Beowulf (Paperback)

Michael Alexander

ISBN 10: 0140449310 / ISBN 13: 9780140449310

Published by Penguin Books Ltd, London, 2003

About this Item

Paperback. A spectacular verse translation of one the most foundational texts in world literatureBeowulf is the greatest surviving work of literature in Old English, unparalleled in its epic grandeur and scope. It tells the story of the heroic Beowulf and of his battles, first with the monster Grendel, who has laid waste to the great hall of the Danish king Hrothgar, then with Grendel's avenging mother, and finally with a dragon that threatens to devastate his homeland. Through its blend of myth and history, Beowulf vividly evokes a twilight world in which men and supernatural forces live side by side. And it celebrates the endurance of the human spirit in a transient world.\"Alexander's translation is marked by a conviction that it is possible to be both ambitious and faithful and .communicates the poem with a care which goes beyond fidelity-to-meaning and reaches fidelity of implication. May it go on . to another half-million copies.\" - Tom Shippey, Bulletin of the International Association of University Professors of English Tells the story of the heroic Beowulf and of his battles, first with the monster Grendel, who has laid waste to the great hall of the Danish king Hrothgar, then with Grendel's avenging mother, and finally with a dragon that threatens to devastate his homeland. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780140449310

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Beowulf (Paperback)
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd, London
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140449310
• ISBN 13: 9780140449310
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

"Alexander's translation is marked by a conviction that it is possible to be both ambitious and faithful [and] ...communicates the poem with a care which goes beyond fidelity-to-meaning and reaches fidelity of implication. May it go on ... to another half-million copies." - Tom Shippey, Bulletin of the International Association of University Professors of English

Beowulf is the greatest surviving work of literature in Old English, unparalleled in its epic grandeur and scope. It tells the story of the heroic Beowulf and of his battles, first with the monster Grendel, who has laid waste to the great hall of the Danish king Hrothgar, then with Grendel's avenging mother, and finally with a dragon that threatens to devastate his homeland. Through its blend of myth and history, Beowulf vividly evokes a twilight world in which men and supernatural forces live side by side. And it celebrates the endurance of the human spirit in a transient world.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

About the Author

Michael Alexander (translator) is Berry Professor of English Literature at the University of St Andrews. He has translated The Earliest English Poems, The Canterbury Tales: The First Fragment, and Beowulf for Penguin.