Product Description

This edition of great classic of Middle English romances gives the original text side by side with a modern translation, which aims to offer some of the brilliant surface texture of the original poem. Also supplied are revised/updated introduction and notes for A-level students and undergraduates.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34252 in Books
• Published on: 1998-11-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Customer Reviews

Magical and human
Middle English is a diverse collection of different dialects and styles, when it comes to literature. At the same time that Chaucer was writing in the southeast of England, with good command of French and Italian poetic sensibilities, there was a strong tradition in the north and west country of alliterative poetry, the kind that owed as much to the Old English forms of verse and use of language as to the new influences post-Norman Conquest-wise. Among the products of this time and place, the anonymously composed 'Sir Gawain and Green Knight' is one of the most outstanding.

This poem has all the hallmarks of being a work of many influences - it has the heroic aspects that one might expect from Old English epics such as Beowulf; it has a decided romantic streak reminiscent of French and Norman influences; it has virtue and church/Christian overlaying influences that come from Latin and ecclesial sources; it has magical and mystical ideas that are most likely Celtic in origin. Perhaps more like a tapestry, the various strands of influence are woven together into a glorious pattern that stands as a towerig achievement of the synthesis of language that Middle English achieved between its Germanic and Latinate streams.

Gawain's story is a very popular one. The most virtuous of the Round Table knights, his bravery and his resourcefulness at seeking the Green Knight, the annual challenger at the court of Arthur, is legendary. Gawain's small fault (and indeed, Gawain was portrayed as a virtuous human, but human nonetheless) warrants a very small penalty, but he is deemed upon reporting back to Camelot that he has brought honour upon the whole fellowship of knights. There is something magical about the Green Knight, however, and this can be seen as metaphor for the way in which temptation seems to have a magical power over humanity.

Do note: This is a review of the Penguin Classics 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' as edited and translated by Brian Stone, who also produced the Penguin Classics 'Medieval English Verse'. It has a wonderful introduction, as well as a series of essays following the translation of the poem. These essays include topics such as the significance of the Green Knight, the moral nature of Gawain, the way in which the poem can be and has been used as a play, Arthurian images, and speculation about the poet himself. There are also extracts from the original alliterative verses with the middle gaps.

There are also two bibliographies, one of texts mentioned in this book, and another for suggested readings for students. These are a bit dated now, as the latest impression of the book comes from the early 1980s, and none of the items on the list dates past the mid-1960s. There is also an extensive section of translation notes.

A brilliant translation, full of life
Anyone who thinks reading medieval texts (in translation) is daunting, should dip into this book.
Brian Stone has translated 'Sir Gawain' brilliantly, keeping the alliteration of the original, but also keeping (or making?) the text accessible. The result is a poem that is vibrant and enthralling - the descriptions fascinating and detailed (for example the description of the lady on the third day or of the hunters taking apart the deer).
The story is set in King Arthur's time. One Christmas a green knight challenges the knights of the round table to a beheading game. Sir Gawain takes up the challenge and lops the green knight's head off. Nonplussed the knight rides away and Gawain must come to him in a year's time to bear the green knight's blow. Certain death, surely.
On his travels to find the green knight, Sir Gawain finds a castle where he is welcome by the castellan and invited to play a game. Both men will exchange their findings of the day. The lord goes out hunting, while back home his wife tries to seduce Sir Gawain. Of course, there is more to this game of hunting and seduction than meets the eye.
Can Gawain remain triumphant?
The book is complemented by a few essays on the topic of the book, which are mildly helpful and also contains a few excerpts from the original Old English, which I found very interesting, if only for the flavour.
This is a book I cherish and return to time and again (It's not long either).

Definitely worth a read
Having had an english teacher obsessed with medieval literature we all thought we would be forced to plough through Chaucer in old english. We were pleasantly surprised when we were handed a copy of this book. Four years later its still a staple of my holiday reading and has a permanent place on my bookshelf.
The language is beautiful, I enjoy reading passages out loud and the story is a rival to the other Arthurian romances, with a decidedly more sexy damsel and a very very bizarre husband!. I would throroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys interesting tales and beautiful resonant language