About this title: Composed during the fourteenth century in the English Midlands, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" describes the events that follow when a mysterious green-coloured knight rides into King Arthur's Camelot in deep mid-winter. The mighty knight presents a challenge to the court: he will allow himself to be struck by one blow, on the condition that he will be allowed to return the strike on the following New Year's Eve. Sir Gawain takes up the challenge, decapitating the stranger - only to see the Green Knight seize up his own severed head and ride away, leaving Gawain to seek him out and honour ...
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Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date Published: 2007-04-24
ISBN-13:9780140424539ISBN:0140424539
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780140424539. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: PENGUIN BOOKS LTD Country = UNITED KINGDOM
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780140424539ISBN:0140424539
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 128 pages. (128 pages) composed during the fourteenth century in the english midlands, this work describes the events that follow when a mysterious green-coloured knight rides into king arthur's camelot in deep mid-winter. blending celtic myth and christian faith, it is among the middle english poems: a tale of magic, chivalry and seduction. (Paperback) read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date Published: 2007-04-24
ISBN-13:9780140424539ISBN:0140424539
Description: Very Good. Very Nice book with minimal wear. Nice cover, clean pages, tight binding. 100% Satisfaction before, during and after the sale. read more
Description: Good. Used-Good. May contain highlighting/underlining/notes/etc. May have used stickers on cover. Ships same or next day. Expedited shipping takes 2-3 business days; standard shipping takes 4-14 business days. read more
Description: New. New one bent corner via shipping. Ships same or next day. Expedited shipping takes 2-3 business days; standard shipping takes 4-14 business days. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780140424539ISBN:0140424539
Description: One of the greatest works of the Middle Ages, in a marvelous new verse translation Composed in the fourteenth century, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is as beloved as it is venerable, combining the hallmarks of medieval romanceapageantry, chivalr... read more
"What is there to say? It's a classic poem that is also more than a bit boring. It doesn't help that we mostly know of it, even second or thirdhand, generally having had it summarized for us in schoolbooks. This particular translation by W.S. Merwin has the original side by side which is sort of interesting to see how much you can glean from the archaic language partially reminiscent of English, but also a little sad when you can see the death of the rhythm and alliteration and assonance. To which I would say the translation is decent. It is faithful more to content than rhythm, which I suppose is fine, if a little disapointing."
"I was drawn to this book from the first sentence on its back cover: "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the masterpiece of medieval alliterative poetry." Alliterative poetry? Yes! Each line of the poem contains at least three repetitions of a given consonant sound (or some collection of vowels). It's rather catchy and clever, especially considering that this is a translation from the impenetrable original (excerpts of which are included as a fascinating appendix).
The story of Sir Gawain was a new one to me: his honor-bound quest, his temptation at the hands of Sir Bertilak's wife, his not-quite-triumph. One thing that comes through clearly is that the concept of marriage seems to have changed significantly in the intervening years. :) Gawain was tempted and teased, but never seemed annoyed or put off by this, just put up with it and even engaged in a certain amount of flirting as if it were expected of him. Truly a different world!
The graphic descriptions of how one dresses a kill (deer, boar, or fox) were unexpected and rather unsettling, but according to this translator, factually accurate (gee, thanks!).
Overall, the language is quite captivating. I can see why Tolkien was drawn to this work, too. I'd like to compare his translation someday as well!"
"I've been attracted to this poem for years and years, but somehow have never read it. The title itself attracted me - the name Gawain and the idea of a Green Knight evoked plenty of mental imagery - greenery and silver clashings. I also like the way Tolkien's name looks and sounds (evocative of tangled teeming forests clearly delineated) so I dipped into his version a while ago, but it seemed stiff and wooden, even opaque, or something, so I didn't pursue it. Then along came this version, translated by a fairly young English poet, Simon Armitage, with a back blurb by John Ashbery (a favorite poem of mine), so I gave it a whirl.
All of these old books should be translated by young poets. What freshness! What verve and bounce! I cantered right through this like a glossy horse over tight green turf. This is a remarkable poem, with its literary sophistication tempered by rustic intemperence, with striking imagery, bejeweled descriptions of gracile angelic maidens and boar hunting gore, mysterious castles and the Woodwose (or Wodwo) the Wildman of the Woods. I'm sure many scholars have taken issue with Armitage's obvious strayings from literal translation, but who cares! The point is to keep this old texts alive, and Armitage does that in sprightly spades. Instead of dead paper this book should've been printed on live leaves.
It's a fairly simple and well-known story, so I won't go into its details, but I must mention the overall chaste (yet pan-sexual) sexiness of it. Gawain is one of the great androgynous heroes in literature, but then the Middle Ages were filled with the likes of him - dandies with blood-smeared swords, lithe curvy athletes in bright armor - and his mild, ambiguous undoing in the poem is his acceptance of a green silk girdle proffered to him by a temptress. The author momentarily lingers over his description of this silk garment worn beneath his shining armor, emphasizing the muscled curves. The girdle will protect him from harm; the harm being his accepting as part of a deal to be beheaded by the Green Knight (the Green Knight allowed Gawain to behead him at the beginning, before trotting off with his green head under his green arm). Mutual beheading? Green silken undergarment and a sword? There is some dense pan-sexual coding in that scene. But the sword merely knicks Gawain's extended neck, and he's allowed to return to Camelot lightly shamed, with a fast fading scar."
"My 16yo son received this book for Christmas from his uncle. One of the recommendations on the back cover described this translation as "luscious." I wanted to read it to see if it was luscious language or luscious flirtation or more. It's the former.
I very much enjoyed reading this. Poetry is hard to translate; either exact word for word translating or the rhyme and meter must be sacrificed. Armitage choose to keep the strong alliteration.
This edition has a strong introduction, a note on Middle English meter, and information on the Gawain poet. I found all that fascinating for either my English lit class missed this entirely or I was asleep during that unit. Trying to read the Middle English version was a fun challenge, but I definitely needed the translation on the facing page.
I'm wanting now to read Tolkien's translation; I hear it has a glossary!
Oh, and bravo to Sir Gawain for passing this moral test!"
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