Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

By: Simon Armitage

Narrated by: Bill Wallis

Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

The famous Middle English poem by an anonymous Northern England poet is beautifully translated by fellow poet Simon Armitage. This audiobook features a brilliant reading of the translation by Bill Wallis; as a bonus, Wallis also masterfully tackles the poem in its original Middle English text.

"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" narrates in crystalline verse the strange tale of a green knight who rudely interrupts the Round Table festivities one Yuletide, casting a pall of unease over the company and challenging one of their number to a wager. The virtuous Gawain accepts and then decapitates the intruder with his own axe. Gushing blood, the knight reclaims his head, orders Gawain to seek him out a year hence, and departs. Next Yuletide, Gawain dutifully sets forth. His quest for the Green Knight involves a winter journey, a seduction scene in a dream-like castle, a dire challenge answered, and a drama of enigmatic reward disguised as psychic undoing.

©2007 Simon Armitage (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks America

Critic reviews

"'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' is one of the eerie, exuberant joys of Middle English poetry....Simon Armitage has given us an energetic, free-flowing, high-spirited version. He reminds us that 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' still wields an uncanny power after 600 years." ( The New York Times Book Review)

Great story; Great storyteller

Prior to listening to this book, I was unaware that this particular Arthurian story was written as a poem. The modern English translation, which forms the first half of this Audible selection, is so excellent! Simon Armitage has done an exceptional job of making this story accessible to all. His explanation in the preface of the combination of older, alliterative poetry with the more modern form of rhymed poetry gives one a better understanding and appreciation of the literary work. The second half of the book is read in the original old English version of the poem. It is difficult to listen to and to understand, but by having heard the entire tale in the translated, modern English version first, it makes it easier to connect with understanding the old English words with the modern English. Bill Wallace is definitely the perfect choice for narrating this amazing tale. Not only does he do an excellent job of reading the poetry, but his inflections and emotion in his reading bring the tale to life and make it something I was unwilling to interrupt or stop listening to at any point. An excellent read. So glad I chose this book.

Captivating Writing That Lives Up to its Name

The story is incredibly well written. There were genuine moments when the writing and narrating grasped my attention & did not let go line after line.

great story

I had never heard of this poem before and this story is epic. They read it in normal English then the original Scottish.

An amazingly great translation of a masterpiece

Dear Audible-

No compliments are enough for Simon Armitage and his inexpressibly excellent translation of “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight.” I’ve already read/listened three times, and I enjoy it more every time. I will continue to reread/listen it until the rise in the rate of enjoyment levels off. It is very, very good.

Having said that, I have a bone to pick with you. More than one, as a matter of fact. The first is that the audio book and the print version are different. Line 729 in the audiobook says,

“With nerves frozen numb he napped in his armor”

And the print book says:

“Nearly slain by sleet he slept in his armor.”

Both are excellent, but the latter is better and closer to the original:

“Ner slayn with the slete he slept in his yrnes.”

I’d take the best of both and say:

“Nearly slain by sleet he napped in his armor.”

Now I’m faced with the challenge of comparing one to the other from beginning to end, which I really don’t want to do.

You/Armitage should have decided ahead of time which was going to be better.

The other problem is that the poem is nicely split into four chapters, or whatever they are. But the audio book is just one long recording with no breaks—not even for the transition from the modern translation to the original Middle English!

This book is a MASTERPIECE—but seriously undermined by some editorial/authorial/production screwups.

Gawain, Armitage, and their readers all deserve better.

With high regard for all involved.

If I am HONY for having MAL PENSEd, I accept it. It’s for a good cause.

Your Listener and Reader,

RF

Excellent.

A poem should be heard. This recording is excellent -- the reader understands what he's reading and is exciting to listen to. His reading reveals a superior grasp of the characters and the story.

A Poetic - Not Literal - Translation

The translator's introduction is invaluable for getting across the exact point of what this version is all about. The medieval version of this poem is alliterated, and rather than directly translate the words to modern English for the sake of the story, liberties have been taken to recreate the poetry of the alliteration and verse meter while. The story is therefore a more liberal translation, but serves quite well on that point for those seeking poetry over linguistics.

There are a number of versions of this tale told throughout the ages, and much like with any legend from the Arthurian lineup, I find myself seeking out multiple versions to compare and contrast how they've evolved. As I am not well-versed in medieval English, I find this translation to be welcome for it's preservation of the poetic form. I've read a number of prose translations over the years, and much like with The Iliad and The Odyssey, I feel like I've come closer to appreciating the poet's original intent when presented with a version such as this where the poetry itself takes center stage. It's made that much more so when the translator, via the narrator, connects this story backwards from Arthur's Briton to the fall of Troy.

The narrator reminds of me of a historian you might see on PBS. He sounds scholarly enough to get the point across that he's the surrogate for the translator, but at the same time he offers a quiet dignity to the tale itself, calling the listener back to the original poet, perhaps reciting his work around a campfire to a cadre of soldiers. All in all, a superb rendition, one that any medievalist or Arthurian enthusiast should seek out.

Fascinating!

A magical tale from the 14th century beautifully performed. Truly an Arthurian masterpiece. You will be swept away.

This narrator made this assigned reading exciting!

I was tasked with reading this for my English Lit class. I tried reading this on my own twice, each time it was just so dry and boring I never made it past the first page before doodling and growing restless or just reading the words and never hearing and retaining any of the words read.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Bill Wallis as I read. It made this chore of a read exciting actually. I'm very happy with my purchase!

Loved the last half

The narration in Middle English threw me for a loop, I was definitely not expecting that. I’ve listened to it half a dozen times already

nice!

I had heard there was a newish movie based on this poem, so I looked the poem up. This translation and its reading are excellent. There is an introduction to the story and style of writing that was, imo, very helpful in appreciating the original poem and the translation. I have a quibble with the blaming women for men being dopes that is "the moral of the story" but it's a historical poem from 800 years ago, so I am not letting it detract from what is otherwise a delightful piece of writing - both the translation and the original (the reading of which follows the translation). I recommend listening.