$7.50 with 58 percent savings
Digital List Price: $17.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Frederick Rebsamen
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Beowulf: An Updated Verse Translation (Perennial Classics) Kindle Edition

by Frederick Rebsamen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 75 ratings
See all formats and editions
This acclaimed modern verse translation of the timeless epic of bravery and battle captures the drama and tone of the Old English narrative poem.

Here is the stirring legend of Beowulf, the great hero who saves the Danish king from the monster Grendel—only to face the avenging wrath of Grendel’s Mother. The first masterpiece of English literature, it has survived for centuries, passed down across generations through numerous versions. In this modern verse translation, Frederick Rebsamen conjures both the excitement of Beowulf’s adventures and the richness of the Old English poetic form.

“No self-respecting college professor will want his students to be without it . . . With the subtle rules of alliteration, stress, and pause in place—and with a translator bold enough to invent his own vigorous and imaginative compound nouns—the poem suddenly takes flight and carries us to the highest mountains of achievement.” —Booklist

“There are lots of translations of Beowulf floating around, some prose, some poetry, but none manages to capture the feel and tone of the original as well as this one.” —Dick Ringler, Professor of English and Scandinavian Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    174 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper Perennial
  4. Publication date
    June 4, 2013
  5. File size
    3.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
Next slide of product details

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Reads very well and comes to life, especially when read aloud....It will have a permanent place among Beowulf translations.” — Fred Robinson, Yale University

“There are lots of translations of Beowulf floating around, some prose, some poetry, but none manages to capture the feel and tone of the original as well as this one....A very impressive and sometimes inspired piece of work. It fills a need and fills it admirably.” — Dick Ringler, Professor of English and Scandinavian Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

“[This] translation is a truly splendid job....The verse flows with little punctuation but entire clarity.” — Richard Wilbur

“No self-respecting college professor will want his students to be without it....Renditions in modern English haven’t taken the poetry of the original very seriously--but what a shock now that someone has! With the subtle rules of alliteration, stress, and pause in place--and with a translator bold enough to invent his own vigorous and imaginative compound nouns--the poem suddenly takes flight and carries us to the highest mountains of achievement.” — Booklist

From the Back Cover

A verse translation of the first great narrative poem in the English language that captures the feeling and tone of the original.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00CKOV8Z0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (June 4, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 4, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 174 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 75 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Frederick Rebsamen

Frederick Rebsamen

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
75 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book's translation of Beowulf poetic and accessible. They say it uses Old English half-lines and alliteration to create a good transition from elementary books to classic literature. Readers also mention it's the best book they have ever read.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Translation qualityReadability
7 customers mention "Translation quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers like the translation quality. They say it's a great translation, and they say it uses Old English half lines and strings them together well with alliteration.

"...OK, on to Old English. But this is a new translation which brings the story to life...." Read more

"...She declared it the best book she has ever read because of the poetic way it reads. This translation truly does read like beautiful poetry...." Read more

"The translation is decent and deserves good reviews; however, it is not my favorite. The Kindle edition leaves much to be desired...." Read more

"A great translation of a great work...." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book accessible and interesting. They say it's a good transition to classic literature from elementary books.

"...To me that’s the mark of a good book … and a good translator. Highly recommended." Read more

"...She declared it the best book she has ever read because of the poetic way it reads. This translation truly does read like beautiful poetry...." Read more

"...But, he enjoyed it. This book is a good transition to classic literature from elementary books." Read more

"...I cannot judge the quality of the translation but this was a good read" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Lucinda
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Translation!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I read some of Beowulf in my college “Survey of English Literature” course. Half-lines, alliteration, kennings: check, check, check. OK, on to Old English.

    But this is a new translation which brings the story to life. I read it as the author suggested – slowly, pausing at each half-line. After the first hundred lines I put it down and did something else. Normally that would be the end – I’d find it again in a week or so and return it to the library. Not this time! I couldn’t wait to go back and continue reading it.

