Sir Gawain & the Green Knight is a classic Arthurian tale of enchantment, adventure and romance. This splendid new translation - by one of the world's leading poets - has already been acclaimed in America. The original poem and W.S. Merwin's modern version are comparable in stature and imaginative power to another medieval epic, Beowulf, in Seamus Heaney's rendering. All Camelot is merry with Christmas revelry when an enormous green-skinned knight with brilliant green clothes rides into King Arthur's court. This giant ...
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Sir Gawain & the Green Knight is a classic Arthurian tale of enchantment, adventure and romance. This splendid new translation - by one of the world's leading poets - has already been acclaimed in America. The original poem and W.S. Merwin's modern version are comparable in stature and imaginative power to another medieval epic, Beowulf, in Seamus Heaney's rendering. All Camelot is merry with Christmas revelry when an enormous green-skinned knight with brilliant green clothes rides into King Arthur's court. This giant throws down a sinister challenge: he will endure a blow of the axe to his neck without offering any resistance, but whoever delivers the fatal blade must promise to take the same in a year and a day. When the young Gawain beheads him, the Green Knight grabs hold of his severed head and makes off on horseback. The poem follows Gawain's adventures thereafter - shockingly brutal hunts, an almost impossible seduction, and terrifyingly powerful adversaries - as he gallantly struggles to honour his promise. Capturing the pace, impact and richly alliterative language of the original Middle English text - presented on facing pages - Merwin brings a new immediacy to a spellbinding, timeless narrative written many centuries ago by a master poet whose identity has been lost to time. Modern and Middle English parallel text edition.
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Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 208 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 208 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
One of Merwin's best translations (unlike his Purgatorio), the tale, while deeply symbolic, stands up as a story full of surprises and suspense, together with some wonderful descriptions of the moment that draw you right in there. I find contemporaries such as Chaucer or the earlier Beowulf hard going, but this was a happy read, which I shall enjoy reading again one day.