Title: Grendel Author: John Gardner Published: New York: Vintage Books, 1989 I’m back.  For the last three hours I have been Grendel.  Caught up in the story by John Gardner.  From its opening page it held me spellbound.  My heart is racing.  I am caught up in the story.  I close the book, lean back in my recliner and take a deep breath.  Slowly my breathing returns to normal.  I hear the clock ticking on the wall.  The sounds of birds outside.  The faraway sound of highway traffic.  Reality returns to me.  Gardner weaves a spellbinding story of the creature Grendel from the story of Beowulf.  From the first page I was hooked.  The many anachronisms just seemed to naturally fit and become part of a mystical weave that Gardner created.  It is a philosophical work, one that is sure to bring questions.  I wrestled with Grendel as he struggled to understand and give a meaning to his life.  He covers a wide scope of Western philosophy over the ages.  I feel it would be a good conversation starter for a class of students.  Let them all read it and discuss what they identified with, what they struggled with, and…