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"Under the harsh tutelage of a father with no sense of mercy or human weakness, young Beowulf has grown to be a strong and skillful leader of men. But shame and guilt defeat him when a disastrous, ill-conceived raid leaves his closest comrades dead - marking Beowulf as a coward in his own mind, unworthy of life, praise, or the noble trappings of victory." "Only a chance encounter with a reclusive Irish priest can convince the tormented warrior of the need to endure - propelling Beowulf toward ever greater perils and more terrifying enemies, as he attempts in vain to throw away a life he holds at no value...and builds a reputation as a fearless and indomitable champion in the process."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved… (more)
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Godwin has kept the more fantastic of the saga's images while explaining them to readers who may be unfamiliar with Norse mythology. Grendel and his mother are tormented immortals, trapped in grotesque bodies, and with abominable appetites for living flesh. They yearn for beauty, love, and warmth, and are condemned to live without any of these comforts except the little they can offer each other. Grendel's attacks on Heorot are set in the context of a disputed inheritance, and his mother's grief at the loss of her only solace in the world lead to her final confrontation with Beowulf.
But Godwin does more than just reclothe the poem in the trappings of modern language. He leads the reader into the minds and hearts of the characters, from Beowulf himself, fighting always to prove himself the brave warrior his father never believed him to be; to Grendel, yearning for acceptance from both gods and men.
Not my cup of tea, I'll admit, but a good piece of writing for those who prefer fantasy to hard science fiction. Godwin is particularly skilled at making the complex motivations of his characters understandable.