REVIEW: Grendel by John Gardner

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Grendel by John Gardner
Publishing information: Paperback; 174 pages
Publisher: Random House Vintage Books; 2 June 2010
ISNB: 9780679723110
Standalone
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

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Barnes and Noble

Synopsis: "The first and most terrifying monster in English literature, from the great early epic Beowulf, tells his side of the story in a book William Gass called "one of the finest of our contemporary fictions."

I really dig these books that tell the story of mythological creatures from their prospective. Gospel of Loki was excellent and know we have John Gardner's Grendel. It tells the story of Grendel before he meets Beowulf.

Grendel is depicted as a mischievous creature who isn't so much as evil but more bored and inquisitive. He lives at home (or a cave) with his mother and she doesn't really pay much attention to him and so he strikes out on his own and discovers man. He learns of their stories and their boasts and like to take them down a peg or two. While he may eat the occasional Norse warrior or cow, he usually just listens in on man's conversations and forms his own opinion on things.

What sets Grendel apart from Beowulf is that we finally learn some of Grendel's motivations and his thought process. He really is a humorous creature who is trying to find his place in the world and ease the pain that is loneliness. The dialogue is sharp, witty, and subtle. We grow with Grendel as he goes from a creature that is a mindless bully to one that is a deep philosophical thinker who has rejected the gods and a skeptic of everything making a book that comes in under 200 pages much thicker and multi-layered.

Grendel was one of those books that was never on my radar until someone left the cover exposed on the shelf at Barnes and Noble and I curiously picked it up. I was quite fortunate as it is was a hidden gem that deserver far more praise than I can deliver. Anyone who wants to know the motivations for Grendel and have a chuckle while doing it should go out and pick this one up. Highly recommended.

Overall 8/10
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