Gareth Hinds does a beautifully stunning version of “Beowulf”. Not only are the pictures so graphic and life-like but the words themselves are strikingly concrete. In the author’s note it mentions trying to keep a modern readability while trying to keep the poetic format. This picture version does exactly that. I had to check the old English translation of “Beowulf”; I was convinced that now and then the exact words were used. From my knowledge Hinds version is completely in its own words. The text isn’t dumbed down any it just takes on its own knowledge but uses the same structural story. In doing this the meaning or the lessons behind this old tale doesn’t get lost. One will feel like they are getting the old English version with some pictures.
Image taken from the version of "Beowulf" by Gareth Hinds.
The artwork of the book is even exquisite. You can see Beowulf’s rippling muscles and all the sinews and tendons in Grendel’s body. Beowulf is still not what I visualized him to be. His face looks so drippy and weak that when I saw him shirtless fighting Grendel his face and body could belong to two different people. Beowulf’s eyes look lifeless; he looks like an old man even in his young days so that 50 years later he looks just as lifeless with a few more bags under his eyes. He should eat more carrots for better nutrition.
Despite Beowulf looking old before his time Grendel looks magnificent. He’s dark and oozing with grime. The monster has these long sharp fingers that can be used as knives. He has yellow eyes and a reptile like tongue, showing he is a serpent from the lake. I’m not sure what to make of Grendel’s mother. Yes she looks hideous, as she should, but she looks like a dinosaur that had acid poured on her with too large nipples.
I’m also not sure what all the astrology in the novel is about. Perhaps it is to show passage of time or where in the world Beowulf takes place through showing the constellations. I did find it somewhat distracting because I was trying to figure out why it would be there but it was also amusing, it added something new to the story.