Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo | 
|  | | | Title: | Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo | | Author: | J.R.R. Tolkien | | Publisher: | Del Rey | | Type: | Book / Mass Market Paperback | | Publication Date: | July, 1988 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0345277600 / 9780345277602 | | List Price: | $6.99 | | Amazon Price: | $6.99 | |
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| Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT, PEARL, and SIR ORFEO are masterpieces of a remote and exotic age--the age of chivalry and wizards, knights and holy quests. Yet it is only in the unique artistry and imagination of J.R.R. Tolken that the language, romance, and power of these great stories comes to life for modern readers, in this masterful and compelling new translation.
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Customer Reviews:
• Arthurian Legend At Its Best 13 October, 2005
I've always been fascinated with the old Arthurian legends, so this tale appealed to me greatly. Sir Gawain was everything a knight should be considering the fact that he's not perfect due to the fact that he's human. The animals depicted in the hunting scenes directly tie in with the storyline with Sir Gawain and the lady of the castle. The deer represented that Sir Gawain tried to flee away from having to deal with the lady of the castle. The wild boar represented difficulty since it was stated that the boar in the hunt had killed a man. Finally, the fox represented the fact that Sir Gawain was planning to be sly and conceal the fact that the lady of the castle had given him her girdle. The fact that he would lie to the lord of the castle, shows that he is truly human and that he would like to keep his own head when he has to go meet back up with the Green Knight the following day. The hunt over three days represents a series of three tests which later comes to aid or hinder Sir Gawain in his quest to keep his oath as a knight and follow through with the guidelines of "the beheading game". The girdle at the end that all the knights in King Arthur's court take to wearing symbolizes that they are human and that they are not perfect and that humility should be observed.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3DC4OX3W4KFXM
• Enter Into Late-medieval Adventure And Piety 10 August, 2006
These three texts from the translating pen of J.R.R. Tolkien coprise an uplifiting trio that give the reader a glimpse of times when literature was aimed at both beauty and the edification of proper values. This is particularly true in the first two texts.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight presents a late Arthurian legend which was penned in a relatively obscure West-Midland dialect of early Middle English. The text, as translated by Tolkien, still maintains the auditory alliteration used to drive the poem itself. This in itself is a blessed treasure to the reader, as it is a rarely used method of poetry. The story is a gem in that it presents a fallible human, Gawain, who strives by the Grace of God to fulfill his oaths made. It is an exposition of piety, casting the Arthurian knight into a wholly Christian light.
Pearl, written in a dialectic style of poetic meter, is a moving poem of grief and understanding in the face of the death of a two-year-old child. The imagery used in it is absolutely breathtaking, drawing heavily on the Apocalypse of John for its material. The discourse is a journey of enlightenment and eventual peace, marked with profound trust in God. I found this poem to be absolutely stunning in itself. Pearl, along with Gawain, exposes the existence of a great deal of Marian piety at the time of the writing. This presents an intriguing scenario which reminds Christians of the ongoing understanding of Mary's role in the Christian faith.
Sir Orfeo, related in many ways to Classical myth, is a much more light-hearted adventure. It is a quick read that presents the reader with the brave quest of King Orfeo for his lost wife,Heurodis. The sybols used are mixed from Classical as well as English/Celtic sources. While the story is not wholly inventive, it is a fun read and has been presented very well by professor Tolkien.
I suggest this set of texts to everybody, for they present the reader with poetry which is not only grounded in romance/adventure but also in morality (particulary I and II) and faith.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A2YJ9DT9YZ0DUN
• Who Cares About Middle English? 07 December, 2007
For anyone who cares about the subject and yet is too lazy to read the original it is always a joy to read Tolkien, a master of English. The story is not fantasy, which many mistakenly look for in Tolkien, but a classic of middle English literature. If you get hooked on this genre there are many other stories, both long and short, available, and the original language is not so different from our own.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1M143G5JX804I
• The Great Magic 23 October, 2005
"Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight" is a great and holy work of literature and I return to it on an annual basis to breathe the air of its strong magic and to observe with awe its rutheless moral rigor. What a profound joy it is to foresake the barren land of contemporary hack literature and enter once more into a world where the colors are brighter, the language is grander, and the characters stride across the mysterious landscape like gods or faery-figures lit from within by a mystic sun. The great J.R.R. Tolkien did us all a supreme kindness when he advocated for the deep spiritual and aesthetic significance of "Beowulf" (for whom his own writings bear covert relations) and he doubled it when he translated this masterpiece of the enchanted but decidedly anonymous soul who wrote it.
Five stars are a poor return for such pleasure and wisdom offered.
- Reviewed by customer ID: AJ57K3QG32CNK
• Not Free Sf Reader 03 September, 2007
Slightly more interesting piece of output, due to the theme being the old Green Knight story. That tale is usually quite entertaining, and is in this version, as well. The other piece is eminently forgettable, however. I suppose you would say that it is for Tolkien completists only.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1X8VZWTOG8IS6
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