Beowulf (Fort Raphael Publishing Company Edition - Unabridged) cover art

Beowulf (Fort Raphael Publishing Company Edition - Unabridged)

An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem

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About this listen

"Beowulf", a sprawling, fantastical tale of bravery, heroism, and Anglo-Saxon heraldry, is the most celebrated epic poem in the English language.

The story of the great Geatish fighter Beowulf, who comes to the aid of the beleagued Hrothgar and his men, the poem relates three epic battles: Beowulf's fight with the monster Grendel, his face-off with Grendel's vengeful mother and, after serving as King for 50 years, Beowulf's fateful clash with a fire-breathing dragon.

Francis B. Gummere's translation of this ancient text has been hailed for over a century and is here brought back to life with a summary of the poem by the English scholar Dr. J.L. Hall.

Public Domain (P)2018 Fort Raphael Publishing Company Classics European Poetry World Literature Royalty
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I received this title for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

Narration 6/10
The narration is painfully slow and with so much emphasis put in the end of every sentence. It gets annoying really fast.

Story 6/10
It's the classic story of Beowulf who defeats the monster Grendel only to be seduced by his mother whom he'll impregnate to what will later in the story be a dragon showing up trying to kill him.
However the "poetic" way it's written and narrated can actually give you a headache after some point, since you are trying to reconstruct the sentences in your head, trying to actually make sense of what is going on.

Overall I didn't really enjoy this and I would much rather listen to a proper version of the story. This "poem" version would probably be better off remaining a written novel. Personally I didn't manage to finish this off, despite how short it is, but hey it's also a matter of personal taste and I might just be judging too hard at the moment because I don't seem to like the "poem" style narrative.

Not for me

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Listener received this title free

An epic tale from Saxon times. In archaic English, which makes for a different listening experience. This is a piece of classic literature. So if you enjoy reading the Norse sagas or Homer then this is a book for you.
Not an easy read in fact challenging.
Am I pleased I read it YES!
I received a free copy of this audio book at my own request and voluntarily leave this honest review. .

I really don't know how to rate this

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Kevin his performance is just perfect for this piece he give rustic vigour and classic grit to the norse tale

Kevin takes a classic and gives new life to it

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Whether it was the translation, which rendered the story almost nonsensical in favour of alliteration, or the narration which never wavered from jubilant excitement, which lulled my brain into a state of numbness, I will never know. But I won't be revisiting this.

Alliteration abounds!

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