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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo Review
User Submitted Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo ReviewsNovember 25, 2008 More Tolkien is always better This is a nice, reasonably priced version of the old English tale, translated by J.R.R. Tolkien, our favorite writer of hobbits, Dark Lords and perilous jewelry. My Dad was very pleased to receive it as a present, and best of all, I can borrow it from him and read it myself! ;) Love it. December 7, 2007 Who cares about Middle English? 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. September 3, 2007 Not Free SF Reader 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. August 10, 2006 Enter into late-Medieval Adventure and Piety 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. October 23, 2005 The Great Magic "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. October 13, 2005 Arthurian Legend at its best 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. March 29, 2004 Pearl of Wisdom Gawain is the Tolekin translation of one of many versions of the story. The story is exciting but ultimately disappointing because of the incongruence of the ending with the opening. The opening indicates that King Arthur is all too aware of the false beheading trick being played in his court as he primes the action for the hapless Gawain. The ending indicates the Green Man alone instigated the trick with Morgan le Fay. The point missed by Tolkein (jnr) in the Introduction is that the brocade is the sole tangible due to the green man in the exchange of acquisitions, so a real dishonour. Anyway Camelot' s self advertised mythology is well and truly pricked. Pearl, on the other hand is a true medaeval pagan gem, arguing that religion is the exploitation of bereavement. Religion claims the deceased for heaven; it offers reunion to the survivor conditional on temporal faith. If the departed is beloved of a survivor then that cat runs headlong into the priest' s bag with little prompting. The poet becomes so seduced by the vision of the New Jerusalem he comes to see his former reason as madness and so went the world. The strength of Christian theology surely developed from these kinds of rational resistence. Ultimetely reason conquered and theology relapsed to a dogmatic statement of faith in the shape of pearl (Aquinas). A great and thoroughly authentic work of transitional pagan genius saved by Tolkein. November 14, 2003 Great attention to detail! Tolkien's translation shows great attention to detail and his literary prowess truly shines through. This book is a faithful translation and it is an excellent read. October 31, 2003 Great ME text Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the most famous Middle English works. This edition contains NOT Tolkien's TRANSLATION, but the original MIDDLE ENGLISH TEXT with his (and late prof. E.V. Gordon's) glossary and notes. Their edition was published in 1925, and revised by Norman Dabis in 1967. It still remains the most authoritative and standard text. I strongly suggest that students who study this alliterative poem buy this great Middle English text. The language is quite difficult so you also need Tolkien's Present Day English translation version (on HarperCollins, Ballantine Books,etc). June 8, 2003 One of the best J.R.R. Tolkien is best known as a fantasy writer. But his lesser-known profession was that of an professor and linguist, working at Oxford for over three decade. These three translated poems are excellent examples of his non-Middle-Earth work. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is a relatively little-known Arthurian legend, in which the knight Sir Gawain must forfeit his life to a knight who allowed Gawain to behead him -- then picked up his head and rode out. "Pearl" is a beautifully written, though somewhat more difficult to read, poem that chronicles the death of a child (possibly allegorical). "Sir Orfeo" is a version of the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Tolkien's method for these works is unusually readable -- most translators sacrifice either readability or meaning; as far as I can tell, Tolkien sacrificed neither. "Sir Gawain" is probably the easiest translation I have come across; "Pearl" is haunting, laced with religious references, and very beautifully written; "Orfeo" is not so substantial as the first two, but still entertaining. It's a bit like a medieval ballad. This book is not so much for fans of Middle-Earth, as for fans of all Tolkien's works. Beautifully written, highly recommended.
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