# bowling for beowulf **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028 "2003-01-11T22:28:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ruralrage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@ruralrage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruralrage)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/1 "2003-01-11T22:28:30Z")
I have been looking for a complete work known as Beowulf. It is a classic epic and i was just wondering if bookstores sold the full version. And does anyone know where i can find the complete Canterbury Tales as well? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/2 "2003-01-11T22:42:05Z")
[Beowulf](http://www.lnstar.com/literature/beowulf/index.html) [Canterbury Tales](http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm) If you want to read them hardcopy, both books should be easy to find in any library and most bookstores. And if the store doesn’t have it in stock, they’ll be glad to order it for you. Or you could just go to [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) or similar internet retailers. They are not, by any stretch, rare or hard to find books. Incidentally, my screenname was partially inspired by The Canterbury Tales. Funny stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/3 "2003-01-12T00:34:41Z")
If you want a REALLY good audio version, check out [this version](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1565114272/qid=1042331496/sr=12-1/002-4358562-0579241?v=glance&s=books/). I heard it playing in the background when I was at a Bookears store. I spent a while trying to figure out what fantasy book was being read till I realized it was Beowulf. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/4 "2003-01-12T00:36:20Z")
I just have to hijack this thread to say that this has been the best thread title I’ve seen in a long while! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/5 "2003-01-12T00:38:15Z")
Isn’t Seamus Heaney’s translation the full version? Good stuff- I read it a few months ago. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/6 "2003-01-12T01:02:40Z")
For Tolkein freaks and geeks: [http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid=20021127.061056&time=10%2041%20PST&year=2002&public=1](http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid=20021127.061056&time=10%2041%20PST&year=2002&public=1) ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/7 "2003-01-12T01:40:47Z")
i’m guessing that they would be online (free) somewhere. could be wrong, tho. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/8 "2003-01-12T02:16:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handsomeharry \* > \*\*i’m guessing that they would be online (free) somewhere. could be wrong, tho. \*\* Yup, both of them can be found at [Project Gutenberg](http://promo.net/pg/). ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/9 "2003-01-12T02:43:19Z")
Another vote for the Seamus Heaney translation. Great read! ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/10 "2003-01-12T03:53:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissla Lissar \* > \*\*Isn’t Seamus Heaney’s translation the full version? Good stuff- I read it a few months ago. \*\* My ex-wife (now teaching Old English at Oxford) says no, though it’s close to it. (Apparently there’s some expository text, and it’s also true that _Beowulf_ survived in more than one edition. She did think it was an excellent translation, though. As she’s read the original in Old English, I think that’s an extreme vote of confidence. ---
**Author:** ![ruralrage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@ruralrage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruralrage)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/11 "2003-01-12T03:57:35Z")
wow…thanks. I might order it…is there a complete translation in hard copy? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/12 "2003-01-12T06:37:13Z")
Ditto on suggesting the Seamus Heaney translation. Excellent excellent poetry, that. ---
**Author:** ![crinklebat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@crinklebat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crinklebat)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bowling-for-beowulf/148028/13 "2003-01-12T07:13:15Z")
I dug Seamus Heaney’s as well, especially after suffering through a lesser translation for a class (the name of the translator escapes me–I keep thinking Lattimore, but that’s wrong, he translated Homer. Dash it all!). I’m literally writhing with anticipation as far as reading Tolkien’s translation goes.