Beowulf

Beowulf is an old poem.  Really old.  Anglo-Saxon (before the year 1000) old.  It's a poem of heroes and monsters, of glory and failure.  It's alright.

A work can be famous for its quality, impact, antiquity, or some combination thereof.  I would say that Beowulf is most famous for its antiquity- it's the earliest surviving example of poetry in a modern European language.  That's not to say it's bad- in fact, I'm sure there's symbolism in there that I just didn't get- it's just not "lights out," if you know what I mean.

Here's a spoiler-laden* plot summary: Beowulf, hero of the Geat people, hears of a monster, Grendel, who's terrorizing the nearby Danish kingdom (this is all set in modern Scandinavia).  Beowulf travels to that kingdom, ruled by Hrothgar.  Hrothgar, like many in the book, has a comical name that begins with an 'H.'  Apparently it was a mandate for inclusion in the story.  Anyway, Beowulf slays Grendel, Grendel's mom gets ticked, she goes crazy on the town, Beowulf slays her, too, in an underwater battle that lasts for hours**, and then he gets lots of praise and treasure from Hrothgar.  Beowulf goes back to Geatland, eventually becomes king, rules for 50 years, implements a number of important social reforms***, and then a dragon (who is guarding a treasure horde) comes and goes nuts.  Beowulf slays him, too, but dies in the process.  They build a funeral pyre to him on the shore.

So, is this purely a legend, or was there really such a king?  Are historical elements interwoven?  Is there deep symbolism here, or insights into a bygone era?  Could the people refer to themselves as "Geats" with a straight face?  There are many questions here- questions that demand answers.  You can do Internet searches if you want them- I'm in a decidedly odd mood and need to take a break.

Final analysis: read this if you are interested in a story from an age long gone.

*you've had 1000 years to read this.  I'm not apologizing.
**the scuba gear of the ancients was more advanced than one may think
***we can only assume; the story doesn't elaborate

Rating: B