Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
By J. R. R. Tolkien
- Release Date: 2021-06-25
- Genre: Poetry
Description
An Apple Books Classic edition.
The author of this epic poem remains a mystery, but the original manuscript dates back to the 14th century. In this translation, J. R. R. Tolkien of Lord of the Rings fame brings this Arthurian tale to life for contemporary readers. (A movie adaptation, starring Dev Patel, has also broadened the story’s audience.)
The story begins as the Knights of the Round Table gather for a Yuletide celebration. The festivities are interrupted when a strange knight—clad in green from head to foot—rides his horse straight into the chamber. The Green Knight challenges Arthur’s knights to slay him—but with a catch. Whoever cuts off the Green Knight’s head must allow him to return the favor in one year. Most members of the Round Table demur, but King Arthur’s nephew, Gawain, accepts the challenge. Moments later, the Green Knight carries away his own severed head, and the story follows young Gawain as he sets out on a fateful adventure full of danger, magic, temptation, and seduction. See for yourself why this ancient poem is considered a timeless classic—with a surprising moral.
Reviews
Medieval Tale
3By RoadkilleatrThe language is somewhat hard to understand. It is an interesting story.Great Book
5By proxygbA nice quick read and way better than the movie.Español latinoamericana
5By Hijo de Dios VigoJairo ChávezNice Tale Of Classic Literature
5By Alexandre777410Short & SweetWelllll.. I was enjoying the story
5By MsphytBut then the version I had from Apple Books cut off at 87%, so I never got to finish the book. Up to that point, I was truly enjoying it and of course it cut out right before the exciting part- agh! Oh well, I’ll need to see if I can find the ending.. so no spoilers here, haha!Old English
3By Joey1493Old English, I didn’t really get everything all that well. But I powered through to the end.This book…
5By InsomniaTheManI don’t know what it is about this book that really captivates me. It probably is the fact that this is one of my favorite books or, maybe it is the fact that before buying it on Apple Books, I have read this book multiple time. Other than that this book is a great book for young readers and is and excellent book for all ages.Fun, slow to resolve
3By ItsjosiyameanIt was a fun story to read. Quick to start and very slow to resolve. I enjoyed the story someAncient Poetry
4By Leinstein42Epic poems have a wall of pretense between them and would be readers, but Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is as approachable as they come. Telling a simple story of chivalry in the face of danger, the joy of Green Knight lies in its poetry (especially when read aloud) it’s context, and it’s readability. Though it won’t blow your socks off, or set you to reading other old texts, it did keep me engaged and guessing as to the tales moral. It’s also fairly short, and unlike some other ancient works, it comes with a lot of the detail and character work we’ve grown accustomed to as modern readers.Importance of Chivalry
4By Dr. Strangelove!This tale stands as a testament to the importance of Christianity and its moral derivatives in Western culture. J.R.R. Tolkien does a great service in translating this text forward to show contemporary audiences the importance of this vaunted, yet much maligned, institution on the evolutionary arc of our society. Chivalry and Christianity produced the values we’d ascribe to our most honored and reputable stewards. Beyond being an anthropology dig site, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight also a pretty interesting tale if you can get beyond some of the archaic language. The old English mysticism definitely feels unique in character.
