Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (A New Verse Translation)” as Want to Read:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (A New Verse Translation)
by
"Compulsively readable. ... Simon Armitage has given us an energetic, free-flowing, high-spirited version."—Edward Hirsch, New York Times Book Review, front-page review
Already a classic of modern translation, this fresh, vibrant work by dynamic British poet Simon Armitage updates the late fourteenth-century poem for a new generation. The story of Sir Gawain and the Green K ...moreGet A Copy
Kindle Edition, 208 pages
Published
November 17th 2008
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 1397)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (A New Verse Translation)

I didn't know where to post this so I think this is a good place!
It remains me of my Literature professor, in a good way of course! :)
...more
It remains me of my Literature professor, in a good way of course! :)


Contains the greatest "OH FUCK" moment in medieval literature!
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - listed here as written by Unknown, though I believe it may have been penned by that prolific Greek author Anonymous - is a classic tale from Arthurian legend in which the code of honor attributed to chivalry is heavily ensconced.
There are many interpretations of the poem's meaning, and historically speaking it's often dependent on the reader's bias. For instance, Christians latched on to the sex aspe ...more
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - listed here as written by Unknown, though I believe it may have been penned by that prolific Greek author Anonymous - is a classic tale from Arthurian legend in which the code of honor attributed to chivalry is heavily ensconced.
There are many interpretations of the poem's meaning, and historically speaking it's often dependent on the reader's bias. For instance, Christians latched on to the sex aspe ...more

Enchanting translation that made me love words again. The cadence and rhythm Armitage employed gave life to the modern English rather than direct translation. The Introduction laid out precisely what he would do and why he made the choice he did--to preserve the beauty of the poetry, both the alliterative Anglo-Saxon and the breakout stanzas of continental rhyming.
And I fell in love with language again. I found myself speaking aloud or mouthing them to feel the words tumbling out. For that joy, ...more
And I fell in love with language again. I found myself speaking aloud or mouthing them to feel the words tumbling out. For that joy, ...more

The season if not of mellow fruitfulness than of frost and fog brings this back to me with the childhood memory of going to school in a proper pea souper, every familiar landmark lost, only the tarmac footpath remained solid beneath my childish feet, occasionally a hut would burst out of the milkiness to demonstrate that I was making progress. My little quest however did not take a year and a day, as all self respecting quests must.
Alas the language is beyond me, I am comfortable with Chaucer (t ...more
Alas the language is beyond me, I am comfortable with Chaucer (t ...more

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Unknown, Burton Raffel (Translator), Neil D. Isaacs (Afterword)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, edited with an introduction by A. C. Cawley, London: J.M. Dent AND Son, 1962 = 1341. Pages: 16, 150, xxv
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century Middle English chivalric romance. It is one of the best known Arthurian stories, with its plot combining two types of folk motifs, the beheading game and the exchange of winnings.
Written in sta ...more
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, edited with an introduction by A. C. Cawley, London: J.M. Dent AND Son, 1962 = 1341. Pages: 16, 150, xxv
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century Middle English chivalric romance. It is one of the best known Arthurian stories, with its plot combining two types of folk motifs, the beheading game and the exchange of winnings.
Written in sta ...more

Simon Armitage translation (Faber & Faber / Norton), and the Oxford edition's notes
I'd half forgotten about Gawain and the Green Knight - and I'd definitely forgotten it was set over Christmas and New Year, until I heard this mid-December episode of In Our Time. As I thought during the programme how bored I now was of Simon Armitage - he's become a very regular fixture on BBC arts shows in the last few years - I didn't expect to end up reading his translation of Gawain. But I looked at a couple ...more
I'd half forgotten about Gawain and the Green Knight - and I'd definitely forgotten it was set over Christmas and New Year, until I heard this mid-December episode of In Our Time. As I thought during the programme how bored I now was of Simon Armitage - he's become a very regular fixture on BBC arts shows in the last few years - I didn't expect to end up reading his translation of Gawain. But I looked at a couple ...more

