Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight : A New Verse Translation by W.S. Merwin ISBN: 0-375-41476-2 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 15 October, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: sir gawain and the green knight
Comment: i rate this book higher based on its foreword which, as a lecture, would provide a semester's worth of knowledge and recommended reading. a must for fans of arthurian legend (or fans of tolkien, who was a "great scholar of the Arthurian cycle"), and for those interested in welsh history and literature, poetry, troubador lore, linguistics, or the middle ages.
the translation itself i'm not qualified to judge; the _new york review of books_ "hails [Merwin] as one of the finest of our poets [and] a skilled and sensitive translator." J.D. McClatchy cover-blurbs the translation as being written with "clarity, ingenuity, and force."
as for the plot, it's great stuff: courtly knight of the round table honorably and courageously accepts what appears to be a pact of certain death, honorably averts the importunate seductions of his host's wife, agonizingly tells a white fib because doing so is the only thing that may save his life, and . . . i leave the rest for the reader to discover.
Rating: 5
Summary: Literature for the Ages
Comment: Merwin has risen to the challenge, and, unlike Gawain, he has prevailed triumphantly on the first stroke.
A new, exciting translation of the Arthurian legend, SIR GAWAIN & THE GREEN KNIGHT reads excitingly crisp and vibrant. A story with equal parts chivalry, temptation, redemption, and romance, Merwin's GAWAIN deserves to be read by a far wider audience or, even better, deserves a touring one-man roadshow presented theatrically. Easily explored in a single sitting, this clever tome should be required reading for any serious explorer of mythology, real or even the realms of pure fantasy.
Highest recommendation!
Rating: 5
Summary: Injects new life into this remarkable poem
Comment: Since I suspect they will have similar audiences, I feel I should state right off the bat that W. S. Merwin's translation of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is not quite at the level of Seamus Heaney's "Beowulf". Heaney created an absolute masterpiece; the type of translation that comes along only once every few generations, and which completely redefines the view of the subject matter. The difference between the two translations lies in Heaney's ability to capture the meter and rhyme of "Beowulf" without being slavish to the original structure. Merwin has followed a similar approach in his translation, and while the language is beautiful, I didn't sense the same ancient vibrancy I got from Heaney's work.
That said, this book is more than worthy of the five-star rating that I gave it. Merwin's use of language is absolutely superb, and the resulting translation is a remarkable tapestry of images. In particular, he deftly captures the underlying tension and eroticism that forms such a key element of the story. Gawain's struggle to remain true to his code is rendered perfectly, and sets a mood of self-doubt that perfectly offsets his outward frivolity.
Since I have already mentioned "Beowulf" I might add for those unfamiliar with "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" that it is much more subtle than the former. While "Beowulf" is undeniably open to interpretation (indeed there is a wealth of fascinating scholarship surrounding it), its basic elements are much more straightforward. At its heart, as Tolkien espoused so brilliantly, "Beowulf" is a story about monsters, and what they mean in our world. On the other hand, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is more interested in exploring the ideals of chivalry and courtly love. While there is a fair bit of gore, it strikes me as being more of the hook to keep the reader engaged, rather than the core element of the story. Finally, in it's conclusion, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is far more vague than Beowulf.
Merwin has produced as a translation of the highest quality. While perhaps less "poetic" than some of its predecessors, it is written in a language that captures the full beauty and vibrancy of this remarkable poem. While a mere 84 pages in length (not including the opposing pages in Old English) this is a tale rich in metaphor that is a delight to read, and that will leave you pondering its meaning.
 |
Title: The Song of Roland by W.S. Merwin ISBN: 0375757112 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 13 February, 2001 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
 |
Title: Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney ISBN: 0393320979 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: February, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
 |
Title: The Folding Cliffs : A Narrative by W.S. Merwin ISBN: 0375701516 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 28 March, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
 |
Title: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo by J.R.R. Tolkien ISBN: 0345277600 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 12 December, 1979 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: Purgatorio : A New Verse Translation by W.S. Merwin, Dante ISBN: 0375409211 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 28 March, 2000 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
