Sir Gawain und der grüne Ritter

I admit to not being sure how to review this work. It is a classic and while it is a joy to read simply as a story it really is better understood as a part of Arthurian lore and medieval literature. What I did do was to look at both this translation, from 1909 by Jessie L Weston, and the version I am most familiar with, Tolkien's modern English translation.

Aside from the usual differences between reading something in prose versus verse, I was surprised at how well Weston's translation has held up. It reads very well without, as far as I can tell, losing much in the way of nuance. I approached this from the same general position I approached deciding, many years ago, between using the Sayers or the Ciardi translations of the Divine Comedy in a course, and I think I came away with a similar opinion. I prefer the verse translations for study though I would recommend the prose translations for casual reading or for simply refamiliarizing yourself with the story. In other words, if you missed this classic back in school and want to read it now, I would recommend this edition quite readily.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

NA

A do in one day read. Also a slightly odd tale, who knows what they thought in those days. Probably r rated if made into a movie. Also an accurate portrayal of life in Olde England. ( )

Had the joy of listening to novelist Robin Sloane read this aloud over a 2 hour session. Absolutely gorgeous language. So many beautiful passages. I would highly recommend that you read this out loud instead of just silently as it completely changes the experience. ( )

I enjoyed this translation from Middle English of the great poem of Sir Gawain and his encounters with the Green Knight. The story feel epic, with bits of love, deceit, horror and wanderings.

I wish I could give a 4-star review, but the translation was lacking at points. At times, I felt the translator, Armitage chose lesser words to keep the poetic meter flowing. For example, from line 2273, the original Middle English was "Such cowardise of that knyght cowthe I never here." Armitage translates it as "Never have I known such a namby-pamby knight". The first flows, in my opinion, while the second seems like a schoolyard taunt, and a poor one at that.

I also felt the flow of the poem stuttered at points. That may have been due to the original author in some cases, as far as I could "speak" Middle English to hear the flow.

This is still worth reading, especially if you've never read it. The story is good and you can work through it quickly. For a look at a great translation of another classic, see Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowolf from Old English into modern prose. That and Robert Fagles translations of Homer set the gold standard for rendering in modern, flowing text such ancient classics. ( )