Reviewed by annieb123 on
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a classic Arthurian tale, certainly one of the best known of all of them. This facsimile reprint and re-release by Dover of the 1909 edition is due out 22nd June 2021. It's 112 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a readable and accessible translation in prose for readers who are interested in reading it for the story rather than studying the actual middle English alliterative poems in translation (in which case I recommend the Tolkein translation as an accessible alternative). This is a faithful reproduction done to Dover's high standards and is enhanced by line drawn knotwork illustrations and chapter headers and footers. This edition includes the chapter notes and introduction by the translator, Jessie L. Weston. The original text has been reproduced with misspellings and inconsistencies intact for authenticity.
Five stars. Worthwhile. Five perennial stars for Dover, long may they reign. This review is for the reformatted and re-released edition by Dover, not for the story itself (which is also a ripping yarn and scary/creepy/wild in its own right).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 22 June, 2021: Finished reading
- 22 June, 2021: Reviewed