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Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, a Prose Rendering: A Text-Faithful Translation of the 1590s Epic Poem
Welcome to Edmund Spenser’s 1590s epic poem, The Faerie Queene. This richly illustrated, text-faithful, line-by-line prose rendering transports modern listeners into a vast narrative tapestry. Knights traverse diverse fantastical landscapes including the shadowy depths of an enchanted forest, a treacherous underwater lair, a mysterious subterranean kingdom, and the deadly Bower of Bliss.
Through these realms stride Spenser’s unforgettable knights—brave yet fallible, powerful yet vulnerable—as they confront ferocious monsters, cunning wizards, beguiling enchantresses, and even encounter young Prince Arthur, who wanders Faerie Land consumed by his passion for Gloriana, the elusive Faerie Queene.
Many have attempted to read Spenser’s original masterpiece only to retreat, daunted by language that was deliberately archaic even in Elizabethan times. Classical educator Rebecca K. Reynolds bridges this gap, crafting a prose adaptation that gradually introduces more of Spenser’s distinctive vocabulary and diction. By the final volume, listeners will find themselves prepared to engage directly with Spenser’s original text with confidence and delight.
For four hundred years, Spenser’s realm has captivated powerful creative minds, igniting literary movements and inspiring countless works. So, take a few first steps with us through the mist-shrouded edges of Faerie Land. As C.S. Lewis wisely “The Faerie Queene never loses a reader it has once gained... Once you have become an inhabitant of its world, being tired of it is like being tired of London, or of life.”
VOLUME
BOOK
The Red Cross Knight embarks on what first seems a straightforward quest to slay a dragon, rescue a maiden, and save a kingdom. Yet beneath this familiar chivalric framework, Spenser weaves a profound spiritual allegory.
As our noble but naive hero confronts not only external terrors but also the labyrinth of his own flawed heart, he discovers a humbling a hero must be rescued before he can save anyone.
BOOK
Sir Guyon navigates a world designed to test every facet of self-restraint. Refusing to present temperance as mere moderation, Spenser plunges his knight into the psychological complexities of human desire. As Guyon journeys toward Acrasia’s Bower of Bliss, he confronts increasingly seductive temptations, ultimately destroying the beautiful but corrupting bower. Through Guyon’s trials, Spenser explores the vigilance required to maintain virtue in the face of enticement.
Through these realms stride Spenser’s unforgettable knights—brave yet fallible, powerful yet vulnerable—as they confront ferocious monsters, cunning wizards, beguiling enchantresses, and even encounter young Prince Arthur, who wanders Faerie Land consumed by his passion for Gloriana, the elusive Faerie Queene.
Many have attempted to read Spenser’s original masterpiece only to retreat, daunted by language that was deliberately archaic even in Elizabethan times. Classical educator Rebecca K. Reynolds bridges this gap, crafting a prose adaptation that gradually introduces more of Spenser’s distinctive vocabulary and diction. By the final volume, listeners will find themselves prepared to engage directly with Spenser’s original text with confidence and delight.
For four hundred years, Spenser’s realm has captivated powerful creative minds, igniting literary movements and inspiring countless works. So, take a few first steps with us through the mist-shrouded edges of Faerie Land. As C.S. Lewis wisely “The Faerie Queene never loses a reader it has once gained... Once you have become an inhabitant of its world, being tired of it is like being tired of London, or of life.”
VOLUME
BOOK
The Red Cross Knight embarks on what first seems a straightforward quest to slay a dragon, rescue a maiden, and save a kingdom. Yet beneath this familiar chivalric framework, Spenser weaves a profound spiritual allegory.
As our noble but naive hero confronts not only external terrors but also the labyrinth of his own flawed heart, he discovers a humbling a hero must be rescued before he can save anyone.
BOOK
Sir Guyon navigates a world designed to test every facet of self-restraint. Refusing to present temperance as mere moderation, Spenser plunges his knight into the psychological complexities of human desire. As Guyon journeys toward Acrasia’s Bower of Bliss, he confronts increasingly seductive temptations, ultimately destroying the beautiful but corrupting bower. Through Guyon’s trials, Spenser explores the vigilance required to maintain virtue in the face of enticement.
