82 pages • 2 hours read
John GardnerA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
In John Gardner’s Grendel, the monster Grendel recounts his life and encounters with humans in a nonlinear narrative, revealing his existential angst and philosophical reflections. Raised in a cave by his non-verbal mother, Grendel discovers his terrifying nature and begins terrorizing Hrothgar’s kingdom. Dialogue with a dragon deepens his existential crisis, leading him to question the meaning of life and his role in it.
Grendel by John Gardner transforms the Beowulf story, providing a philosophical and introspective look into the monster Grendel’s psyche. Praised for its lyrical prose and existential themes, some readers find its philosophical nature dense. While appreciated for its unique perspective, others feel the narrative can be slow. Engaging for those interested in literary retellings.
Readers who relish philosophical introspection and dark, contemporary takes on classic tales will enjoy John Gardner's Grendel. Similar to fans of Albert Camus' The Stranger and Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, they will appreciate the novel's existential themes and anti-heroic perspective.
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Lexile Level
860LFantasy
Mythology
Education
Post Modernism
Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Values/Ideas: Beauty
Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Education