Customer Reviews

Gawain and Lady Green

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I had an interesting experience with this book, and must present a mixed review. I picked it up because several years ago I greatly enjoyed writing a paper about the original poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."

I was fascinated by the traditions, beliefs, customs, and characters presented in this novel. The author obviously knows a great deal about this time period. One of the problems I had with her writing style is that I felt, as the reader, she assumed I already did as well. She wrote as if speaking to someone in her field of expertise, not a "layman." As a result, I frequently found myself lost or grappling to make sense of particular passages. Similarly, she didn't introduce certain characters very well. Suddenly she was speaking about this person while I was asking myself, "what? where did they come from?" or "who??" Also, I had a hard time with the ever-shifting narrator's voice between the two main characters. I was trying to figure out which was talking at the beginning of certain chapters.

All that being said about my frequent "what's going on?" questions, the subject of this book and the way the story unfolds is delightful. I felt connected emotionally to the two main characters by 1/3 of the way in. That's when I felt it got good.

Overall, an entertaining, enlightening, passionate story with a difficult-for-me writing style.

Sir Gawain of the Knights of the Round Table travels as an envoy from the High King Arthur to the Druids. Saxons killed his traveling companions when he stumbles upon a village. He is named the May King and spends quality time with Lady Green. Gawain begins to think that he may love her and makes vows to the May Queen, Lady Green, who has fallen in love with him. However, as he learns about the fate of the May King, Gawain does a non-chivalrous act and flees into the night. He rationalizes his act by claiming he has problems with his good Christian soul and heritage mingling with her paganism and Satanism. At Camelot, a legendary song about his exploits is created. .. ....One night a green knight rides into Arthur's manor and challenges all the knights to a New Year's game. He offers his neck to any knight willing to use his ax to cut off his head. However, one year and a day later, the same knight must offer up his neck to the Green Knight. Since none of the other knights of the Round Table except Arthur took up his offer, Gawain reluctantly agrees to the terms. He chops the off the head of the Green Knight, who calmly picks up his head and informs Gawain that he will see him next year at the Green Chapel. ........Gawain, for the sake of high honor and the reputation of his King and his fellow knights, searches for the Green Chapel, knowing full well that when he finds it, he finds death. He prays for the Lord to forgive him for his sins, as he continues his search for the obscure Green Chapel. When Gawain finally finds the Green Chapel, he learns the secret behind the Green Knight. However, will his courage be able to complete his geas of honor and enable him to understand the greater lessons of life and death? ...GAWAIN AND LADY GREEN is an incredibly refreshing retelling of the fabulous Medieval poem. Anne Eliot Crompton brilliantly brings alive the clash of titans (Christianity Vs Druidism), and the hypocrisy behind foolish conceit that can kill the greatest of loves. Anyone who enjoys the Arthurian legend or a Middle Ages Romanticism needs to read this great story and its predecessor, MERLIN'S HARP. ...Harriet Klausner