Though partner and I just named our business after one of the titular characters of this poem, I hadn't read it since high school. Time for a reread!

What I encountered was an entirely new poem, in part thanks to Marie Boroff's careful and lyrical translation and excellent introduction. The story and language were a lot more engaging than I remembered, and there were endless subtleties that I (and my teacher) missed the first time round.

When classical and medieval works are taught in high school, I think the sophistication of the authors ends up being overlooked—especially when it comes to a work like Gawain, whose author is working in a centuries-old tradition of medieval romance and writing for a very genre-savvy audience.

So while Gawain is at its heart an entertaining yarn about chivalry and magic, it uses the quest narrative to do a lot more. Embedded in Gawain's story is a deep contemplation of mortality and morality, with the potent figure of the Green Knight at its heart. Both tempter and confessor, he's as knotty and polysemous as the five-point star on Sir Gawain's shield, and even by the end Gawain isn't sure what to make of him—he's both blessing him and politely refusing a dinner invitation. Gawain, too, is more complex than I remembered, with a lot of subtle characterization on the page—especially in the chamber scenes, which were somehow a lot funnier than they were in tenth grade.

So, both a masterpiece and a really fun romp through a medieval fantasy landscape. A quick read for anyone interested what popular literature was like before the invention of the novel. ( )

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 imagine, this poem being recited to a gathering, perhaps at court, much as Homer sang his poems to the Greeks. To the possible chagrin of my husband, I read this aloud to myself. It seemed to demand it.


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I love Sir Gawain and The Green Knight; it is interesting not only because of its expansive picture of what chivalry is (and what people pretend it is), but also for the fact that it can be read from many perspectives (try giving it a feminist reading, for instance, and see what you come up with!). I want to commend Borroff's translation in particular; she reproduces the alliterative meter and verse structure superbly, adding much to the reading. This work is captivating and entrancing; I highly recommend it. ( )

An Arthuran literary must-have ( )