Yes I will admit that I was made to read this for class and otherwise I would have stayed away from this however I have to admit that this was not as bad as I remembered from 11th grade English. 
 The historical significance of Beowulf far exceeds the actual quality of the story of Beowulf. In Beowulf we find complex composition that was non-existent in that part of the world until this publication. While the middle east was dishing out the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Greeks and Romans had out-thought many of their contemporaries the British Isles were busy pillaging and conquering, they weren't the scholarly types and would not be for many centuries; that image of the old British college professor was something far into the future. However, credit where credit is due; Beowulf was the very first instance that still survives of the ancient oral tales told over the fire. 
 This particular translations by Seamus Heaney was approachable and easy to understand; it is straight forward without much of the flowery aspects to it. If you're going to read Beowulf be it forced or for personal pleasure this is a great translation to read; half of the book is in the original Old English countered across the page with the translation. A lovely production of a book and incredibly important.