Beowulf by Burton Raffel Value Guide

This vintage Mentor Classic edition features Burton Raffel’s celebrated translation, which modernized the 8th-11th century Old English epic for mid-20th century audiences. Produced in the United States between 1960 and 1970, these paperbacks are highly collectible for their iconic cover art and their historical role as essential classroom texts.

What Is Beowulf by Burton Raffel Worth?

The typical price range for Beowulf by Burton Raffel is $8 - $12 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• Overall physical condition, specifically looking for spine creasing, yellowing of the paper, or 'foxing' common in 1960s paperbacks.
• The presence of original cover price markings, which help date the specific printing within the 1960-1970 range.
• Completeness of the volume, including the absence of heavy student marginalia or ink markings which can decrease value.
• The scarcity of the specific cover art variant, as Mentor Classics often updated their visual designs during the production run.

How to Identify Beowulf by Burton Raffel?

• Look for the distinct Mentor Classic logo and the specific Burton Raffel translation credit on the front cover.
• Verify the 1960s-1970s era by checking the copyright page for the New American Library (NAL) publishing information.
• Check for the original mass-market paperback dimensions and the characteristic glue-bound spine typical of mid-century Mentor editions.
• Confirm the presence of the introductory essays or notes provided by Raffel that distinguish this specific translation.

History of Beowulf by Burton Raffel

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem dating from around the 8th–11th centuries that tells the story of the hero Beowulf and his battles with monsters including Grendel. English translations became widely read in the 19th and 20th centuries; Burton Raffel’s lively translation helped introduce the poem to modern readers and was issued as an affordable Mentor Classic paperback in the mid-20th century, becoming a staple in school and general reading lists.