One thing I wasn't expecting in this was such beautifully clear descriptions of landscapes. Perspectives on the bleak winterscapes undulate, moving from terrifying cold to almost beautiful mists. It's really *Sublime*.
One of my favourite lines:
"So the year passes on through its series of yesterdays". ...more
One of my favourite lines:
"So the year passes on through its series of yesterdays". ...more

Rating: 5* of five
This is the book to get your poetry-resistant friend this #Booksgiving 2017. I read it on a dare. I don't like poetry very much, it's so snooty and at the same time so pit-sniffingly self-absorbed that I'd far rather stab my hands with a fork repeatedly than be condescended to in rhyming couplets.
This tale is fabulous in every sense of the word, which is no surprise since it's survived for so many centuries. But poet and translator Simon Armitage has made the old world new agai ...more
This is the book to get your poetry-resistant friend this #Booksgiving 2017. I read it on a dare. I don't like poetry very much, it's so snooty and at the same time so pit-sniffingly self-absorbed that I'd far rather stab my hands with a fork repeatedly than be condescended to in rhyming couplets.
This tale is fabulous in every sense of the word, which is no surprise since it's survived for so many centuries. But poet and translator Simon Armitage has made the old world new agai ...more

One of the best of the 'classic' Arthurian tales. Gawain is presented a bit differently here from many of the other ones. Usually he's a bit of a braggart and kind of a jerk, especially to women, but here he is presented as the perfect exemplar of courtoisie. He's also a bit young and still untried, so maybe that explains it for those who want to be able to have a grand unified theory of Arthuriana.
Anyway, you probably all know the story: Arthur is about to have a New Year's feast, but accordin ...more
Anyway, you probably all know the story: Arthur is about to have a New Year's feast, but accordin ...more

Aug 12, 2012
ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos)(RK)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
poetry
I first read this in 1975. I've read it several times since. The translation (Marie Borroff) is good. I am entirely taken in by the parallel structures in the story. Sir Gawain comes off as a wonderfully human character in a type of literature not known for well developed characters.
...more

An enjoyable translation:
Yes, he dozes in a daze, dreams and mutters...more
like a mournful man with his mind on dark matters-
how destiny might deal him a death-blow on the day
when he grapples with the giant in the green chapel;
of how the strike of the axe must be suffered without struggle.
But sensing her presence there he surfaces from sleep,
drags himself out of his dreams to address her.
Laughing warmly she walks towards him
and finds his face with the friendliest kiss.
In a worthy style he welcomes t

Oct 14, 2017
Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
I actually can't believe how much I loved this! I was looking forward to it, but something about it just enchanted me entirely.
...more

I gave this three stars because it whetted my sapiosexuality for (view spoiler) , because seriously, if you hate women, there's only three things you can do to tide me over with your writing: not write about them, be glorious at everything else, or include a female character who for all your fancy rhythms obviously scares the living shit out of you. In the words of the immortal Shelley, if I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other, and with twenty lines out
...more

Feb 25, 2009
Eddie Watkins
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
youthful mediaevelists
I'd been attracted to this poem for years and years, but somehow never read it; tiptoeing 'round it like a gentleman too dignified to display his blood-gorged book lust. The title itself attracted me - the name Gawain and the idea of a Green Knight evoked plenty of mental imagery: greenery and silver clashings in fecund fairy tale landscapes. I also like the way Tolkien's name looks and sounds (evocative of tangled teeming forests clearly delineated) so I dipped into his version a while ago, but
...more

A foundational legend that has influenced many other works. One of the best examinations of what chivalry was meant to represent...and for that reason a very important work.

"Note: you have also reviewed the following editions of this book:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn )
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn 0140440925)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn 0140424539)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (isbn 0719055172)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (isbn 0571223281)
Sir Gawain & the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn 0030088801)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn 1146360738)"
Oops.
Anyway, I reread Simon Armitag ...more
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn )
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn 0140440925)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn 0140424539)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (isbn 0719055172)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (isbn 0571223281)
Sir Gawain & the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn 0030088801)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Paperback) (isbn 1146360738)"
Oops.
Anyway, I reread Simon Armitag ...more

