Understanding Great Literature - Understanding Beowulf

Thomas Streissguth

ISBN 10: 1560068612 ISBN 13: 9781560068617

Publisher: Lucent Books, 2003

Synopsis

The Old English poem Beowulf describes a world of kings, knights, demons, and epic battles between the forces of good and evil. Through vivid descriptions of Germanic society, the anonymous Beowulf poet also describes the complex, often-violent world of a people still making the transition from paganism to Christianity. This useful and comprehensive volume offers students of the poem a guide to the history of its creation, as well as a summary of its plot, characters, and principal themes.

About this title

Reviews

Grade 9 Up--"A first reading of Beowulf will confuse and frustrate any ordinary reader." With this statement, Streissguth puts himself squarely on the students' side. He then convinces them of the epic's value as historical artifact, narrative, and literary work. Citing scholarship dating back to 1919, the author lucidly outlines some of the unknowns about the poem's composition, authorship, and transmission; briefly sketches its historical background; and retells, clearly, the often-digressive narrative. In the section on characters, much information is repeated, and a genealogical chart is unfortunately at odds with the text. It depicts Beowulf as the offspring of his own aunt and uncle, seems to make Eofor a son of Hygelac, and correctly shows Hrothulf as Hrothgar's nephew, not, as Streissguth calls him, his brother. (Some of this is a result of careless layout.) A section on themes briefly identifies the epic's central preoccupations, though Streissguth's description of Beowulf as embodying Christian charity is strained. Citations from the poem are from three different translations; black-and-white illustrations do not give artist or date. The volume includes 10 questions to explore for those writing papers, providing references to start on the answers; 6 pages of short critical excerpts; useful maps; and an annotated bibliography that, oddly, places authors' given names first. Is this volume better than standard Cliffs Notes-type guides, or the half-dozen excellent Internet study guides? It has its points, but on the whole, no.--Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI
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Edition details

• Publisher: Lucent Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1560068612
• ISBN 13: 9781560068617
• Binding: Library Binding
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 96