Grendel, by John Gardner, is a mythological retelling of the classic epic Beowulf through the perspective of Beowulf’s antagonist, Grendel. As the novel progresses, the reader, for the most part, follows the chronological events of Grendel’s life, and how he came to be the unforgivable and widely feared monster in Beowulf’s tale.
The Pros: Grendel’s story is extremely intriguing, and despite the fact that it was a required read, I never found myself dreading picking up the book. I greatly enjoyed seeing the story of Beowulf through a different perspective, and I think this book made me enjoy Beowulf’s story much more than I previously did. On top of this, Grendel is absolutely filled with symbolism and unique literary elements that make it a fascinating and thought-provoking read, and I really enjoyed how the chapters were each based on a zodiac sign.
The Cons: Being a classic, Grendel obviously is not an easy read. There are some sentences that are extremely confusing and left me relying on the internet for help. Honestly, sometimes I would read a whole page and get absolutely nothing from it, leaving me to reread the same things over and over again to get the point. With any book like this, it takes time to read, and that just might not be some people’s thing.
In conclusion, I recommend Grendel to anyone with an interest in the backstories of antagonists, especially one as infamous as Grendel. I gave this book a three-star rating because it was good, but it wasn’t something I’d have forced myself to try and understand unless it was for my class.