Grendel

A different perspective on an old classic, an interesting story, and insight into a very interesting character is what makes John Gardner's spin off the classic Beowulf definitely worth reading. Grendel is a great example of a piece of metafiction, (fiction based on fiction) which follows the previously unexplored character of Grendel, the monster slain by Beowulf in the original classic, from child hood, through his 12 year war with the Danes, all the way too his death by the hands of Beowulf. The entire work is from the perspective of Grendel and begins with Grendel already in the 12th year of his war with the Danes, then flashes back to his childhood and his first encounters with the Danes. Then the work returns to the present and follows Grendel till his death. One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is the development of the character of Grendel throughout the work. In the beginning Grendel is innocent and does not hate the Danes but rather believes they are ignorant and is just confused by what he considers their strange behavior. Over time however Grendel's view of the Danes and the world in general undergo major transformations. After a meeting with a mysterious dragon and being rejected by the Danes, Grendel begins to hate the Danes, despise them for their ignorance, and becomes increasingly nihilistic. At this point in the work Grendel has decided to embrace the role of the villain and begins his raids on the Danes. I thought that the most interesting factor of the book was the relationship between the Danes and Grendel. Which becomes increasingly complicated and intriguing throughout the work. After Grendel has become very nihilistic he becomes very jealous of the Danes as he sees them insert meaning into their lives in various ways from heroism, religion, love, etc...What makes this so interesting is that despite the fact Grendel envies the Danes because they are ignorant and have found ways to insert meaning into their lives, they are the only thing that inserts any meaning into his own, and he realizes this. Although I do believe to fully appreciate the book you have to read Beowulf first, overall I believe Grendel is a great book definitely worth reading that makes you think, possesses an interesting story and that can be read quickly as Gardner does not waste any words.

Grendel is a 'monster', who lives with his mute mother inside of a cave. As Grendel grows and becomes more curious he comes into contact with humans, and begins to watch them from afar. Grendel sees the humans as ignorant and wasteful and begins to torture their villages. Grendel knows that no matter what he will always be the 'monster' to the human race and his only existence in life is to scare the humans.
John Gardner does an excellent job trapping Grendel in the meta-fictional story. The story was interesting and kept me wanting to know what Grendel would do next because he was constantly changing his mind. The writing style that Gardner uses is very different from any of the books that I have read. The way he shows Grendel maturing by the way the grammar changes with each passing chapter. Another thing was the way Gardner combined Beowulf and the more in depth story of Grendel by adding a sort of modern touch to it. I found that that made the book a lot easier to read.

I would recommend reading Beowulf before reading Grendel. It is a very insightful and well-written tale of Grendel and his growth as a part of the human world. As the book progresses you begin to see how Grendel really develops as a character and you get a good understanding of where he's coming from. He can't communicate with his mother, his first encounter with humans is not very pleasant and, the only role in society that he has ever and will ever have is the "monster". Along Grendel's physical and mental developmental path he encounters a Dragon and other characters who help him question what he believes and why. Grendel's need for acceptance by something or someone is obviously apparent throughout the novel. The most striking thing about the whole novel must be the many interpretations that can be taken from each of his encounters, whether it was with humans, other animals, or even his mother. I think one of the best things about a book is when you end it with so many different possible interpretations and more questions. This book is a great insight to a character whose story has aspects that are universal and can be understood and appreciated by all.

Gardner's Grendel was quite a feat. The text is interwoven with various philiosophies and many social overtones. Working within teh boundaries of a previous tale, Garder is able to ponde the if's, and's & but's about the demon. As far as Beowulf is concerned, there is only a hint of Grendel's past. In this book, Grendel is examined further psycologically. The book delves deep into Grendel's thoughts and serves as a chronicle from the sidelines, in his point of view. Grendel examines himself more closely here when he questions his own actions. He ponders why he does the things he does throughout the course of the novel.

The interesting thing about the book is that Gadner's views are also examined throughout the novel. However, Gardener does not waste words in the novel and has a firm understanding of when to stray from the point and when not to. Gardener incorporstes some of this comentary into the background of the characters perfectly and speaks out and queastions certain things almost subliminally.

Overall, the book is excellent becuase it makes you think when reading but at the same time it is intriguing and extremely hard to put down. The book is highly reccomended and must be read along with Beowulf becuase, using the background that Gardner gives,it will help you understand the story of Beowulf further.

John Gardner really does a nice job with Grendel considering Beowulf really limited what he could do with the character. Gardner was able to write a back-story for Grendel quite well. Beowulf portrayed Grendel as a bloodthirsty monster who only wanted to destroy humanity with every raid he orchestrated on Hrothgar's Mead Hall. Gardner does more than that.
Gardner provides the reader who is familiar with Beowulf the story of Grendel from the monster's view. He shows that even though Grendel does become a bloodthirsty monster, that there is more than that. Gardner shows Grendel as an objective viewer of humanity, taking the role of a shaper. Grendel is shown as he grows up from an innocent kid to a monster. At the same time, Grendel sees his opinion of humans change. At first, they amuse him, but eventually he becomes jealous of them, as they have cast him as an outsider. He knows that he will never be like them.
What Gardner is really doing is making a statement about the human race in general. Grendel continuously refers to the humans in Hrothgar's kingdom as arrogant, cocky, wasteful, and savage. But yet, at the same time, Grendel desperately wants to be a part of their world. It is not until the shaper says that the Grendel's of the world are cursed and bound for hell. Grendel at the same time is unsure of his role as he is being lead by the words of the shaper and of the dragon, which both have different philosophies.
Gardner also makes statements about government. In Chapter 8, when Hrothulf has come to live in Hrothgar's mead-hall, he is talking with Red Horse about government. He says that the role of government is to control the masses, and that the masses are blind to the tyranny of the oppressive government. All the government has to do is cater to the greed of the mass and the rest will follow
I believe what Gardner is saying about the human race as a whole is that while they are cocky, boorish, savage, and arrogant, at the same time everyone harbors the basic abilities to love, to feel compassion, and it is what makes us human, But at the core, humans have become content with their position, that they have become just part of the masses, blind to the oppressive governments, and that humans need to stand up for their individual rights and stand up against oppressive government.