Date: December 3, 2010
Meeting time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Plaza Branch Library, Small Meeting Room
Address: 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112
CLICK HERE TO SEE COMMENTS
We will meet to discuss the book, Beowulf.
Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature. It survives in a single manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. Its composition by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet is dated between the 8th and the early 11th century.
There are a variety of translations available, any of which are acceptable for our discussion. See THIS LINK for a comparison of more than a dozen translations of the poem. It can help you find the right translation for you.
We will also be deciding our reading schedule for next year. You may leave your suggestions at THIS LINK. If you don't want to open a Goodreads.com account, you can leave it as a comment here on our blog.
The following are links to comments by Bernard regarding our next meeting.
Some Suggestions for Possible Reads Next Year
Bernard's review of "Beowulf" for KC Public Library
Beowulf Translations
Please note that suggestions from people other than Bernard are at the link, "Some Suggestion for Possible Reads Next Year." As of the time of this edit, Tim has added some suggestions. I'm sure there will be more by others.
3 comments:
Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature. It survives in a single manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. Its composition by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet is dated between the 8th and the early 11th century. There are a variety of translations available, any of which are acceptable for our discussion.
The following are links to comments by Bernard regarding our next meeting.
___ Some Suggestions for Possible Reads Next Year
___ Bernard's review of "Beowulf" for KC Public Library
___ Beowulf Translations
What a coincidence! The following was on my PageADay Book Lover's Calendar for today. It's a review of Heaney's translation of Beowulf:
THE ENGLISH NATIONAL EPIC
“Grendel was the name of this grim demon haunting the marches, marauding round the heath and the desolate fens.” What finer way can there be to found a great world literature (somewhere between A.D. 600 and 1000) than with the awesome monster and his monstrous mother? Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney does the honors in this widely acclaimed translation that brings to life a dark and primitive world full of honor and grandeur.
BEOWULF: A NEW VERSE TRANSLATION, by Anonymous, translated from the Old English by Seamus Heaney (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000)
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