Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Penguin Classics)

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Summary: Food for Thought
Review: "Sir Gawain" is one of a number of stories that have come down to us from the Medieval period that one cannot help feeling has a wealth of hidden meaning behind it. The figure of the "Green Man" is a common although wispy character in western mythology, and his face often stares out at us from cathedral walls in Europe. The figure of Khidr in Islamic folklore, supposedly the prophet Enoch and whose very name means "green" in Arabic, makes one wish to find a Middle Eastern connection with this story, as there are in so much Medieval literature, such as Dante and Chaucer.

The story is obviously related to the ancient myths of death and regeneration in Celtic thought as well, and fits in well with the rest of the Arthurian legends. All in all, a bit of an enigma as regards its source, and worth being aware of if you're in to that kind of thing.

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Summary: One of my all-time favorite stories!
Review: Brian Stone did a commendable job with his edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It was very readable and yet has lost none of its original flavor. This story is very rich in symbolism (ie, the Green Knight representing Pagan ideals and fertility), and the story itself is fantastic. I really love the mental image of all of King Arthur's knights being assembled in their stronghold during a cold winter's night for a banquet and then being interrupted by a mysterious guest. A veritable, mounted, green giant of a man issues the challenge for one of the reknowned knights to take the large axe he is carrying and to cut off his head. The story just gets better from there as the reader follows the adventures, trials, and temptations that Sir Gawain undergoes after accepting the Green Knight's challenge on behalf of King Arthur. Whether for study or recreation, I highly recommend this book.

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Summary: Sir Gawain
Review: I had to read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for a 10th grade British Literature Class and I actually enjoyed reading it. This story brought you through the trials Sir Gawain had to endure in his quest. Without knowing it, he was being tested of his chivalry by the Green Knight. He proved to be human and to have weaknesses. He was dishonest and put his own well-being before following the rules of a deal he made with a Lord. He also proved to be cowardly in front of the Green Knight. After i read this book i had to write an open response essay on the weaknesses and then compare them to my own weaknesses and it was intersesting to see the final results. I recommend this story to anyone and everyone!

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Summary: My favorite Gawain
Review: I have read at least four translations of Gawain, including Tolkein's, and the Brian Stone version is my favorite. It is written in understandable English. As another reviewer has pointed out, Stone's version is most like the medieval one in its structure, its use of alliteration, and the rhyme scheme of the bob and wheel. Tolkein, in an appendix to his version, gives a clear and enlightening explanation of the principles of this kind of poetry. Once you've read Tolkein's explanation, your appreciation of the poem will be greatly enhanced. Nowadays, many poets and others turn up their noses at alliteration, but I love it. So the language is one of the things that make the poem such a pleasure to read.

Another thing that makes Gawain a great read is that it is just a darn good story. When a green man riding a green horse and carrying his own green-haired head gallops into Arthur's dining hall, you know there's going to be some drama in this tale. And there is! There's some hunting and killing of animals for the sportsperson and the bloodthirsty. There's romantic temptation, and there's suspense.

One reviewer speculated on possible symbolism in the novel. The search for deeper meanings might interest some readers. For me to "get" a symbol, it has to jump out of the book and bite me on the nose.

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Summary: The Best Modern English Translation of This Masterpiece
Review: I know that the Marie Borroff translation is much praised, but this one is far better for the undergraduate classroom. While both translations share some characteristics (both are in poetry, both try to maintain the alliteration), you need only compare/contrast the "bob and wheel" (last 5 lines of each stanza) to see that Stone has managed to maintain "the sting in the tail" so typical of the original Middle English version--wherein a significant or surprising part of the stanza often appears in the bob and wheel--start with Fitt I, stanzas 4 and 7. Stone also maintains the "alliterative signaling" oral tradition: when possible he tries to alliterate only key words (Boroff seems happy when she can alliterate anything in the line, regardless of its significance to theme or motif!). As a medievalist, I am truly sorry to see so many of my colleagues jumping on the Borroff bandwagon when this superior, alternative translation is so readily available.

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Summary: Burrow's Penguin Classics edition is a solid resource
Review: The Penguin Classics edition of SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT, edited by J.A. Burrow, is fantastic for motivated readers who wish to approach the text as it really is, and delve deep into its symbolism and historical references. Burrow's edition is not a translation into modern English, but a presentation of the original Middle English with enough notes and and a glossary so copious that the reasonably well-educated reader will be able to tackle and even really enjoy this important work.

While it was written at the same time as Chaucer's CANTERBURY TALES, which is difficult but of which the modern reader can usually get the gist, SIR GAWAIN is written in a dialect of rural England which seems more impenetrable nowadays. Under this archaic facade, however, lies a magical tale ostensibly of Arthurian myth, but which is really an adaptation of an older, indigenous legend. The framing of the tale attempts to claim a noble heritage for England from Troy like the Roman poet Vergil had done for Rome with his AENEID.

I was a bit disappointed by the lack of a decent introduction. Barrow provides only a brief explanation of how the text was typeset and minor alterations in spelling, but I would have preferred coverage of the history of the story, the role of Arthurian myth in the popular literature of the writer's region, and a brief mention of the other contents of the manuscript on which the work was found.

If you are a student of English literature, or simply a lover of archaic English texts, the Penguin edition of SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT is a great choice.