— Bill to Jake in The Sun Also Rises
If I’ve spoken to you in the last few days, I’m sure I’ve bitched to you about reading Beowulf for my Lit before 1660 class. Below are some classic moments. For you nerds, it’s the Heaney translation, and I’ll even include line numbers…
“In Which Beowulf Goes Hours Without Breathing”
without more ado, he dived into the heaving
depths of the lake. It was the best part of a day
before he could see the solid bottom.
(1494-6)
———————————————————————————————————————
They stared in awe. It was an astonishing sight.
(1650)
———————————————————————————————————————
The bright necklace would be luminous on Hygd’s breast.
(2176)
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The fabled warrior in his war-shirt and helmet
trusted in his own strength entirely
and went under the crag. No coward path.
(2539-41)
———————————————————————————————————————
So he came to the place, carrying the treasure
and found his lord bleeding profusely
(2788-9)
I attempted to get through this a few years ago after numerous people recommended it to me, but only just finished it (after a few more recommendations got me reading it again). The book gives an interesting briefing on what is known to science, coupled with an even more emphatic picture of what science does not know—which can be either fascinating or depressing, depending on how Bryson handles the subject in question. (String theory, I was told, is far too complex for me to understand; geology, on the other hand, is portrayed as the coolest—no pun intended—thing ever.) In the end, though, it was a valuable read, especially for a humanities major who still harbors a vague interest in what the people in lab coats are doing down the hall.
Image links to Amazon.
READ THIS; I thoroughly enjoyed it. A new, refreshing take on the Holocaust novel, while still respecting the gravity of the subject matter (click image or here for Amazon link).
