Hello, again! Thanks for coming back to read the Reading Journal! And, if you’re new here, welcome! This week, I’ve continued reading Douglas Wilson’s translation of Beowulf and S. D. Smith’s, The Green Ember. I don’t have much to say in the way of an introduction, so let’s just dive in!
Beowulf
This translation, interestingly, has made certain scenes and speeches stand out to me more than the previous translation I read. I don’t know if it’s that Wilson uses language I’m more familiar with or if I’m paying more attention when I’m listening to those sections this time around. Either way, I definitely got a more precise image in my mind of Beowulf’s fight with Grendel’s mother. I was confused last time because I knew that he was in the depths of the lake but the actual fight didn’t make much sense. In this translation, it was clear that Grendel’s mother had some kind of underwater hall in which the fight occurred.
Another interesting thing about this translation as opposed to Seamus Heaney’s is that Wilson divided his into fits; Heaney’s was, at least on audio, one long section. A fit is like a long stanza or a canto in a poem. This has helped me separate the scenes in my mind and process each of them a little better.
Something that has stood out to me both times through this work is how Beowulf, summoned by Hrothgar after Grendel’s mother attacks the hall, immediately accepts Hrothgar’s request that he fight this new threat. Beowulf provides an example at that point of a good man; he came to accomplish something (the deliverance of Hrothgar’s people) and, even when the task appears to be much larger than he originally thought, he determines to see it through to completion. Yes, he wants to win glory for himself and his lord, but there is a dedication he has to his task. Now that he’s begun the fight with these monsters, he must see it through. He doesn’t grumble or say, “Haven’t I done enough?” as I know my first thought would be to say. He simply takes up the challenge and goes to battle.
This book is one that I’m going to need to study in-depth at some point in the future. I have a physical copy of Tolkien’s translation and commentary on the work, which should be helpful when I’m ready to do a deep dive into it.
The Green Ember
This book has been action-packed! For the faults I mentioned last week, which remain as I continue in the book, Smith definitely knows how to keep you riding the waves of tension. He gives you just enough time to catch your breath before he plunges into another series of misfortunes, surprises, and adventures. There have been two new characters introduced since last week, in the midst of some turmoil.
Heather and Picket were sent out to pick berries after a stranger came to visit their parents. When they hear some screaming at the house of a neighbor who lives near the berry bushes, they hurry home to see their tree on fire and a pack of wolves searching the meadow around it. This sets off a series of events: the wolves find Heather and Picket, chase them through the forest, and they only just manage to escape into a cave with a narrow entrance. They manage this with the help of two other rabbits, one of whom turns out to be their uncle, Wilfred. The other is named Smalls, but not much information is given about him, except it’s implied that he lost his family.
Heather and Picket, as far as they know, have lost their family to the wolves. As far as I’ve read, they have escaped the creatures chasing them in the caves they used to escape the wolves and were sailing down a river, heading for the farm of a friend of Wilfred and Smalls. However, the farm is burning by the time they near it. Just after they notice the boat landing is on fire, along with the farm, they see wolves in the woods on the banks of the river. Like I said, from one thing to the next.
I’m enjoying this book and am glad that it was recommended to me. I look forward to continuing to work my way through it.
That wraps up this week’s entry. Let me know in the comments what you’re reading currently and your thoughts on this post! If you know someone who you think would benefit from and enjoy this content, feel free to share this post with them! And, as always, thank you for taking the time to read the Reading Journal!
In Him and for His Glory