Rating: 
Summary: Good book, not so good translation
Review: Evidently, the Nibelungenlied is a great treasure, a wonderful epic, but this particular translation is not great, nor are Hatto's notes too elaborate or even useful.
Rating: 
Summary: German Mythology
Review: Excellent translation of the German Epic of Siegfried's death and Kriemhild's revenge. Used as material for Wagner's third opera in the Ring Cycle. Very important material for anyone interested in the Geramn cultural tradition.
Rating: 
Summary: In All Its Bloody Glory
Review: German medieval epics are not for every taste but it is surprising how quickly one can become lost in something written in such an different style from our modern writing. The translation of the Nibelungenlied by A. T. Hatto takes the poem from its poetic roots and turns it into readable prose in an effective manner. This is a marvelous work with some truly memorable characters, particulary the women, and much grisly excitement (the author of the epic will never be cited for subtlety). It is easy to see why this inspired such works as Wagner's Ring Cycle. There is a lot of rich material in these legends and myths. An added bonus are the wonderful appendices at the back that could lead the reader to a richer second read of this book at some point in the future. A fine look at a great epic from the distant past.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I have ever read
Review: I am actually 16 but I hate computers and could not figure out the review section. This is the best book I have ever read. I am a military freak, hoping to get into Norwich Military University and a commision in the Army. Hooah. The Nibelegunlied increased my lust for the military. It is an easy reading book and has many plot twists, I even got mad when hagan killed Siegfried. I am not a good writer so, all I can say is HOOOAHHH to this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay...
Review: I don't mean to disparage Hatto's achievement - translating something this long from ancient German must have been quite a task, and for the most part, he did it admirably. The prose is somewhat stilted, but any English translation of any ancient epic has the same effect. My problem is, actually, with the story itself. Now, this tale is one of the best stories man ever told - you just wouldn't know it from reading Das Nibelungenlied. You see, this happens to be the Bavarian version of the brilliant Scandinavian epic Volsungsaga, and if you want to find out what that story's all about, I urge you to go read the Norse version. The Volsungsaga is timeless - the passions fly to unknowable heights, the gods walk among men, and the actors of the drama burn with an overpowering flame. Much like a Joy Division song, in that regard. But anyway. _That_ was a tale. Gunnar perished in a snake pit and Hyogni had his heart carved out. But here? Whoever wrote this sorry excuse for an adaptation turned the dazzlingly, head-swimmingly tragic and beautiful Valkyrie Brunhild into a goofy airhead, Gudrun into a cold-hearted shrew, Sigurd into an arrogant buffoon, Hyogni into a manipulative and petty politician, Attila into an ineffectual bungler, left out a whole bunch of smashingly great stuff (for some reason utterly beyond my grasp, Sigmund is made to outlive his son, and none of that part of the tale is retained) and added a bunch of characters who really don't matter all that much. I could do without reading pages of praise for Volker, thank you. What is this, anyway? Forget this, go read Volsungsaga, and be blown away.
Rating:
Summary: A Timeless Classic
Review: I was first required to read this in my Western Traditions class in college as an example of medieval literature, but have since read it again. I am unexplicably drawn to this epic.As became obvious to me, as I am sure it will to other readers, this is a tale that will be immdiately show its ability to stand with the heroic legends of most time periods. This of course is a timeless classic and a perfect example. This tale deals primarily with Siegfried's life, and his death at the hands of his wife's family. It also deals with the revenge exacted by Siegfried's wife, Kriemhild. The tale is set in the high Middle Ages, and the heroes, as they are in all works of this time period, are supposed to exemplify chivalric values. The Nibelungenlied provides some real insight into the inner workings of era, and surprisingly is just as powerful when translated out of its native tounge.
Rating: 
Summary: Being old doesn't make it good.
Review: I'm sick of all the snobs going on and on about what a great, classic epic this is. If this book were written today, it would never sell. The fact that it's old and now an esoteric topic makes people feel like they're a more astute reader for being able to talk about it. I wrote this kind of stuff when I was in 5th grade! The characters have very little depth, nothing is explained, and the view of character's nobility changes. In addition, this story was copied down by christian monks and therefore has a christian tilt to it, which further clouds the morals of the story. In summary, it's not good; it's just old. Want to read some really good fantasy? Read George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. You won't be dissappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but . . .
