Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Beowulf Parallels

I really enjoyed reading Eaters of the Dead, although I cannot belive how close it is to the Beowulf story. As mentioned above, there are incredible parallels. One not mentioned above is that both Buliwyf and Beowulf's fathers are named Higlac, if I'm not mistaken. And both, I believe, are set in or near Denmark. ("There's something rotten in Denmark", to misquote Shakespeare.) What is the story here? Is this ancient manuscript of Ibn Fadlan real, or is Crichton, (an author whom I greatly admire, BTW,) ripping off the old Beowulf legend, whether consciously or subconsciously? To carry the parallel even further, the hairy, man-like monsters Crichton/Fadlan describes are very similar to how John Gardner described Grendel in the book of the same name (Grendel.) I'm curious and intrigued. Any thoughts? snowfur@earthling.net