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a medieval poem by which a one of the stories of Arthurian legend is told. It concerns Sir Gawain, youngest Knight of the Round Table who is also King Arthur's nephew. On a New Year's Eve, a strange green knight enters the court of King Arthur and challenges the knights in to a "beheading game" which challenge, sir Gawain accepts. According to the challenge by the green Knight he was to be beheaded by his axe and whoever accepts the challenge to expect the sa
...more

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by an anonymous late 14th Century author is a chivalric romance written in Middle English. But you don’t have to be proficient in Middle English to read it as there are several excellent translations available, including some on line.
This is a delightful Medieval poem about the adventures of Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew. The events occur during two consecutive Christmas seasons and involve a jolly green giant, a beheading, a quest, a journey into the wildernes ...more
This is a delightful Medieval poem about the adventures of Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew. The events occur during two consecutive Christmas seasons and involve a jolly green giant, a beheading, a quest, a journey into the wildernes ...more

Sep 05, 2013
Thomas
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
poetry,
read-for-college
Perhaps my favorite Arthurian classic so far. Loved the alliterative verse and the beautiful descriptions of seasons - the conflicting ideas centered on chivalry, courtship, religion, etc. all made the reading much more intellectually stimulating. Not to mention that the ending throws in a wedge that forces one to evaluate the overall theme of the poem, or whether a unifying theme exists at all. Highly recommended for those interested in British literature and for those who want to give it a try
...more

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is another great read for one of my English classes. I honestly love being able to read classic literature and hearing someone else's thoughts on it. I like seeing if I had the same understanding or if I was "way off" (per say, literature can be subjective).
This one was not my favourite but it was pretty cool. I always wanted to venture into some King Arthur and Camelot stories, so this one fit the bill. While it's not my favourite, it was very interesting to read ...more
This one was not my favourite but it was pretty cool. I always wanted to venture into some King Arthur and Camelot stories, so this one fit the bill. While it's not my favourite, it was very interesting to read ...more

Thoroughly enjoyed the rousing tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This surprisingly readable story has something for even the most jaded reader. Well worth a look at.

“But mind your mood, Gawain,
keep blacker thoughts at bay,
or loose this lethal game
you’ve promised you will play”
In addition to his own made-up bedtime stories, my father loved to tell us tall tales--sagas of heroes and bravery with fantastic, hard-to-believe aspects that made them special and memorable. Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe stand out in my memory. The fantastical elements, when told in just the right way, bring magic and trepidation that make for a mesmerizing and satisfying story.
Re ...more
keep blacker thoughts at bay,
or loose this lethal game
you’ve promised you will play”
In addition to his own made-up bedtime stories, my father loved to tell us tall tales--sagas of heroes and bravery with fantastic, hard-to-believe aspects that made them special and memorable. Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe stand out in my memory. The fantastical elements, when told in just the right way, bring magic and trepidation that make for a mesmerizing and satisfying story.
Re ...more

Shame be to the man who has evil in his mind
Written c. 1375, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an Arthurian quest fantasy. It has all the elements that make such a fantasy work, the brave and redoubted knight, the alluring lady, the magical and mysterious stranger (after all, the Green Knight is able to have his head removed and then hold it in his hand while it talks to you), the ranging quest and the moment of truth.
The poetry is so beautifully written; it sings. I do not know, but I imag ...more
Written c. 1375, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an Arthurian quest fantasy. It has all the elements that make such a fantasy work, the brave and redoubted knight, the alluring lady, the magical and mysterious stranger (after all, the Green Knight is able to have his head removed and then hold it in his hand while it talks to you), the ranging quest and the moment of truth.
The poetry is so beautifully written; it sings. I do not know, but I imag ...more

She gave him her 'girdle', did she? A little something to remember her by, hmmmm? Personally, I found it rather hard to believe that a hound dog like Gawain would pass up the opportunity, but I did ultimately enjoy this humorous tale of chivalry and self-imposed cockblockery. Green Knight rules!
...more

It’s always puzzling to know what to do with a book subtitled “A New Verse Translation.” It’s all very well for the moment, of course, but what about in a few years? When the translation is no longer new, will it need a new title? I have similar reservations about terms like “postmodern.” What comes after it? Post-postmodern? And is modernism now called pre-postmodernism?
All of which doesn’t seem strictly relevant, except that I can’t help feeling that there’s something slightly self-conscious a ...more
All of which doesn’t seem strictly relevant, except that I can’t help feeling that there’s something slightly self-conscious a ...more

