A review by anneklein
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Unknown

4.0

This was not easy to get through, but it was a beautiful read! The story was really engaging and I loved its humorous tone. It was such a fun plot, and I thought the emphasis on the number three really drove home the archetypal fantasy tale.

If anything, it was the stilted old English that slowed it down –even though I read a translation of the Middle English original–. This is to be expected, though, so I just think it is a poem that needs a slow approach. The description, however, was marvelous, particularly the description of natural settings and forests, where a big part of the poem is set. Can you tell the flourishy style is sticking with me unintentionally? The slow realisation that the verses were alliterative was a mindblowing moment. I adored it.

This is a poem I’d like to go back to more than once, slowly and carefully. There is so much to unpack and I feel like every time I read it, I will discover something new. But as a first approach, it was very lovely.