Believe me, it's pretty good. t I would suggest you read the novelization of the poem first and then read Gardner's novel, if you haven't read it already, that is. that's what I did all those years ago. But the newer satire really makes a hilarious and thoughtful twist on the source material, and you'd not even get half the story if you didn't know the story of Beowulf first. So whenever you decide to get to it, take them both with some pleasure, it's not disappointing.