Is there anyone who completed high school that didn't read the great Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf? A story about the heroic title character who comes to save Hrothgar's kingdom from their monstrous tormentor, Grendel. While the Grendel in the epic poem may be as mysterious as he is vile, author John Gardner takes a more philosophical look at the beast in his novel titled, aptly, Grendel. Part creation myth, part existential breakdown, Gardner's take on the infamous monster is less missunderstood and more a Nietzschean character struggling with the identities of good and evil. In turns funny, deeply moving, and insightful, Gardner's take on the monster brings new life into an old classic.
From the beginning of the novel, it is clear that Grendel is at war with the world around him. A fight with a ram over its stupidity and Grendel's subsequent anger when the sky refuses to answer his questions immediately characterize our beastly protagonist. Gardner cleverly juxtaposes Grendel with his mother, who, unlike her son, neither speaks nor exhibits any curiosity for the outside world. With characters that piece together like a puzzle, Gardner's retelling of the side of Beowulf we don't get to see is compelling, darkly hilarious, genuinely spooky, and, on the whole, brilliant.
All the Danes you may or may not remember from the poem are here. Hrothgar, Wealtheow, Unferth, and of course Beowulf--they're all here. The way Grendel torments Unferth by not giving him the honor of killing him in battle made for one of the more disturbingly funny relationships in the novel. Even the dragon who--not to ruin the plot of the source material--overcomes Beowulf in the end of the poem makes a cameo in the novel as a kind of monster mentor for Grendel.
Bottom Line: If you're a Beowulf devotee and fear Gardner's existential take might be too New Age or may divert too much from the source material--fear not. Gardner worked not just in the literary, but also academic field. It is evident that he knew the epic inside and out, and he knew how to pull new ideas from an old poem. What more could you want?
You can find a copy of John Gardner's Grendel at your local chain bookstore, online, or at an independent bookstore near you (click here for a list).
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