Review: If you are looking for a clear tale of good vs. evil, this isn't your cup of tea. Characters that are sympathetically portrayed in one portion of the book, come out looking terrible in another. Kriemhild the lovely princess devolves into Kriemhild the shrewish and vengeful queen, whose fate at the end of the book is almost a relief. Hagen the treacherous murderer becomes Hagen the worthy and fearful champion. Gunther the weak king eventually becomes strong, noble and resourceful. While it is good and fine to have a story not end as a simple morality play, the evolution of the characters is not explained, and struck me as being rather strange and unaccounted for. Equally strange was the decision by Hatto to add an afterword explaining some of the various plot complications. A better thing to have done was to explain by way of footnotes any further issues that needed to be discussed beyond the bounds of the story. About the only thing that should have been mentioned in the afterword was how the tale of the Nibelungenlied was recorded by other cultures. Also, if you are not familiar with Hatto's work in discussing other tales--like Parzival, for instance--then you are likely not to understand some of Hatto's references and arguments. Make no mistake, the story of the Nibelungenlied is a classic worth reading. But in terms of its style and presentation, there were some things to be desired. Perhaps I started reading the story with my hopes too high, but unfortunately, they were somewhat dashed. The story is a good one, but it will never make a list of my all-time favorites.
Rating:
Summary: Kind of Ho-Hum
Review: If you're a fan of Wagner's Ring Cycle of operas, you'll be disappointed by this (which Prof. Hatto freely admits in the introduction.) The real Nibelungenlied, for the most part, lacks the "balls" of Wagner. However, the amazingly bloody fight scene at the end is memorable and masterfully composed.
Hatto's prose translation is readable but sort of flat. It has a fairy-tale lilt to it at times, which more often than not comes across sounding juvenile.
The story consists of two distinct sections with decidedly different flavors, indicating that the poet composed it out of two pre-existing stories that didn't exactly fit together. The first part deals with the wooing of Brunhilde and the death of Sigfried. A wealth of detail from other versions of this story is unfortunately left out, and Sigfried's earlier career is completely skipped over. We're simply told in a few lines that he slew a dragon and conquered the Nibelungs, gaining posession of their vast treasure along with a magic cloak and impenetrable skin. Brunhilde is consumed with jealousy when Sigfried marries Kriemhild, but because of the poet's ham-fisted tampering with his sources, the "real" reason of her jealousy has to be substituted with something lame and irrational.
The second half of the Nibelungenlied tells of Kriemheld's grisly revenge for the murder of Sigfried. This part is well written, but oddly the characters metamorphose so that the villain of the first half (Sigfried's muderer) is the hero in the second half (a stalwart victim of a woman's treachery.)
The story is bogged down throughout with chivalric courtly nonsense, undoubtedly thrown in for the gratification of the poet's royal patron. After reading some Icelandic sagas, the characters' behaviour in the Nibelungenlied seems painfully artificial.
I'm also puzzled as to why this work bears the title "Nibelungenlied" since it really isn't about the Nibelungs at all. It doesn't tell the story of Sigfried's conquest of Nibelungland and the winning of the legendary treasure. The Nibelungs show up briefly in the story as an army which Sigfried has at his disposal, and nothing more. In the second half, the Burgundians are inexplicably referred to as "Nibelungs" but this just doesn't make sense after referring in the first half to the Nibelungs as a seperate people in a seperate land (a seemingly otherworldly land. There's a dim sense that the Nibelungs might be "fairy folk," perhaps like the Tuatha De Danann in Celtic myth.) The title is a cheat, and I think it's misleading. But it is the traditional title of this epic.
The afterword provides in-depth critical analysis and profuse apologies for the epic's many flaws. Reading this helps greatly towards better understanding of the poem, and also puts you on the track of parallel sources of the Nibelung legend, some of which Prof. Hatto briefly summarizes. I need to find the Norse "Thidrekssaga" which fills in many exciting details of Sigfried's early career and the truth about his relationship with Brunhilde.
I've also heard that the Volsung Saga is a much better telling of the story. Though I haven't yet read it, based on what I know of sagas I'm willing to bet it will be a much more satisfying experience.
All in all, I can't recommend the Nibelungenlied to anyone unless they have a real serious thirst for Medeival literature.
Rating:
Summary: Kingdom of Twilight/Dragon Blood
Review: The Nibelung epic was the great story of the Middle Ages. It has been told in many versions and its characters are as well known in Europe as the Camelot characters are in England. "Lord of the Rings" and "Xena: Princess Warrior" both used this epic for source material. The movie "Kingdom of Twilight," which is a new blockbuster version of the story for English audiences has just wrapped shooting and should come out within the next year. Other script versions of the story are also currently circulating in Hollywood.
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