posted on 05 Feb 2020

Monster Slayer by Brian Patten, illustrated by Chris Riddell

What a treat! Those cunning folk at Barrington Stoke have brought together two titans of the book world to retell, in an accessible way for reluctant readers of all kinds, the classic tale of the great warrior Beowulf.

Liverpool-born poet, Brian Patten is one of my literary heroes and his fantastic way with words makes his breathless retelling of the slaying of the monster Grendel, and his even more monstrous mother, a roller-coaster ride of excitement.

For younger readers unfamiliar with the Anglo-Saxon classic and who might be intimidated by the archaic context, Patten’s version throws open the doors on the text, turning it into something that wouldn’t be out-of-place as a superhero adventure. As the monster Grendel wakes from his slumbers to seek out and eat the human species he loathes so much, the world looks for a human champion who can rid them of this curse. Step forward Beowulf with his extraordinary bravery and his almost super-human strength of body and mind.

As they battle each other to the end, Beowulf emerges as the victor only to find he faces an even more daunting foe as Grendel’s elemental mother comes seeking revenge for the killing of her child. Will Beowulf find a way to overcome this terrible creature and how will he manage it?

Hopefully, when breathless young readers get to the end of this story they will be inspired to go on and try reading some other, longer versions and get drawn into the magic of the age-old myth.

And as if the story itself wasn’t enough to keep the pages turning, we have the delights of Chris Riddell’s unmistakable illustrations. Is there anyone in book illustration world capable of visualising a monster better than Chris Riddell? I don’t think so. His huge, dank, dripping monster with the face of a very badly beaten side-show bare-fist boxer is a perfect visualisation – just think of what it would like like if Tolkien’s orcs had uglier big brothers! And as for Grendel’s mother – well try and imagine that someone very evil had redesigned Dr Seuss’ Grinch and given him a lust for human blood…..

It’s a great little book, beautifully designed and an absolute pleasure to read time and time again.

 

Terry Potter

February 2020