Reading 'The Tale of Kullervo' Aloud

Submitted by PantherTypewriter t3_y66xgr in books

I was at the library and randomly picked up Tolkein's 'Talke of Kullervo' cause why not. My partner was peeling chestnuts, but we didn't feel like using screens, so I jokingly suggested reading it out loud and that was an experience. Story-wise, it's very weird (the main character's grandma is a swan) and reads like mythology (which it was meant to), but the prose is S-tier excellent, and I really think it was so much better because I experienced it that way. Have you had a different take on a book for reading it out loud? What books do you find work better verbalized rather than in your head?

38

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Red_n_Rusty t1_isnn2v2 wrote

If you found The tale of Kullervo interesting, you might want to get to know Kalevala.

The connection between Tolkien's book and Kalevala: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Kullervo

Kalevala: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala

14

PantherTypewriter OP t1_isnnx7z wrote

I had already read some of the Kalevala which made the random mentions of Ilmarinen and northern hell a lot easier to understand, but I recommend it. Do you know a good translation?

3

Red_n_Rusty t1_isnofkf wrote

I don't personally need a translation but one version that I know of that many have enjoyed to read or look at is the "An Illustrated Kalevala" version by Kirsti Mäkinen.

3

7ootles t1_iso15ga wrote

I recorded Stephen King's The Dark Tower series for my girlfriend. Reading it aloud made me notice details much better than just reading it had, and performing the characters' parts (ie acting their parts rather than just reading the dialogue) put me in much better touch with who those characters are.

5

bran_buckler t1_iso57s4 wrote

It’s funny that you say that. I find that reading aloud makes me not process the text as much. Maybe I’m concentrating on saying the words and comprehension gets a lower priority. I’ll get the gist of it, but I will miss out on nuance and details.

4

Crawgdor t1_iso44g3 wrote

Paradise list by Milton. The prose is magnificent, the entire thing is in perfect blank verse and rolls off the tongue once you are used to the pattern.

Honestly, aloud is really the only way to read it, it’s too easy to get bogged down with trying to understand every word otherwise. Instead let it wash over you and get the feel for it, and then come back later to try and comprehend the whole thing.

5

MrNobleGas t1_isnzc2k wrote

The Greek classics. They were performed as oral tradition originally, so naturally they're designed to be read aloud.

2

PantherTypewriter OP t1_iso0qw3 wrote

True, but sadly I can't read ancient Greek, so if you have a orally-performative translation, you would have my long-lengthed thanks

1

vibraltu t1_isonytz wrote

I like to recommend 'Land of Heroes' by Ursula Synge to anyone interested in The Kalevala. Synge re-tells it in English in a style influenced by Tolkien, and it's awesome. And actually we did recite some of it out loud, since you mention it.

2

jakobjaderbo t1_isrvijw wrote

I found that it was easier and more pleasant to read the long stream of consciousness sentences in Virginia Woolfs books when read aloud.

2

Byzaboo54 t1_iso63x8 wrote

I cant fully appreciate prose or poetry when it's just in my head, I have to hear it aloud, ideally from someone else reading aloud. For example the first time I read the silmarillion, while I liked the epic stories the prose was more like a hurdle to overcome rather than adding to the experience, but when I listened to the audiobook a few years later it completely changed that. Now the beauty of the language is one of the first things I gush about regarding that book. Although I am ADHD and in my case it makes reading very difficult.

1