Grendel Resources

Here is one amateur's way of coping with the dizzying array of characters, philosophies, and terms that our sad monster throws at us.

In a letter to a teacher and some eager students who sent analytical papers for review, John Gardner reveals his intentions about the role of philosophy and the characters in Grendel.

Grendel as an opera? The opening of this adaptation was plagued by—of all things—the malfunctioning of an enormous wall. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, we guess.

Okay, okay: Beowulf and Grendel is a version of Beowulf and not of Gardner's novel. But we defy you to prove that director Sturla Gunnarsson did not have Gardner's psychological sketch of the monster in his head when creating this film.

Grendel Grendel Grendel is an adaptation of Gardner's novel with Peter Ustinov as the voice of our beloved monster. This animated gem was printed in 1981, just one year before Gardner's death.

So blogger Michael Sporn is actually the first person who got the rights to animate Grendel in the late '70s. He tells the story of how Alex Stitt actually brought the project to completion. Of interest: still images of Grendel Grendel Grendel and a response from Paddy Stitt, Alex's companion.

After this 9+ minute interview with Gardner's latest biographer Barry Silesky, you'll know more than you ever thought you could about Gardner and his art. Tune in to find out about how Gardner managed to alienate every major author of his day, about the tragic incident that motivated him during his life, and about what his ex-wife thought of him. You'll also get to hear him read the passage where Grendel meets the dragon.

We know you're wondering what Grendel would sound like as a well-trained baritone, so you're welcome. These interviews from NPR give you a glimpse into Julie Taymor's operatic "translation" of Gardner's novel. An appealing twist? The monsters sing in Modern English, while the human characters speak Old English. Also, Denyce Graves (as in the glamorous opera diva) plays the dragon.

English progressive group Marillion performs an "epic" song based on Gardner's conception of Grendel. Grab a drink and some chips: this is a long one.

Thanks to the miracle that is YouTube, you can sample the '80s fantasy that is Grendel Grendel Grendel. It even comes complete with a melodramatic '80s female soloist in the opening credits.

A short presentation about Gardner as a teacher, featuring the two people who are most qualified to speak well of him: his son and daughter.

This NPR report on Barry Silesky's biography of Gardner includes snippets of interviews with Gardner and—the best part—the author reading Grendel's first meeting with the dragon.

An interview with Eric Owens, voice of Grendel in Julie Taymor's operatic production of Gardner's novel.

Robbie Lawrence is a professional artist in L.A. who uses deviantArt's digital gallery space to display her work. Take a look at her dark renditions of Grendel, his mother, and the dragon.

This one may be a simple publicity poster for the 1981 animated version of Gardner's classic, but the punch lines are murder ("He'll break your heart... and maybe your bones"). Not to be believed until seen.

Filmwalrus gives a lovely, snarky review of the animated film, but offers a nice array of still shots so we can really see what this intriguing adaptation looks like.