    To me that’s the mark of a good book … and a good translator. Highly recommended.
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kayla Nichols
    5.0 out of 5 stars Daughter declares it her favorite book!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    My 10 year old daughter just finished this book. She declared it the best book she has ever read because of the poetic way it reads. This translation truly does read like beautiful poetry. I am very thankful to the author for the effort he put into this. He has made a classic book both accessible and interesting to my child.
    7 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Brad Tubbs
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Was a challenging read for my 10 year old. But, he enjoyed it. This book is a good transition to classic literature from elementary books.
    5 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • tegthethird
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beowulf comes to life - with a small warning about the cover
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    After doing some research on different translations of Beowulf, I decided to read this one. I was not disappointed. Rebsamen attempts to translate the poem into modern language while still keeping the rules of alliterative verse from the original. He also includes descriptions of some of the background episodes so that the events in the poem have their full context. I'm by no means a Beowulf expert and cannot speak to the fidelity of the translation, but Rebsamen offers a good explanation of the original and his methods of translation at the beginning of the book, which seemed perfectly reasonable and acceptable to me, given what he was trying to accomplish. This translation brought the poem to life more than any excerpts that I had read in a classroom setting, and I felt compelled to read it aloud to get the full effect. An excellent choice if you are seeking to enjoy reading a modern translation of a classic without worrying too much about studying the original.

    A small warning: the image given for the book and the cover of the book I actually recieved were very different. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this. My copy was white with an image of a warrior from some Italian painting spread across the front and back of the cover. It still looked attractive and I did not mind, but I can see how some people would be bothered by this.
    10 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars This is a review of the Kindle edition
    Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The translation is decent and deserves good reviews; however, it is not my favorite.

    The Kindle edition leaves much to be desired. The three-star rating is based on:
    1: There are more enjoyable translations to read.
    2: The formatting on the Kindle makes it more of a challenge.
    You won't be sorry that you bought it, but of the four different translation that I have read--- this one is number three
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Robert
    5.0 out of 5 stars Kindle formatting problem; otherwise brilliant
    Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A great translation of a great work. Unfortunately, the Kindle edition doesn't have the spaces between the half lines, which I think is integral to what makes this translation so compelling. Had to return it. If they fix that, or if you're looking for a printed version, this is a great choice. For me it surpasses the famous Heaney version.
    9 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • B. McNaughton
    5.0 out of 5 stars I would rate this as the best English translation of Beowulf
    Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I would rate this as the best English translation of Beowulf, better than Chickering by a hair.

    He uses Old English half lines and strings them together well with alliteration. Sounds great read aloud and is there any other way to read poetry? A must have for Beowulf fans.
    7 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Nicole
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic translation
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Easily my favorite translation of Beowulf. Beautiful and poetic language, deservingly commended even by Richard Wilbur.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Paulo Leite
    4.0 out of 5 stars Ó deuses, permita que o homem ganhe sua reputação antes de morrer
    Reviewed in Brazil on October 23, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    “Vocês devem saber, ó gautas, que, quando um homem busca a glória, muitas vezes é o amor o que ele realmente procura”. BeoWulf ao derrotar “Grendel, o ogro filho da bruxa ( simbolicamente filho de Cain) busca na verdade reconhecimento, respeito e admiração entre seus pares. Para realizar a tarefa ele não faz uso de qualquer armamento; utiliza apenas suas mãos, demonstrando uma vontade de urso. Vontade que parece ser a sua marca. Aliás, seu nome simboliza isso: bee (abelha) e wolf (lobo) – um animal que ataca as abelhas de maneira similar ao lobo. Mas o verdadeiro teste de bravura para os anglo-saxônicos não era saber se você podia ganhar uma luta, e sim como você se comportaria diante da morte. E, na batalha final contra o dragão, Beowulf mostra que ele não é apenas um heroi; ele é o “príncipe da virtude”, que vai aliviar as aflições de todos os dinamarqueses. Importante: há também na história um garoto de nome Wiglaf, que é algo similar ao Horácio da peça Hamlet de Shakespeare – um amigo do herói que sobrevive para contar a história de Beowulf, após todo mundo ter morrido. Em suma, esta batalha particular entre o bem e o mal não é muito sobre valores morais; é sim sobre destino e reputação. A vida bruta dos guerreiros medievais e as guerras sangrentas entre famílias-tribos são simbolizadas em Beowulf pela luta fraticida entre Cain e Abel. Coragem é o fundamento da cultura guerreira da época e que está por trás da história de Beowulf. Neste épico, a verdadeira bravura guerreira provém de uma completa atitude fatalista em relação à vida e indiferença à morte. “Algum dia você vai morrer e ser derrotado"; tudo vai acontecer por vontade dos deuses (Odin, Thor)”. O que os guerreiros podem então fazer é enfrentar os desafios sem medo, aumentando assim sua reputação perante os amigos, de maneira que, após sua morte, você será sempre lembrado.
    # Esta tradução não é considerada a melhor em lingua inglesa, mas é fácil de ser compreendida. Assim posto, recomendo-a como complemento a leitura deste épico.
    One person found this helpful
     Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report