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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

By: Simon Armitage - translator
Narrated by: Simon Armitage
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About this listen

A complete and unabridged recording of Simon Armitage's hugely successful translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, read by the author. When the mysterious Green Knight arrives unbidden at the Round Table one Christmas, only Gawain is brave enough to take up his challenge.... This story, first told in the 1400s, is one of the most enthralling, dramatic and beloved poems in the English tradition.

Now, in Simon Armitage, the poem has found its perfect modern translator. Armitage's retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight captures all of the magic and wonderful storytelling of the original while also revitalising it with his own popular, funny and contemporary voice.

Simon Armitage was born in West Yorkshire in 1963. In 1992 he was winner of one of the first Forward Prizes and a year later was the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year. He works as a freelance writer, broadcaster and playwright and has written extensively for radio and television. Previous titles include Kid, Book of Matches, The Dead Sea Poems, CloudCuckooLand, Killing Time, The Universal Home Doctor, Homer's Odyssey and Tyrannosaurus Rex versus The Corduroy Kid.

©2007 Simon Armitage (P)2008 Faber Audio Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature Classics European Literary History & Criticism Poetry World Literature Funny Celebration

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Critic reviews

"Armitage makes it utterly, even compulsively readable, and as fresh as it must have been in 1400." ( Sunday Herald)
"Terrific." ( Independent on Sunday)
All stars
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I love to listen to this once a year during it’s one of those things like Christmas carols and mince pie and mould wine to make the season for me.

Excellent, listen for Christmas

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Simon Armitage's translation makes this revered medieval poem accessible, relatable and entertaining for the present-day listener or reader. He has chosen language that faithfully represents the original poem's intention (I appreciate the liberties taken), and his skill in recreating the original poem's effects e.g. alliteration is very enjoyable to observe. I am glad I chose to listen to this alongside reading it as his northern accent and pacing/tone etc. truly enhance the experience and anchor the words with deeper meaning. I've spent the afternoon lost in the world of King Arthur and his knights of the round table, and it felt like just five minutes!

Brought to life in more ways than one

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Wonderfully accessible and enjoyable translation. Read excellently by the author. A great Christmas listen. Highly recommend

Fantastic translation

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Was ok, im glad it all tied in at the end as it seemed to take a major deviation. Quite preachy and old fashioned but had some fun phrases in places

Oldie

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I have always loved this poem from studying it many years ago. I think Simon Armitage’s translation and performance work so well - the combination of alliterative verse and frequent modern phraseology is delightful. I enjoyed hearing it from start to finish (except maybe the bloody and cruel hunt scenes, and the happy conclusion that women are all liars - from the original, so not Mr Armitage’s fault!).

Very listenable and clever

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Somehow never had read this during years of studying English literature and thought it might be more a ‘good to have read it at last’ rather than the ‘I absolutely love this in every way’ experience it was. Armitage captures both the literary/oral tradition of the time (the triple alliterations for example) and the vernacular of now, which really gave a sense of how captivating such a tale would have been for listeners at the time (and showing how it remains so too with much to speak to today). In short I enjoyed this take and the reading so much and listened on a long drive through Northumbria which felt just right. This just unfurled in my visual imagination and has resonated long after. One of my favourite listens.

Beautiful version and reading

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Love it and Simon’s narration might not be to everyone’s liking but I felt that it added greatly to the experience

Excellent book

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love his accent translation and reading , as atmospheric as the tale itself, a perfect match.
The bloody hunting and butchery descriptions have a disgusting beauty.

incredible

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As a student I read this in the original. It was enjoyable but a bit of a struggle. Listening to this translation put me closer to the experience of the first audience.

Hear it as poetry, not a foreign language exercise

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amazing, in awe of Armitage's translation and epic delivery. highly recommended. thoroughly enjoyable story.

wonderful

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