My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As soon as I heard this was going to be published, I had it on my “must get” list. I got my copy the day it was released and just sat down last evening to read it. It exceeded my expectations, which is a hard thing given that my “levels” were set based on Heaney’s wondrous translation of Beowulf.

The text was stunning in its beats and pace, effortlessly pulling me from the opening line through to the last word. I loved that the Latin text was on the facing page. I tried to read words here and there, surprising myself at times, and increasing my desire to learn Latin more fully.

What a translator Heaney was. To make the story come alive in a different tongue, and to excite in me the interest to learn the original language. I don’t know if a translator can receive a higher honor.