Grendel

By: John Gardner

Narrated by: George Guidall

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.

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 is the novel William Gass called “one of the finest of our contemporary fictions.”

“An extraordinary achievement.”—New York Times

©1971 John Gardner (P)1997 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"George Guidall masterfully impersonates the grumbling momma's boy with deliciously sly humor and mock-tragic grandeur. Without ever striking a false note, he maintains throughout such a perfect balance of crudity and poetry that we laugh, cringe and weep all at once." ( AudioFile)

Great story

It was nice to hear Grendel's side of the story, he is not all what you think he is. I recommend this book to everyone.

A great novel brought to life

I loved this book when I first read it many years ago, and it has been delightful to have George Guidall bring it thrillingly to life.

classic in it's own way

as you can see I've been on a bit of a Beowulf stint and always enjoyed this one from way back. Gardner is a fine writer who worked a lot with mythic/classic stories and elements and there is more depth regarding his structure and philosophical ponderings than I certainly realized at first. I like much of what he attempted here, though I have not yet sorted it all out regarding the zodiacal significance and all his philosophical elements and I plan to keep studying it.

I do think that from a "purist" angle some of the language is anachronistically modern and takes you out of the story and time period, but on the other hand he is experimenting with an existentialist monster so I have to let it go.

there is some very nice writing and imagery and I would like to see the film made of this to see what they did.

I don't mind Guidall though I do try to avoid him & I am a little prejudiced toward his readings partially due to running across him so often with Recorded Books years ago; it is hard to not pick up on verbal quirks thru saturated exposure. Though this is before he got too heavily into some irritating habits. When he gets too heavily into the whispery, drawn out, overly dramatic ending to every sentence I cringe; I can not tolerate his Frankenstein reading. Rudnicki has some similar quirks.

Pure delight

Despite bottomless nihilism, Grendel's reflections are challenging, earnest & hysterical. Gardener's prose captures & bedazzles Grendel's observer's torment frustration speaks to human presumptuousness--esp our dogged clinging to alleged beliefs & principles. Grendel despises our reinvention of truth thru the ages via poetry, narrative & song -- in his view, little more than illusion -- in shaping fictive histories, destinies that justify our desires & meet our longing for greater purpose & meaning.

Great narration drives this book

John Gardner delivers some incredibly high brow dialogue throughout this anti-hero epic while his characters struggle with defining themselves against one other and the perpetual forward moving life they all share. The narration sells this plot.