, but about the epic itself

If you have never read Beowulf, this is the translation to buy!.

Stunning! Mitchell's translation manages to be both action-packed and lyrical, giving a new life to an old classic.

DNF - the formatting on the kindle was poor, but even so, it wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed reading Beowulf. I had previously read excerpts at university, but never managed to read the whole thing. It was very battle heavy, which generally is not really my style, but that was expected and I really liked how the characters and their motivations for these battles are portrayed.

I enjoyed this version of the translated poem very much - Mitchell used great language to evoke the haunting terror of an ancient Scandinavia teeming with mythical beasts:

"...the monster kept up his crimes, devouring young and old, a dark death-shadow slinking through the mists of the moorland in the long nights..."

This version's introduction gives a good, brief overview of the history, story, pagan and Christian references and influences in the poem, and Mitchell's approach and reasoning to the translation. Having the original (very) Old English text alongside the translation was really interesting.

I never pass any book translated by Stephen Mitchell. His poetic approach to translation brings new life to classic works..

This Beowulf by Stephen Mitchell is an very entertaining translation, The adjective that comes to my mind is "robust." The narrative is straightforward and the flashbacks and foreshadowing are not awkward and do not stop the forward movement of the story. I taught Beowulf for many years to high school students and I wish I had this version. The literature anthology I used had the Kennedy translation which I personally love for it lyric imagery. In Kennedy, the lines about Grendel approaching Heorot (lines 678-680) are "From the stretching moors, from the misty hollows, Grendel came creeping, accursed of God." The Mitchell translation renders the same lines as " Then up from the moor, in a veil of mist, Grendel came slouching. He bore God's wrath." I like the former, but I know my students would have preferred the latter.

In the end, whether it be Mitchell, Seamus Heaney, Charles Kennedy or E. Donaldson, all translations of Beowulf are a good thing. I am sure the scops who entertained their listeners during the black nights in the cold north would each have put his own spin on the story. Make it beautiful or make it bloody. One thing is for sure. Beowulf can never be boring.

Some very nice addition sto the Mitchell translation are the addition of maps, genealogical charts and a list of characters and place names with pronunciations.

Beowulf by Translated by Stephen Mitchell is a contemporary translation of the classic poem. Mitchell was educated at Amherst, the Sorbonne, and Yale, and de-educated through intensive Zen practice. His many books include the bestselling Tao Te Ching, The Gospel According to Jesus, Bhagavad Gita, The Book of Job, Meetings with the Archangel, Gilgamesh, The Second Book of the Tao, and the Iliad.

It was in high school that I first read Beowulf. Monsters, Vikings, and adventure sounded like it would be a great read, however, it turned out to be misery. The text was in old English and not the thing my high school brain wanted to focus on. I asked why it wasn't written in modern language. I was told it would lose it poetic style and intent. Little did I know, we were reading a translation. Several translations exist of the now unreadable original English. Many high schoolers were probably happy with the 2007 release of Beowulf with Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother. Mitchell points out one major flaw of that movie. The characters in the movie talked in almost comic book fashion rather than the well-spoken characters in the original text.

Translations also bring about the problem of the poetry and in particular in this poem the alliteration. Mitchell keeps this alive with alliteration with repeated sound over that of just the first letter. There is a rhythm with words and the line structure that holds true to the original. In the introduction, Mitchell also discusses another interesting point of the poem, religion. In the poem, a singular God is mentioned throughout. It is not the Norse pantheon. The God, however, is a bit ambiguous. Although called Lord and mentions Cain, it does not seem, historically or in the poem, to be the Jewish God. Yet, the text makes no reference to Jesus or the New Testament.

Mitchell's translation does an excellent job of preserving the story as well as the literary quality of the original work. This translation avoids the graphic novel treatment of the classics in simplifying language and the plot. It is the full text in a format that is easily comprehended by most readers.

A Stirring, and Reasonably Faithful, New Translation

"Beowulf" has been around for over a thousand years, minimum. Serious translations have been attempted since the early 1800's, and there are well over 30 "approved" or "recognized" translations and innumerable additional efforts. When an epic poem has been celebrated as the oldest long poem in Olde English, deemed a foundational work of English literature, mocked by Monty Python, and turned into a movie featuring a computer generated version of Angelina Jolie, well, those are all pretty good reasons for putting that poem on your reading list.

Like other difficult and challenging works in translation, (say, "Don Quixote", or even better, the Welsh "Mabinogion"), there seem to be three approaches to translation. One is the academic and scholarly approach that wrestles with every dot and comma, and sometimes ends up both authentic and tediously or idiosyncratically unreadable. Another approach is to take the actual source text as a mere suggestion or starting point for a fanciful reinterpretation that bears little relation to the original. The happy medium, (which I feel is what we have here), is the work that honors the letter and the spirit of the original, takes some liberties in the name of creating a worthy tale, and captures the energy, romance, and thrill of the work as originally intended. While I am no Beowulf scholar, and cannot testify to where this version stands on the professional academic scale, I would suggest that if you are a reader who primarily wants a solid, gripping and vivid introduction to "Beowulf", this is a wonderful place to start.

Mitchell opens the book with an introduction that sets the book in historical, social and cultural context. He explains the basic hows and whys of his approach to the translation, and offers some eye opening examples of how any particular passage could be, should be, and perhaps shouldn't be, translated. He explains the form and metre of the poem, and explains some of the more subtle decisions he made in that regard as the translator. There is an especially interesting discussion of the pagan versus Christian elements of the poem. This is not belabored, and is accessible to an interested but non-professional reader.

With that we proceed to the poem, (with the original Old English and then the translation alternating). One is immediately struck by how fresh and accessible this version is. The poem flows smoothly but powerfully. To over simplify, I gather that in the academic community there is much debate about whether "Beowulf" should be considered a "written" work or a transcribed version of an "oral" tale. I don't know; don't really care. What does matter is that this translation has the immediacy, the narrative drive, and the clarity and energy of a living work that could be declaimed right now in a mead hall to a thunderously positive reception. I'll settle for that.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

This new (2017) translation of Beowulf offers a text of the original Old English with a colloquial modern translation. Mitchell unobtrusively retains some alliteration (usually two alliterating letters per line) and maintains a slight formality to the tone without it falling into stiffness. It's slightly irritating that the two texts don't correspond in line numbers but given the relative shortness of the poem it's not too difficult to match them up.

The poem itself tells of Beowulf's heroic battles against the monster Grendel, his unnamed mother, and then a dragon protecting its hoard of gold and treasure. While ostensibly set in a Christian time-frame with numerous mentions of 'God', the action is frequently more pagan in nature, especially the burning of heroes' bodies on Homeric funeral pyres.

There are a few moments where a translation word-choice jarred: the use of 'soldiers', for example, rather than warriors (soldiers feels too professional and ordered), and the associated 'troop' for similar reasons, rather than band or other looser collective noun. It's a little disappointing that given this is published by a university press there isn't more scholarly apparatus with a more detailed introduction. Still, a competent rendering of Beowulf into accessible modern English.

This is an excellent edition with a unique introduction and translation from Stephen Mitchell

I honestly can't tell you how many times I've read this classic. I feel like it will forever be a favorite of mine. For some reason, classics are pretty hard for me to get through, but this one is an exception..