The Provensens' Beowulf

This essay by Blake Gopnik in the Washington Post (11/22/2007) compares reading Beowulf to watching the movie.  Gopnik, who went on to do medieval studies at McGill, recalls that "[His] first encounter with Beowulf came as a kid, in a surprisingly uncleaned-up version from The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends [adapted by Anne Terry White; 1959].  I still think the spare modernism of the book's images, hand-drawn by the great American illustrators Alice and Martin Provensen, comes closer to capturing the intensity of the ancient original than the $150 million movie's industrial light and magic ever does."  Well, that's not surprising, I thought, they're the Provensens.

Wait--the Provensens' illustrated a book of myths and legends?  I must have it!  Seriously, I've been looking for just such a book to read to Leo.  I didn't grow up with the D'Aulaires, either Greek or Norse (I got my mythology from a tattered Edith Hamilton paperback), so there is no obvious choice.  I have hopes for the collections of Greek and Roman myths retold by Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark, but what about the Norse?  Recommendations most welcome.  Thanks!

Comments

[kyra]

well! i got here! i had to click on your name link (from my blog) about 200 times since your site address appeared for only a split second before it turned into this:

http://www.squarespace.com/do/display/external/Frontpage?invalidUser=booktogether

but i persisted and voilá! i arrived! and i'm so happy i did! the site looks beautiful, very inspiring and chock full of juicy information! i will be here every day, taking notes for books i can read to fluffy either now or some day when he's ready.

yay for you! and the Provensens' book looks wonderful. i love the illustrations!