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Title: Grendel
Author:
John Gardner
Age level: High School
Recommended by: Gail Lindenberg, Nogales High School, California Summary: A retelling of Beowulf
from the viewpoint of the monster, this novel is appropriate in upper grades for capable readers only. The story line follows Grendel and allows an empathetic view of Grendel as an alien being, spawn of Cain and (seemingly) pushed towards evil by circumstances. Within the text, Gardner explores the philosophical question of how evil flourishes among men. Not for the fainthearted, the novel contains extremely explicit Anglo-Saxon usage of language. My students enjoyed it, laughed in all the right places, and would not read passages out loud to me.
Teaching suggestions: A study of comparison between the Anglo-Saxon epic of Beowulf
and this modern rendition of Grendel would be a good extension of the reading. This book also lends itself well to fish-bowl panel discussion questions. |
