Beowulf

By: C. W. Kennedy - translator

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Out of the mixture of Latin & Germanic paganism and the Christianity of the Early Middle Ages sprung one of the world's supremely great pieces of literature. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, delivered a famous lecture to the British Academy in 1936 in which he maintained that Beowulf was a poem all of a piece, not (as had been suggested) a jumble of fragments for pedantic scholars to paw over. The power & beauty of Beowulf enchanted Tolkien so much that he borrowed freely of its imagery & even of some of its plot when he forged his own epic of Middle Earth.

This medieval masterpiece, written in pre-Norman England Saxon, lay forgotten for centuries, rediscovered & printed for the first time early in the 19th century. It has been translated many times since, and the more people read Beowulf, the more they admire it. For good reason. In strikingly beautiful lines, it affirms the ideal of tenderness joined to strength, and of courage ennobled by virtue. It speaks resounding tones of valor, faith, and honor. It's a heroic tale of pagan Germanic origin, a saga of a vanishing age retold in the new light of the Christian era. Its author, most likely an educated monk from Northumbria, was certainly influenced by the work of Virgil. The old pagan legends of blood feuds & monsters formed the dark background against which the Christian hero Beowulf would shine forth with deeds of courage & virtue. Of all old Anglo-Saxon poems, Beowulf is the greatest.

This version of Beowulf is organized in 17 parts. Within some sections, there are digressions which do not, strictly speaking, belong to the central plot. These sections, called "lays", have been enhanced by an echo to help the listener detect them. An introduction by Henry Bradley precedes the poem.

To supplement the full text, listen to the SparkNotes Guide for Beowulf.(P)2005 Audio Connoisseur

Good reading, but translation just a bit stilted

Charlton Griffin's audiobooks always present interesting fusions of narration and music, and the same is true here. The music is generally well-chosen and provides an effective, atmospheric backdrop for the story. The poem is divided here into logical chunks, rather than the original short chapters that often seem to have more to do with length than content. Griffin certainly sounds like an Anglo-Saxon bard setting about his business. In terms of the translation used, though, I'd have to give the edge to the one used by Blackstone, old-fashioned in style but not in vocabulary; this one is old-fashioned in both, in a way that interferes with comprehension.

Yee Olde Beowulf

Great story and narration. Story is heavy on the Grendel adventure and proclaims brave nobility. As mentioned in the intro some parts are choppy, but hardly detract from the story when it fires back up. I advise John Gardener's book Grendel as a tasty companion read.

As good as it gets!

After listening to Mr. Griffin's inspired version of Virgil's Aeneid, there was simply no way I was going to pass up on this one. Beowulf plagued me in college. I struggled with it, basically just to get through it. If only this recording had been available to me back then. Although the poem itself is not as linear in development or as clear in its meaning as, say, The Iliad or The Aenead, it yet possesses a power which is very peculiar. I think much of this is a result of the rich alliteration and powerful symbolism that is spread throughout the work. And, as the publisher's summary says, there is definitely an echo of Virgil here. I was so captivated by the power of this epic poem that I went out and bought the Kennedy translation just to follow along. Even better! I cannot say enough in praise about Mr. Griffin's work here. His ability to instantly pull you into the story and keep you riveted to the words borders on the magical. Like everything he does, the production values are top notch. If you are even slightly curious about Beowulf, this is your golden opportunity.

Dramatic and Theatrical

This epic was meant to be read aloud, and if you like a dramatic or theatrical delivery, Charleton Griffin brings that out. His diction is very clear and precise, so you don't miss anything.

Timeless, classic; fantastic performance; disorienting story

I wanted to read Beowulf for years and never got around to it. I finally decided to give the audio book version I try, and I’m really glad that I did. The performance in this version is fantastic! The translation is very lyrical and engrossing. I highly recommend anybody interested in this work to give this version to try. My only issue is actually some thing that is admitted in the translators introduction to the work call Lynn. The poem itself is not very easy to follow. It’s more a series of highly colorful vignettes from the life story of a mythical hero, than what we modern people would consider a coherent story with a beginning, middle, and end. All of that said, I would still highly recommend anybody interested in this classic piece to give it a listen/read.