I've completed my novel, I, Beowulf, and have embarked of the long march to find a good publishing home for the book. The novel is a first person account of the hero of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem.
However, this is where the similarities end between my book and what your high school English teacher inflicted on you. To start with, the archaic, barely understandable language of the poem is gone. If you want people with swords saying silly things like "forsooth" or "Hark, we must hasten" instead of "for sure" and "let's get the hell out of here," this is not the book for you.
However, if you believe that people a thousand years ago were every bit as intelligent as you or I, then this is a good book for you. Imagine what you'd say if someone talked you about trolls. Well, that's how Beowulf sees it also. And where there is not a single shred of evidence of humor in the original poem, my book fills in the day-to-day laughs and absurdities that are inherent to life.
Even so, my book has Grendel, Hrothgar and all the other characters of the poem. But my book fills in many of the holes in the original text. For instance, where did Beowulf come from, and why did he land of the shores of Hrothgar's kingdom? What was up with Grendel and why did he spend his life tormenting Hrothgar anyway? Didn't Grendel have anything better to do?
Thanks
Alex Keto