Grendel

Rating:
Summary: Some parts confusing, but overall, a good book
Review: This book is a glance into the life of the monster Grendel in the epic poem of Beowulf. In this book however, he is sort of depicted as the "good guy". He is not a "monster" or a heartless killer but a creature that has feelings, emotions, and a purpose in life.

Having read the epic poem Beowulf, I thought the book did a good job of introducing the character, conveying its feelings, and explaining the "horrible" actions that he took in the epic (as well as connecting them to the moral dilemmas he's going through).

I thought it was striking that the book was written in such a way that even makes you feel sorry for Grendel at times. It is written in first person, from Grendel's point of view. Gardner goes into detail about what Grendel is going through, his values, his dilemmas, and his convictions. However, I also think parts of the book (particularly the poems) are a little confusing and don't quite connect with the rest of the story. While some parts had me engaged, other parts left me a little confused. That's why I gave this book 3 stars. Otherwise, this is a solid, well-written book.

Rating:
Summary: Grendal's Point of View
Review: When the book first starts off, it is a bit confusing and also in the middle of the things, Then the story goes back to when Grendal was a child and how began to hate humanity and what, Grendal constantly watches the people never really getting close to them until he decides to kill them.
Physically Grendal has people and animals around him but he still is lonely and says that tedium this the worst pain, Grendal knew that he was different from the humans and just to be a parts of the humans and that type of happiness Grendal was willing to take on the role of being the monster. Is Grendal really talking to the dragon or did he make it up it his own imaginary so that he would have some to talk to. Grendal was never able to communicate with others, which is probably the reasons that he allowed himself to be left out.
Although John Gardner gets his point across and as you get it to the story it flows really well. If I had to choose between Grendal and Beowulf I would have chosen Beowulf.


Rating:
Summary: A riveting and hilarious revisiting of the old epic.
Review: Yes! A glorious read. You don't have to know the originalstory, but it helps. Briefly, the Anglo-Saxon epic "Beowulf"where the monster Grendel makes his appearance, dates from about 700 AD, was probably written in England, but describes events in Denmark. An aging king's hall is troubled for twelve years by visits from a monster who lives in the depths of a marshy lake. The monster breaks into the hall at night and seizes and eats men. It is invulnerable to swords. Eventually, a neighboring group come to the hall promising to deal with the monster. The king's men are a bit humiliated, but in no position to refuse. Sure enough, the hero Beowulf wrestles the monster and succeeds in tearing off its arm. Monster goes back to marsh to die, but...here comes Mama Monster, and she is REALLY bad news. However, Beowulf tracks her to their den under the lake and kills her too.

John Gardner's "Grendel" retells the story...from the point of view of the monster. His Grendel is an enthralling creation, basically all Id, ruled by appetite and impulse, given to sudden craziness, but full of inchoate yearnings and an endearing scepticism about the bombastic heroics of the drunken Danes. He watches everything, hidden behind cowsheds or in a tree. He is smitten with the beauty of the king's young queen! (But he has no sex urge: invading the royal bedchamber, he is appalled by her nakedness).

Grendel is full of confused metaphysical musings on the nature of reality, time, fate, and other inconvenient appurtenances of daily life. He is not the only philosopher, however: there is a wonderful portrait of an all-knowing dragon (who also features elsewhere in the original, but is only seen in repose in this book).The dragon is a wily old rascal, of impenetrable cunning and endowed with great power. Sort of like Jesse Helms. Even Grendel fears him. (Actually, in full philosophical flood the dragon is more like a cross between Alan Watts and Stephen Hawking). Then there is Grendel's mother, a nasty bloated thing who has forgotten speech, a limbic horror:

"When I sleep, she presses close to me, half buries me under her thistly fur and fat. "Dool-Dool," she moans. She drools and weeps. "Warrovish," she whimpers, and tears at herself. Hanks of fur come away in her claws. I see gray hide."

All the writing is just splendid, varied in rhythm, brilliant in imagery, incisive in tone: a scene in a sentence. Here is an archer hunting the winter woods:

"The man, furred from his toes to his ears, walks through the moon-and-snowlit woods, silent as an owl, huge bow on his shoulder, his eyes on the dark tracks."

It is also hilarious: he describes his night visits to the king's hall "[I have] ... knocked politely on the high oak door, bursting its hinges and sending the shock of my greeting inward like a cold blast out of a cave. "Grendel!" they squeak, and I smile, like an exploding spring. The old Shaper, a man I cannot help but admire, goes out the back window with his harp at a single bound, though blind as a bat."

Or the description of the tame bear during a feast in the hall:

"The bear sat with his feet stuck out, playing with his penis and surveying the hall with a crotchety look, as if dimly aware that there was something about him that humans could not approve."

Tempted enough? Go for it. A super book.