Grendel

This brief book is a brutally powerful conjuring of the monster Grendel from “Beowulf.” The story is narrated in first person by John Gardner’s reimagined Grendel, who is both horrifying and sympathetic: a savage, ruthless, lonely creature. The prose is often wonderful, earthy yet poetic, laced with wit. In addition to the inhuman Grendel, the book includes a shorter, very striking evocation of a dragon who sees both past and future. I also particularly liked the thread about the minstrel and the impact of his craft both on Grendel and on the humans.

I liked most of the book very well, including the opening chapters, and the later appearance of Beowulf. However at times, such as the opening pages of chapter 7, I found the tone of Grendel’s perspective jarring and discordant. At other times, such as the closing pages of chapter 7 (I had trouble with chapter 7!), I found Grendel’s perspective so repellent I wanted to stop reading. Although the nastiness seemed consistent with the story, it was thoroughly unpleasant.

As with many first person narratives, the book provided no explanation of how, when, and to whom the story was being told. This weakened the impact of the end for me. Yet the voice of the first person narration is part of the strength of the majority of the book, part of what put me under its spell.

This is one of my favorite novels, and, in my opinion, a masterpiece that should be read by anyone who enjoys reading fiction. The way Gardner takes a character that you thought you knew and adds layers upon layers upon layers of depth to him is absolutely astounding. This novel is probably the best character analysis I’ve ever read. It’s not light reading, and it’s not a typical action-heavy fantasy novel, but it is one of the most intellectual and thought provoking fantasy novels out there.

(I would recommend you read Beowulf before reading this novel if you really want to fully understand its greatness.)

It lives on my shelf of favorites.

It is not without levity, but make no mistake, Grendel is a monster.
My bias lends a sympathetic ear to the villain, but the novel paints the creature in a philosophically curious light. It encompasses his existence from point A to point B[eowulf] and never fails to enthrall along the way.

Gardner’s writing is sophisticated without being pedantically complex. Dialogue is smooth, metaphors solid, and descriptions unconventionally gorgeous. I believe banning books is a cowardly act, but some moments perhaps are unsuitable for young readers.

On a personal note, I cannot help but compare and contrast Grendel and the Grinch.

Grendel, one of the monsters that Beowulf defeats in the epic Beowulf, tells his side of the story. Grendel is frequently challenged for violence and Grendels nihilistic view of the world seen throughout the novel. There is violence in Grendel and some of it is explicit however at a high school reading level this sort of violence is not inappropriate. Most high school students have seen more violence on TV then they will read in this book. As for Grendels nihilistic view of the world, the entire novel refutes it. One of the themes in this novel is that having a positive and more hopeful outlook on life is better than wallowing in nihilism your entire life. Grendel is not the hero of this novel, in fact he is the complete opposite, and he is not even an anti-hero. Grendel is given a choice in the novel whether to choose the Dragons negative nihilist view or chose the Shapers positive more hopeful view and Grendel chooses wrong. From that point onward Grendels nihilism is viewed in a negative light. Eventually at the end of the book, Beowulf, who could be viewed as a hero of the novel, defeats Grendel. Beowulf who stands for the Shapers views defeats Grendel who stands for the Dragons views. In fact Beowulf is even depicted as a dragon in the last scene. Beowulf is a dragon of hope whereas the Dragon is a dragon of egotistic nihilism. While the book is from Grendels view the novel depicts him and his views as wrong or evil. This novel actually promotes a hopeful out view on life and therefore has no reason to be banned.

Gardner, John. Grendel. New York: Knopf, 1971. Print.

Grendel is not really a story about a monster, it’s the story of an isolated person trying to make sense of the world. In that sense, it’s a smashing success. Grendel’s internal conflicts drive the story, and his attempts to understand the universe and his place in it are frustratingly complex and saddening.

The book also serves as a fantastic critique of humans and their behavior, as Grendel doesn’t seem so much like the monster when you’ve finished reading the book.

If you’re familiar with Beowulf, then you should really enjoy this. Even if you haven’t read the poem, Grendel is easy to understand on its own.

Be advised, it’s got some incredibly abstract and complex parts that will baffle you, but they exist for a reason.

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