Customer Reviews

Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady

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3 star:		(2)
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For quite a few years I taught 4th grade. Both before and after having children. ( as I gained a perspective on trying to be thin to be wanted and trying to be beautiful to be heard) This book came to me when I taught Steinbeck's King Arthur and other pieces in a theme I called "Fairy Tales." This included, by the way, a marvelous Reading Rainbow on Rumpelstiltskin and in it a visit to the Renaissance Faire in Agoura Hills. But no story, and we had great ones, was ever as well liked by my female students than this the one that poses the question Freud apparently never got around to answering, "What do women really want?"

I won't spoil it, but Sir Gawain in his nobility and loyalty marries a woman that is an outrageous hag,saving a situation for his King, he steps up in a moment when circumstances demand his "sacrifice." The illustrations here are like an ancient gilted manuscript, they are delightful, but he has an interesting surprise coming.......
something that speaks to the nature of women and what they really want.

On the question of true desire, what does she want? I have to say this has always been such genius,this story, as any woman daily grapples with the fact that her mind and her beauty are competitors, with her inner being suppressed it often can only truly blossom long after she ages into the form man no longer "wants." She holds this a lifetime. Ah...it's a good tale, to be given freedom from this, now that is a rare gift.

Great story teller, awesome illustration with at least 12 years of children finding it a book that told something that they wanted to hear.
I'd definitely gift it to our daughters and read it to our sons.

As a homeschool mom, I read 100's of stories to/with my children. My daughter (will be 36 this year) just mentioned this book to me and how she appreciated its message. She took her children to the park yesterday to play, and there was a rather scraggly lady who came up and started to chat. My daughter said she remembered that story and how appearances can be deceiving. There are many good messages in this book, and children and adults will be very entertained. "What is it women want most?" I'll not spoil it, but it's very close to what Men want, too.

There is one bad mark about this book. At one point, the Black Night tells King Arthur, "God damn you, Arthur." I thought this was not necessary and especially since it is for children, it could have been toned down. Something like, "Curse ye, Arthur." I blacked it out with a Sharpie.

The book grew legs and walked out of my library, so now I'm here at Amazon looking for another copy to read to my grandchildren.

In the Arthurian legend cycle, Sir Gawain is the nephew of King Arthur and is one of Arthur's most eager and heroic knights. The greatest of the many Sir Gawain tales is "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". The second most famous tale is, "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and the Lady Ragnelle." This story is retold by Selina Hastings as "Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady."

Selina Hastings is a talented writer and a does a great job of retelling a medeival British romance so as to be accessable to young children. The richly detailed illustrations that accompany the story add greatly to the pleasure of the book. This volume is a must purchase for all parents who wish to introduce their children to the pleasures of Arthurian legend. Be sure not to miss Selina Hastings' retelling of the Green Knight tale.

This is a terrific book for young teen girls. They really get the message that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". They also love the answer to the riddle. ( I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read it yet!) I am a therapist who works with emotionally disturbed youth and it is one of my favorite books to share with clients or in teen girl groups. The illustrations are wonderful. I actually think it is not for young children, but more for teens and adults! It is one of my favorites. ...

This is a terrific book for young teen girls. They really get the message that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". They also love the answer to the riddle. ( I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read it yet!) I am a therapist who works with emotionally disturbed youth and it is one of my favorite books to share with clients or in teen girl groups. The illustrations are wonderful. I actually think it is not for young children, but more for teens and adults! It is one of my favorites. I am really disappointed that it is out of stock currently. I wanted to buy another copy for a library for foster youth.

Following a telephone conversation about "what women want" a friend told me the Sir Gawain story to which I listened while sitting in the car unable to stop the fascinating tale...then I just had to get the book and see the wonderful drawings by myself. Especially thrilling (you know the fascination kids and grownups have with disgusting things...) is the drawing of the indeed loathly lady. Boy, do you feel bad for Sir Gawain!! the book holds an ancient mythical charm, combined with the always true feminst (in its true sense) and human message. A lovely gift for women..

I had never heard this legend before I found this book at the library. I was glad I read it. The story is nice and the pictures are great! ( kind of gory). This an easy read, and a cute book.

This is fun story, and the pictures are wonderfully done,and appropriately loathely! The story may be a little sophisticated forkids.

Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady is a superb book. The story is for young and old, and definitely for those who are romantics at heart. I have used it many times as a gift for those who are newly married or engaged to be married. Since it's out of print, I need to locate some copies for the future!

This story is actually a variation on one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, but the Arthurian legend assimilated a lot of stuff, so what the heck? This is a beautiful rendering, in terms of both words and the illustrations. This is a fairy tale in its best sense and a delight to own.