Our first book club of a new season at a new location and with so many new people! It was such a good time and there was also lots to say about Maria Dahvana Headley's translation of Beowulf. We talked a lot about differences between this translation and older ones, about the use of modern language, but also about the characters and whether or not Beowulf was a monster. I hadn't expected there to be this much to say about such a tiny book with such an old poem, but it is a classic for a reason.
I'm doing something a little bit different with the recommendations this time. Instead of recommending three related novels, I'm pairing up four books. Beowulf and the retelling by Headley and another recent translation and then a retelling of that book. This way you get in your epic poem fix while also reading a more contemporary story on the events. There are also discussion questions at the end and - as always - if you have the perfect recommendation for Beowulf, please leave it in the comments!
Reading recommendations for Beowulf
If you are more interested in Maria Dahvana Headley's work after reading Beowulf, then The Mere Wife is the obvious choice as it was the book that came before. A suburban retelling of the story of Grendel's mother where she's a former soldier named Dana who has a son she didn't want. There will be many comparisons to the story of Beowulf and I can imagine it will make an even more interesting read after this translation.
This recent translation of The Aeneid by Shadi Bartsch is a fresh take on Virgil's epic that maybe doesn't go as far as to use terms as Bro, but that does put the poem in a new perspective. Bartsch does make the poem more readable, shying away from strict rhyming verse and using a more modern approach to verse. She also highlights contradictions in the poem, showing not only the heroes that are remembered, but also the stories that are lost.
Just like The Mere Wife, Lavinia is a retelling. It takes a character from The Aeneid, Lavinia, and gives her a voice. I think it will make an interesting comparison if you read Beowulf and The Mere Wife as well, to see how characters from classics can be re-imagined and be made more explicit. In the original Aeneas fights to claim the king's daughter Lavinia and she never gets to speak. In Lavinia she actually gets to tell us about herself and her life while being aware of her meta-fictional experience.
Discussion questions for Beowulf
- While reading Beowulf, did you focus more on the story, the translation or both?
- Why do you think the story of Beowulf survived? What makes it memorable?
- Is Beowulf a monster, just like Grendel and his mother?
- What makes Headley's translation feminist to you?
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