"To compensate a little for the treachery and weakness of my memory, so extreme that it has happened to me more than once to pick up again, as recent and unknown to me, books which I had read carefully a few years before . . . I have adopted the habit for some time now of adding at the end of each book . . . the time I finished reading it and the judgment I have derived of it as a whole, so that this may represent to me at least the sense and general idea I had conceived of the author in reading it." (Montaigne, Book II, Essay 10 (publ. 1580))

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Beowulf (Old English, 8th century(?))

I had never read this and saw it as a Kindle item - so why not? Seems like it's the kind of thing that should be read.  

But it is rather hard to follow. Beowulf crosses some body of water to hep King Hrothgar of Denmark - Hrothgar's royal hall is regularly attacked at night by a monster named Grendel. Beowulf pledges to defeat the monster without using weapons, and succeeds by tearing off Grendel's arm, after which Grendel dies.

They celebrate - but on the next (or one of the next) night Grendel's nasty mother (a swamp resident) attacks the hall and kills a key warrior. Beowulf gets into Ma's underwater den and kills her by using a giant's sword conveniently found there.  

Beowulf goes home and becomes king.  The story then jumps forward ~50 years. A dragon with an immense treasure hoard (Smaug-like!) is disturbed by a thief and starts attacking the kingdom. Beowulf and a few warriors go to take on the dragon.  All the men but one abandon Beowulf.  But he gets the job done, though mortally wounded.

Didn't take much time, I didn't love reading it but am glad I did. 

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