When I was 5 years old, I was forced to take dancing lessons while the Brother was forced to take accordion lessons. I hated dancing class. The Knights of Columbus Hall where the classes were given had no heat or it wasn't turned on. I hated wearing the pink beginner tights. I liked clacking around in the tap shoes, but Ma wouldn't let me practice inside the house on the wood floors. I spent most of my time in class being miserable and crying. Eventually, I was taken out of class.
While the Brother still had to endure accordion lessons, Dad took me to the library. He would leave me upstairs in the children's library where I could look at the books and choose to take some books home with my own library card. As I got older, I would go downstairs to the adult library and wander among the stacks enjoying the scent of the books before going to find Dad in the reference area consulting the law books and catching up on his work.
So for the next several weeks, a list of my favorite books, some I have read as a child, others as an adult and some I have read more than once.
Beowulf
A New Translation by
Seamus Heaney
If you haven't read this Anglo-Saxon epic, you can find it at your local public library or favorite bookstore.
If you prefer audiobooks, you can have this read for free by Seamus Heaney
I remember reading this at school. I've saved the link to the audio, I like listening to books when I'm crafting. Enjoy your weekend! Valerie
ReplyDeleteThat will be fun
DeleteIt was required reading my senior year in HS. We spent at least two weeks dissecting it. The teacher was very old school.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the best translations.
DeleteI read this in high school and college. I should read it again because I only remember bits and pieces. I wonder about this new translation. Enjoy this beautiful day.
ReplyDeleteHeaney preserves things like the kennings, but the language he uses is much more dynamic
DeleteI guess my high school didn't use the same reading list as everyone else's seems to have used..... :-/
ReplyDeleteYou're probably not as old as I am.
DeleteI remember when this translation came out. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteThe translation really brought the epic to life
DeleteI remember this book!!! Thanks CJ!! And, thanks for your help on my blog, with my computer. It looks like it's fine. I think what happened, is that I had a youtube video on my blog, in January. That post had all the spam comments. I think that video, brought all the problems to me. I deleted that post!
ReplyDeleteGlad your computer is okay
DeleteNot read this one ...
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan