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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

With Pearl and Sir Orfeo
3.98 goodreads logo

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( 15,072 ratings, 1,080 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a classic Middle English chivalric romance that follows Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table, as he embarks on a quest to honour a mysterious challenge posed by the enigmatic Green Knight. The story explores themes of honour, bravery, and the nature of knighthood while Gawain confronts tests of character and encounters magical elements in his journey. Set against a backdrop of medieval romance, this tale intricately weaves together courtly love, adventure, and moral exploration.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you have a passion for medieval literature and intriguing tales of chivalry and adventure. The story provides a rich tapestry of Arthurian legend, combining a mysterious quest with deep themes of honour, bravery, and the testing of moral character. It's perfect for those fascinated by rich symbolism and poetic form.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

This smart new paperback edition contains the fully-reset text of three medieval English poems, translated by Tolkien for the modern-day reader and containing romance, tragedy, love, sex and honour. It features a beautifully decorated text and includes as a bonus the complete version of Tolkien’s acclaimed lecture on Sir Gawain.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

This smart new paperback edition contains the fully-reset text of three medieval English poems, translated by Tolkien for the modern-day reader and containing romance, tragedy, love, sex, and honour. It features a beautifully decorated text and includes as a bonus the complete version of Tolkien’s acclaimed lecture on Sir Gawain.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Pearl are two poems by an unknown author written in about 1400. Sir Gawain is a romance, a fairy-tale for adults, full of life and colour; but it is also much more than this, being at the same time a powerful moral tale which examines religious and social values.

Pearl is apparently an elegy on the death of a child, a poem pervaded with a sense of great personal loss; but, like Gawain, it is also a sophisticated and moving debate on much less tangible matters.

Sir Orfeo is a slighter romance, belonging to an earlier and different tradition. It was a special favourite of Tolkien’s.

The three translations represent the complete rhyme and alliterative schemes of the originals and are uniquely accompanied by the complete text of Tolkien’s acclaimed 1953 W.P. Ker Memorial Lecture that he delivered on Sir Gawain.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is praised for its vivid depiction of themes like love, honour, and magic, with Tolkien's rendition being lauded for bringing the tale to life. The introduction is also highlighted as a "little masterpiece," adding depth to this classic narrative poem.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008433932

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 April 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: HarperCollins

Contributors:

  • Edited by Christopher Tolkien
  • Translated by J. R. R. Tolkien

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 256

About the Author

J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 60 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide. Christopher Tolkien, born on 21 November 1924, is the third son of J.R.R. Tolkien. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm as a pilot. At the end of the war he returned to Oxford University and became a Fellow and Tutor in English of New College in 1964, lecturing in the University on early English and northern literature. Appointed by J.R.R. Tolkien to be his literary executor, he has devoted himself since his father's death in 1973 to the editing and publication of unpublished writings, notably The Silmarillion and Beowulf, and the collections entitled Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth. Since 1975 he has lived in France with his wife Baillie.

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