Beowulf (version 2)


Read by Tad E.

(4.2 stars; 116 reviews)

Beowulf is a monumental epic poem that captures the heroic deeds of its titular character, a warrior of great strength and valor. Set in the early medieval period, this tale unfolds in the lands of the Danes and Geats, where Beowulf embarks on a quest to rid the kingdom of the monstrous Grendel, a creature terrorizing the mead hall of Heorot.

As Beowulf confronts formidable foes, including Grendel's vengeful mother and a fearsome dragon in his later years, the poem explores themes of heroism, loyalty, and the inevitable passage of time. Through the lens of ancient warrior culture, it reflects on the values of bravery and honor, making it a rich tapestry of human experience.

Translated by Francis Barton Gummere, this rendition brings to life the rhythmic beauty and grandeur of the original text, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in a world where legends are born and heroes are forged in the heat of battle.

Chapters

Select a chapter to play

Prelude-Section 2 9:57 Read by Tad E.
Sections 3-5 9:33 Read by Tad E.
Sections 6-8 9:35 Read by Tad E.
Sections 9-11 11:34 Read by Tad E.
Sections 12-14 9:34 Read by Tad E.
Sections 15-17 10:42 Read by Tad E.
Sections 18-20 10:23 Read by Tad E.
Sections 21-23 13:33 Read by Tad E.
Sections 24-26 12:54 Read by Tad E.
Sections 27-29 17:17 Read by Tad E.
Sections 30-32 12:27 Read by Tad E.
Sections 33-35 15:03 Read by Tad E.
Sections 36-38 10:30 Read by Tad E.
Sections 39-41 12:46 Read by Tad E.

Reviews

Poor delivery


(2 stars)

I found the delivery of the narrator to be too fast and not have enough pauses and emphasis. I had to stop the book and start over in the alternative version available here

Monotone


(3 stars)

The reader was incredibly monotone, and I honestly didn’t understand the majority of this book due to the monotonous reader, and there were a lot of recording errors.


(3.5 stars)

For a volunteer reader this was done pretty well. There are some issues with pacing and pronunciation, but nothing so bad that it detracts from the story. The audio quality is good and there is very little background noise, which is also nice.

Fair. Tough read in any format.


(4 stars)

The reader did a fair job. I was hoping this story would be easier to handle in audio format. It is still difficult to process. Most normal folks will still need to read a version with notes.

poor recording


(1 star)

Good reader but his S and some T sounds are piercingly sharp. Had to stop listening after a few minutes. A somewhat common but avoidable error in recording methods.

good story


(3.5 stars)

Great story, although I read it once, listened to it, and then read a simplified version to make sure I reaaally got what was going on. narrator was fine.

very good


(4 stars)

it's a great book. as for the speaker, he is mostly clear but could have slowed down in some sections


(4 stars)

the reader has a good grasp of pronunciation for the names and old English terms.