John Gardner Jr.'s Grendel re-presents the story of Beowulf from the point of view of the villain, and this gives readers an entirely new perspective. Let's look at some of the ways Grendel's ideas might influence our reading of the story.

For one thing, this novel gives us Grendel's background. We learn about his exploration as a young monster and how humans tried to kill him when he encountered them for the first time. We learn, too, about his curiosity about the humans and his fascination with the poetry he hears. At the same time, though, Grendel is angered by the poetry and by the growing civilization of the humans. It attracts him and repulses him at the same time, and he realizes that he can never share in it. He has tried to make a treaty with the humans, but they are too scared to let him approach.

You might also discuss Grendel's meeting with the dragon and how that shapes his character. This is yet another piece of background information we do not have in the original poem. The relationship between Grendel and his mother and Grendel's attraction to the queen Wealtheow also give us further insights into the complexity of Grendel, who is for the most part just a monster in the original.

The novel also gives us an extended picture of the conflict between Beowulf and Grendel. Notice how poetry comes up again in this encounter as well as the image of the dragon. Indeed, this story imaginatively deepens the Old English poem, adding several layers of meaning.