1044 pages, Hardcover
Published December 16, 2025
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31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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January 11, 2026I spent all of 2022 working on these beautiful books as a text consultant - a 3-volume modern prose rendition of my favourite epic poem, Edmund Spenser's THE FAERIE QUEENE by Rebecca K. Reynolds. Seeing my name on the copyright page in the company of multiple Ph.Ds might actually be the proudest moment of my life!!! This gorgeous new edition includes illustrations, footnotes, introductions, friendly modern English, and everything you need to get started with this wonderful tale of knights, ladies, monsters, and quests!
Despite being a huge Spenser fan myself, capable of reading the original language with a fair degree of ease, I profited enormously from the scholarship and commentary in this edition and relished the opportunity to learn more about one of my favourite stories.
Despite being a huge Spenser fan myself, capable of reading the original language with a fair degree of ease, I profited enormously from the scholarship and commentary in this edition and relished the opportunity to learn more about one of my favourite stories.
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November 25, 2025These just arrived the other day and they’re indescribably gorgeous—everything I could want from both an academic and design standpoint and more. I may have—no, I absolutely cried.
Spiritually, I am giving everyone involved with this project a tender forehead kiss. <3
Spiritually, I am giving everyone involved with this project a tender forehead kiss. <3
January 1, 2026
I love this for stories that are now accessible to a broader audience. Edmund Spencer wrote one of the longest poems in English ever written, with English usage that was archaic even then, in the 1590s, roughly 430 years ago. I read and write poetry, but I would never have attempted something like this in the original. What's most clear about Spenser's epic is that it inspired most of the fantasy written since then. Reading this I see that what fantasy fiction is written in English today doesn't deviate much from the tropes in The Fairy Queen, although there are exceptions, and J.R.R. Tolkien provided a story of greater strength and scope than Spenser, in my opinion. There is a lot of truth about human nature in The Fairy Queen. One of the things I see is that British nationalism was riding high on religious nationalism, to an extent that bridles at times. The arrogance of Spenser's characters is obvious. They are on a mission, not so much for God or truth or purity, but to wipe out those they consider pagans. The only good non-Christian is a dead one. Only Christians are good people. All others are painted as wicked, villainous, or scoundrels, worthy of being killed by British knights. So, it is a brilliant look at the British Empire's narcissism, hubris, and superiorty complex, self justified using religion. This prose rendering is awe inspiring, with academic footnotes, reflections on word use and context, and personal notes. I absolutely recommend it. Despite my criticism of Spenser himself, one need not read this with a jaundiced eye. It's not all bad, in that we learn much of where our present day fantasy was born. Some of the characters are worth rooting for, even the ones defeated by errant knights, these self identified knights-errant seeking glory for themselves, not for any truth, purity, or good will. The books themselves are, indeed, beautiful.
October 25, 2025
An absolutely beautiful set of three books.
I was one of the supporters for the Kickstarter campaign for these books. Having read part of Edmund Spenser's epic poem, The Faerie Queene, in high school honors English, many, many years ago, I was thrilled to be able to support an effort to bring a prose rendering to life.
The books are meant to be savored. Not a fast read. They have that wonderful, new book aroma. A nice weight to the hand. Stunning drawings. No glare to the pages. Very readable text. Well footnoted and documented.
I have just begun perusing the books: looking at illustrations; dipping in to parts of the prose; reading footnotes; learning the ways of a new friend. Looking forward to a long association with these books.
I was one of the supporters for the Kickstarter campaign for these books. Having read part of Edmund Spenser's epic poem, The Faerie Queene, in high school honors English, many, many years ago, I was thrilled to be able to support an effort to bring a prose rendering to life.
The books are meant to be savored. Not a fast read. They have that wonderful, new book aroma. A nice weight to the hand. Stunning drawings. No glare to the pages. Very readable text. Well footnoted and documented.
I have just begun perusing the books: looking at illustrations; dipping in to parts of the prose; reading footnotes; learning the ways of a new friend. Looking forward to a long association with these books.
December 4, 2025
I was able to get a sneak peak of these at Realm Makers this summer. It was lovely to meet the President of Sky Turtle Press. The cover, paper, and art are of beautiful quality and I can't wait to read them fully! The sample I read sounds like Tolkien, which is perfect since his prose is inspired by medieval literature.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews