Beowulf: A New Translation
Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headleyby Maria Dahvana Headley
Ranked 5 of 8 poetry books by recommenders
People recommend this lively new translation of the Old English epic, which they find still speaks to the human condition. Critics say its kennings make it tedious.
People recommend this lively new translation of the Old English epic, which they find still speaks to the human condition. Critics say its kennings make it tedious.
7 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 71%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 2.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Translation feels alive and vivid
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading that translation. It felt so alive”
Comment from 21 Jan 2026 in “Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection” Shows shared human condition across time
“it developed in me a feeling for how, in spite of lots of technological and other societal change, the basic human condition is the same.”
Comment from 14 Dec 2025 in “Kids Rarely Read Whole Books Anymore. Even in English Class” Compared well with other classics
“the perspectives you get reading Iliad, Beowulf, Treasure Island, and Tolkien are all very different”
Comment from 28 Jan 2026 in “New Books Aren't Worth Reading” Highly respected translation
“created a highly respected translation of Beowulf”
Comment from 12 Feb 2026 in “How to Make a Living as an Artist”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Dense kennings make it tedious
“Beowulf is also tedious to read because of all the kennings”
Comment from 16 Nov 2025 in “Where Educational Technology Fails: A seventh-grader's perspective” Dull to read in original
“I found Beowulf to be surprisingly dull in the original.”
Comment from 18 Nov 2025 in “Short Little Difficult Books”
Other poetry books people recommend
The four most recommended other poetry books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Odysseyby Emily Wilson | 21 | 3 | 88% | 3 | — | — |
| Gilgameshby Simon Armitage | 11 | 4 | 73% | 3 | — | — |
| The Iliadby Homer | 9 | 1 | 90% | 7 | — | — |
| The Claudysseyby Claude Fable 5 | 8 | 5 | 62% | 1 | — | — |
| Beowulf: A New Translationby Maria Dahvana HeadleyThis page | 5 | 2 | 71% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
6 of the 7 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“created a highly respected translation of Beowulf”
“the perspectives you get reading Iliad, Beowulf, Treasure Island, and Tolkien are all very different”
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading that translation. It felt so alive”
“it developed in me a feeling for how, in spite of lots of technological and other societal change, the basic human condition is the same.”
“I found Beowulf to be surprisingly dull in the original.”
“Beowulf is also tedious to read because of all the kennings”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.