Grendel
by John Gardner · first published 1971
89% recommend11% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A short retelling of Beowulf from the monster's point of view, playful and creative in voice. It wrestles with despair versus finding meaning, and suits readers who enjoy myth retold with a fresh perspective.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The first and most terrifying monster in English literature, from the great early epic Beowulf, tells his own side of the story in this frequently banned book. This classic and much lauded retelling of Beowulf follows the monster Grendel as he learns about humans and fights the war at the center of the Anglo Saxon classic epic. This is the book William Gass called "one of the finest of our contemporary fictions."
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…cleverness in language and plot. His model is Anna Karenina, and I think it's people like Pynchon he has in mind for his critique. And he was not just a stodgy critic, but a flowering author himself. His book Grendel is short and fun---the story of Beowulf from the monster's perspective. Sadly he died young in a motorcycle accident, so we didn't get many examples of his approach. Another modern writer that I think…
on “Who the Hell Is This Joyce (1928)” ↗Grendel - John Gardner It is the story of Beowulf, told from the monster's point of view. It underscores the constant internal struggle between nihilistic despair and finding meaning in life (for yourself and…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗Grendel by John Gardner - The epic of Beowulf from the perspective of the monster. A Clockwork Orange - Dystopian novel following a twisted youth named Alex.
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗grendel - john gardner bluebeard - kurt vonnegut
on “Ask HN: Please name two of your most favorite books.” ↗…in general and reading it helped me acknowledge my fear of death and how it affected me. Edit: oh, and since I don't think anyone else has mentioned them yet ... Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, and Grendel by John Gardner. Their impact on me was less specific so harder to explain, but they're great books that get mentioned on HN now and then. Another one that kind of blew my mind is The Infernal Desire…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗I just want to second that this book is great. Ignore any negative inclination you feel because it's called fan fiction. It's fanfiction the way John Gardner's Grendel is Beowulf fanfiction.
on “Day 180: Finished” ↗I always preferred Grendel by John Gardner. But if Zach Snyder directed the original with Ben Affleck as Beo.... oh, hell, I'd hate that.
on “Tolkien was right: Scholars conclude Beowulf likely the work of single author” ↗Grendel by Gardner (so playful and creative), Jane Eyre (a classic with wonderful language and intense story), Sapiens (extraordinarily interesting survey of human history)
on “Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?” ↗Incidentially, I'm reading John Gardner's "Grendel" right now, which my English teacher calls postmodern. Mostly it consists of Grendel ranting about how humanity enrages him and that's why he kills dozens of people. Similar to Perl, when you think…
on “Perl, the first postmodern computer language” ↗