THE TALE OF SIR GAWAIN

by Neil Philip, Charles Keeping (Illustrator)

Sir Gawain, King Arthur's nephew, lies feverish and wounded in his tent outside the French Castle of Sir Lancelot. The Round Table has collapsed into warring factions. Arthur and Gawain are besieging the man who used to be their closest friend, Lancelot. As his anxious brain circles around this terrible truth, Sir Gawain tells his young squire the story of the rise and fall of the 'fairest fellowship of noble knights that ever served a Christian king', as seen through his own eyes. He tells of Arthur's boyhood, and what happened when the young king drew the magic sword from the stone and claimed his kingdom; of his own adventure with the supernatural Green Knight; of the search for the Holy Grail; and the rivalries and jealousies that splintered the fellowship and set friend against friend. It is rare to find the Arthurian legends retold in one consecutive story. Neil Philip, with the help of the atmospheric line drawings of Charles Keeping, has presented a thrilling tale that works towards a dramatic climax.

Genres: Fantasy

104 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Neil Philip is a writer, folklorist and poet. He is married to the artist Emma Bradford, and lives in the Cotswolds, England. Neil loves words, poetry, and the art of storytelling in all its forms. Among his many books are A Fine Anger, Victorian Village Life, The Cinderella Story, The Penguin Book of English Folktales, Mythology (with Philip Wilkinson), The Great Mystery, War and the Pity of War, The New Oxford Book of Childrens Verse, The Tale of Sir Gawain, Horse Hooves & Chicken Feet, and The Adventures of Odysseus. Neil has contributed to numerous journals, including The Times, and Signal: Approaches to Childrens Books, and has also written for stage, screen, and radio. His work has won numerous awards and honours, including the Aesop Award of the American Folklore Society and the Literary Criticism Book Award of the Childrens Literature Association. Outside of the storied world, Neil is passionate about cats, art, music, France, food & wine, and friendship.

Reviews

[Sean Keogh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I never thought about the idea that Christians would have myths. I thought that all stories of Christianity lived in the bible. The American Myths like Paul Bunyan and such don't tend to be terribly religious (at least not that I remember from my second grade English class). However, G-d plays an important role in the Gawain story in the same way that Zeus does in the Odyssey or Anu in Gilgamesh. Gawain's quest is a test of his belief. There were plenty of Campbell elements in this story including a text book example of the Temptress. Through this temptress, we learn about the value that Knights of the Round Table placed on restraint and perhaps on faith. I was entertained for much of this 2500 line poem. Though hunting scenes always bore me and there were plenty in the third section. Overall, I'd say that anyone who was looking to expand their knowledge of classic stories should read the book. It is quick, cute, and interesting.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sadly out of print and now, perhaps, overshadowed by more recent collaboration between Morpurgo and Foreman (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). Yet stylistically and with regards to research, Philip's is easily superior. Accompanied by Keeping's astonishing ink-illustrations, Philip tells the story of the rise and fall of Camelot from the perspective of a dying Gawain who his sharing his life with a 'boy' who is comforting him.

Through Gawain's eyes were a presented with an 'insider's' perspective of Arthur's rise, Gawain's own stories through to Arthur's demise culminating in that final painful conflict between Lancelot and his king's court. There is tragedy here alongside bravery and Gawain makes for a perfect voice in capturing the hopes and dreams of a new dawn as well as its impossibility. A triumph.

[MaggiCat Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arthurian legends as told by Gawain. The writing is for mature children, I’d say 12+, and the illustrations are beautifully horrific.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy a bit of Arthurian legend. This is beautifully told.

[Nick Swarbrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ England is made over to the raven and the wolf.” An ending without (much) hope to the glory of the high Arthurian drama, seen - and this is what gives it a piquant way of appreciating the story - through the quests and loyalties of Gawain. The Green Knight is here, of course, terrifyingly drawn by Charles Keeping, but so are Gawain’s family ties and the tragedy of Lancelot.
I’ve marked this as a “spoiler alert” because of how all the short episodes that Gawain narrates gather to a fragmented and wholly convincing vision of the death of Arthur and Gawain and the rest, the cataclysmic ending of the mythic Golden Age.
A must-read interpretation.

[Brionadh Hassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant retelling with modern sensibilities but faithful to the subject matter. A great text for students.

[Brentt Russel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, and immersive read, yet somewhat lacking.