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This book is Beowulf told from the monster's point of view. It has a cranky, foul-mouthed dragon in it, which made me happy...but happy is not how I'd describe my feelings for most of it. This is evil told from Evil's point of view. Lots of torture, heads being bitten off, one bloodbath after another. I'm not squeamish but the gore got to me a few times. Grendel was banned, which I am very strongly against, but I don't know that I'd have been able to handle it in high school. On the other hand,
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The epic story of Beowulf had always been told from the human side, the side of good. This is the story of the monster, Grendel, in his own words. He remembers his first discovery of men, his fear of their numbers and recognition that they could communicate with each other which created a jealousy in him, as he could also speak but had only a dull-witted mother for companionship. Grendel relays how the dragon put a charm on him so the humans couldn't kill him, how he spent years watching and lis
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To say this is a book about misunderstanding based on presuppositions is an understatement. Through the retelling of what precedes his encounter with Beowulf, Grendel explores what it means to live a meaningful life in a meaningless planet, questions the existence of God, and debates the purpose and power of poetry. Of course, there is a lot to be said for what is "good" and what is "evil." Ultimately, though, I am not sure you can read this and walk away without sharing a nihilistic view on lif
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I'm not much on mythology and this did nothing to change my mind. Probably because I don't have the background to understand it well.
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Dec 15, 2016
Deedee
marked it as to-read
Lexile 920L
IL: UG - BL: 5.9 - AR Pts: 6.0
IL: UG - BL: 5.9 - AR Pts: 6.0
Sep 08, 2008
Suzanne
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Ksmom
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Nov 18, 2008
Jessica
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May 23, 2018
Idit
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Jan 26, 2020
Celeste
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Jun 21, 2020
Kathy Jo
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Oct 12, 2021
Ann
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Grace
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Jul 17, 2025
Kevin
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