Are you looking for a quick, but violent, Christmas/New Year's poem? How about a poem set during Camelot with witches and heroic fantasy? Maybe something along the lines of Christian Romance? Or simply a good timeless poem?
After a quick reread I still love this poem. This isn't the original translation or edition I read, but it felt the same...maybe a little more modern with the language. I'd forgotten how detailed this was and how violent. I remembered some of the plot, but forgot about all hea ...more
After a quick reread I still love this poem. This isn't the original translation or edition I read, but it felt the same...maybe a little more modern with the language. I'd forgotten how detailed this was and how violent. I remembered some of the plot, but forgot about all hea ...more

Nov 27, 2018
Roy Lotz
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
anglophilia,
lets-get-medieval
Though I have read this little tale twice now, and have been enchanted both times, I fear I have very little to say about it. The plot combines traditional tropes together in such a way that the story is instantly memorable; and the double action of the knightly pact and a bedroom temptation seems to neatly summarize the twin pillars of chivalric morality—manly combat and womanly tenderness. Literature professors can argue endlessly about the finer symbolism of the book; and general readers can,
...more

I have read Tolkien's Sir Gawain translation many times and will probably read it again this month for our book club, but this poetic translation by Simon Armitage is outstanding in my unscholarly opinion. Perhaps it was the suberb narration. You could really imagine this as a poem that was recited over and over again around those rings of fire. Bill Wallis not only read the translation in a lilting northern accent but then he turned around and read the original.
I found the whole experience exc ...more
I found the whole experience exc ...more

The meter on this thing is pretty impressive: a strict alliterative pattern of two stresses, a pause, and two more stresses, with a five-line rhyming stanza (a short line followed by four with an ABAB scheme) at the end of each passage. It should be terribly constrictive, but the Gawain poet flows through it like it's nothing.
Not that I can read the original, of course, so I have to take Armitage's word for it that it's as good as his translation, which I did like. This edition has the original ...more
Not that I can read the original, of course, so I have to take Armitage's word for it that it's as good as his translation, which I did like. This edition has the original ...more

I mean the story is interesting enough, but God is Gawain annoying. For fuck's sake man, you said you were sorry and you gave back the damn girdle. Do you really have to hang your head in shame for the rest of your days? If you're gonna be ashamed of something, it should be that gross misogynistic rant at the end of the poem.
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
An Tir Book Club: Sir Gawain and The Green Knight Themes | 1 | 1 | Oct 22, 2019 11:33PM | |
Play Book Tag: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - 3 stars | 1 | 11 | Apr 26, 2019 01:45AM | |
Catching up on Cl...: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Spoilers | 36 | 66 | Apr 20, 2019 06:41AM | |
Goodreads Librari...: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight | 2 | 18 | Mar 26, 2019 11:23AM | |
Classics and the ...: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight--The Book as a Whole | 19 | 53 | Jan 04, 2019 07:45AM | |
Classics and the ...: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight--Parts 3 & 4 | 77 | 41 | Dec 23, 2018 09:02PM | |
Words related to emotion | 1 | 6 | Nov 15, 2018 11:53AM |
Books can be attributed to "Unknown" when the author or editor (as applicable) is not known and cannot be discovered. If at all possible, list at least one actual author or editor for a book instead of using "Unknown".
Books whose authorship is purposefully withheld should be attributed instead to Anonymous. ...more
Books whose authorship is purposefully withheld should be attributed instead to Anonymous. ...more
News & Interviews
Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day.
To create our...
27 likes · 5 comments
19 trivia questions
1 quiz
More quizzes & trivia...
1 quiz
“And wonder, dread and war
have lingered in that land
where loss and love in turn
have held the upper hand.”
—
22 likes
have lingered in that land
where loss and love in turn
have held the upper hand.”
“Yet though I must lose my life, fear shall never make me change colour.”
—
7 likes
More quotes…