Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Everyman (2001), Edition: New Ed, 400 pages
Description
The magnificent heritage of English poetry before Chaucer is often neglected because of difficulties with unfamiliar dialect. These translations reveal what we are missing if we ignore it. Piers Plowman belongs to the tradition of medieval allegory, but without any of the stuffiness that label suggests. It paints a vivid picture of everyday life in the 14th century with a vigour and detail which anticipates The Canterbury Tales. However, the jewel in the crown of Middle English verse is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, here presented in the classic version by JRR Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings (currently being filmed). A wonderfully told story which combines suspense, fantasy, exquisite domestic detail and sensuality.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1975 (the Tolkien translations of Sir Gawain, Pearl, Sir Orfeo)
1981 (the Tiller translation of Piers Plowman)
1999 (combined edition of the four works with additional material)
Physical description
400 p.; 8.31 inches
ISBN
1857152247 / 9781857152241