Quantity:

More Buying Choices

34 used & new from �5.00

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Search inside another edition of this book

Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) (Paperback)

by Seamus Heaney (Author) "So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness ..." (more)

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)

RRP:	�12.99
Price:	�7.77 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save:	�5.22 (40%)
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, November 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

28 new from �5.00 6 used from �5.00

Other Editions:	RRP:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Hardcover (1)			14 used & new from �2.06
Paperback (New edition)	�9.99	�5.97	50 used & new from �2.43
Library Binding (Reprint)			Order it used
Hardcover (Large Print)			5 used & new from �15.99
Audio CD (Audiobook)	�12.72	�8.88	22 used & new from �4.85
Audio CD (Abridged,Audiobook)			7 used & new from �11.95

Frequently Bought Together

The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett

Price For All Three: �44.03

Show availability and shipping details

This item: Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) by Seamus Heaney
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett by Samuel Beckett
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
The Norton Anthology of Poetry by M Ferguson
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Norton Anthology of Poetry

by M Ferguson

3.8 out of 5 stars (4) �27.79

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

by Simon Armitage

5.0 out of 5 stars (9) �5.99

The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett

by Samuel Beckett

4.7 out of 5 stars (3) �8.47

The Oxford Book of American Short Stories (Oxford Paperbacks)

by Joyce Carol Oates

�8.39

The Oxford Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus (Oxford World's Classics)

by William Shakespeare

5.0 out of 5 stars (2) �4.77

› Explore similar items

Product details

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Faber and Faber; Bilingual ed edition (1 Mar 2007)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0571230415
ISBN-13: 978-0571230419
Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 13.7 x 2 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 12,852 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

What could be a more promising poetic project than the greatest of early English poems, Beowulf, newly translated by arguably the greatest of living poets writing in English, Seamus Heaney? The literary pedigree of this great fabular epic in the hands of Nobel Laureate Heaney matches Ted Hughes' award-winning rewrite of Ovid's Metamorphosis, Tales from Ovid. Heaney has chosen the plain, prosaic yet subtly cadenced vernacular of his Northern Irish roots as the poetic voice into which he renders this famous Anglo-Saxon fabular epic of a dragon-slaying Danish warrior. The result is an engaging evocation of the highly alliterative, densely metaphorical texture of Anglo-Saxon verse, which is famously hard to capture in modern English poetic forms.

"It's narrative elements may belong to a previous age but as a work of art it lives in the present," writes Heaney of this tale of monstrous, murderous Grendel, heroic, kingly Beowulf, blood-feuds, dragon-slaying and spiritual grace. The very plain-spokenness of Heaney's translation makes it admirably easy to read and understand, whilst rendering an often true translation at a galloping narrative pace. Heaney's Beowulf opens up one of the most famous founding epics of European literature to a modern world of new readers. --James Barry --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"'The whole performance is wonderfully intermediate - poised between the Bible and folk wisdom, between the Light Ages and the Dark Ages - and at the same time pulverisingly actual in its language. He has made a masterpiece out of a masterpiece.' Andrew Motion, Financial Times"

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

First Sentence
So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. Read the first page

Explore More
Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

anglo-saxons(1)

dark age england(1)

historical(1)

See all 4 tags...

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	93% buy the item featured on this page: Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) 4.6 out of 5 stars (39) �7.77
	2% buy Beowulf: Verse Translation: A Verse Translation (Norton Critical Editions) 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) �9.24
	2% buy Paradise Lost (Penguin Classics) 4.7 out of 5 stars (6) �5.48
	2% buy Studying English Literature: A Practical Guide 5.0 out of 5 stars (1) �10.04

Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

39 Reviews

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (39 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable book, 26 Dec 2003

By	Sally-Anne "mynameissally" (Leicestershire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Beowulf: A New Translation (Paperback)

I'm the average reader: not a student or scholar studying the book, but a person who has just read the story for the first time. Also, I have no ear for poetry, which could well be perceived as a profound disadvantage when reading an epic poem. So I'm pleased to announce that the book is readable and enjoyable. Seamus Heaney's introduction is helpful, moving and filled me with anticipation so I could hardly wait to start reading his translation. As expected, the poetry element was almost entirely lost to me but I could, at least, tell that it's beautifully written. The story itself is a gripping yarn and disbelief needs to be suspended, especially for aquatic sections where Beowulf appears to be able to function under water for hours and swim for weeks dressed in mail. He could have been an early model for Superman. I've never read anything like this book before and enjoyed it despite the fact that it seemed very odd to me. My only criticism is that I thought a glossary would have been useful.

Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BEOWULF LITE..., 4 Nov 2003

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Beowulf: A New Translation (Audio CD)

This is the new verse translation of this first millennium text, which was written sometime between the seventh and tenth centuries by an unknown English author. Translated by Seamus Heaney, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995, and read by him on this audio cd, he breathes new life into this mythic epic.

This is the story of the heroic Beowulf , and his timeless story is stark in its simplicity, made sonorous by the poetic reading given by Seamus Heaney. It is, in its simple narrative, a story that was meant to be read aloud. After all, between the seventh and the tenth centuries, few people could read.

Seamus Heaney gives a remarkable reading, his soft brogue and cadence capturing the dark, epic mood of the piece. His verse translation gives the story an accessibility that should make it a much more enjoyable experience for many who may have shied away from this early English work.

What is there not to like about this story? It is about a hero who vanquishes monsters and lives to fight another day in the quintessential battle between good and evil. Its message, undoubtedly relevant when written, is still relevant today. Those who are new to this work should consider purchasing the audio cd and listening to Seamus Heaney's rendition of this ancient work.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A translation that fits the story, 1 Nov 2006

By	abush3 (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beowulf: A New Translation (Paperback)

Beowulf is an exciting tale and this fast-paced and wonderful translation allows modern readers to explore the story in all of its glory. I first had to read Beowulf as an assignment and was skeptical about reading a story written so long ago. Fortunately, I picked up this translation by Seamus Heaney. As a result I have discovered the wonderful world of medieval literature and it's all thanks to this book. Buy it and read it. Who knows, maybe you'll discover that you've been missing out on a really great thing.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 39 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic stuff
Heaney has tried to retell the poem in its own terms, and his recasting of the poet's original imagery is vivid - we can almost smell Grendel and his mother, and Smaug's hoard... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Nicholas Whyte

5.0 out of 5 stars Beowulf - Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney's literary transaltion, 'Beowulf', is an epic adaptation of the originally Anglo - Saxon poem, written sometime between the 8th and early 11th century. Read more

Published 10 months ago by O. Tutcher

4.0 out of 5 stars Beowulf: Story of a true warrior
This remarkable story was written sometime between seventh and tenth century of first millennium in Anglo-Saxon or Old English language. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Mr. Tomas Skiotys

4.0 out of 5 stars Epic stuff!
This was my first encounter with Beowulf, (I haven't seen the film either). I chose the bilingual edition to see what the Old English looked like and although I could barely... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Annabel Gaskell

3.0 out of 5 stars Monotonous
I was very much looking forward to listening to 'Beowulf' read by its illustrious author/translator. Read more

Published 19 months ago by J. Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Englands Oldest Legend!!!!!!
originally told round the bonfire and in small halls until it was finally written down in the 7th century(ish) after it was brought to england by the invading... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Mr England

4.0 out of 5 stars Beowulf BY Heaney?
Although I should've known before buying it, the translation seems to have too much of Heaney's personality in it to be considered an honest translation (though I have of course... Read more

Published 20 months ago by N. A. FURNIVAL

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
This poem was written between the 7th and 10th centuries and praises the adventures of the hero, Beowulf. Read more

Published 24 months ago by kehs

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent, inspired, suitably elemental translation.
Seamus Heaney's Beowulf is a masterful reworking of the traditional Saxon epic. Somewhat definitively, it captures the stark elemental intimacy of an age where nature and man are... Read more

Published on 6 Nov 2007 by S. Crawford

5.0 out of 5 stars A hero for all times
I read Beowulf for the first time over 25 years ago (in a different translation obviously) as a first year student of English Literature. Read more

Published on 8 Oct 2007 by Didier

› See all 39 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }