I seem to start off these reviews in a very similar way, but I can't help myself. Grendel is yet another book I've been curious about for years (maybe even close to a decade), but didn't get to reading until now, despite it being considered a classic. 

Grendel's premise is simple; take the mythic poem of Beowulf, but make it take place from Grendel's perspective. What results is an introspective, nihilistic and existentialist take on the oldest villain in English literature. Grendel's character bounces between bouts of depressive episodes and lamenting on one's place within an uncaring universe, but is also injected with a sense of very dark humor. This is all the while keeping in mind the specific eccentricities of the original epic poem, and a clear understanding of it at that. At just over 170 pages, it flies by, and with it being a character study more than anything else, worldbuilding and visuals aren't as much of a concern... making it an even breezier read than it might've been otherwise. 

Perhaps the most interesting thing is that for those familiar with Beowulf, the book's conclusion is an expected inevitability, but the added depth to Grendel as a character makes it explosive and exciting.