Customer Reviews

Piers Plowman by William Langland: A New Annotated Edition of the C-Text (University of Exeter Press - Exeter Medieval Texts and Studies)

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This edition of the C-text is handsomely presented and appears to have good notes. It appears to be the only commonly available edition of the C in Middle English (and interspersed Latin), and while I have some reservations about the rather large format, this is not a book that most of us will be taking to the beach for some light reading, anyway.
Editorial questions aside, I highly recommend the Plowman to anyone interested in good poetry and the medieval mindset. Langland was an alliterative genius, and this poetic form, so natural for the English language, allows for amazing depth of expression, not to mention being a refreshing change from rhyming metrical composition and from the stiff blandness of most modern so-called verse. The poem also opens a window on a whole way of thought that is rarely seen today, one grounded in religion and hierarchy. One prize example of this is the mind-expanding re-telling of the old cat-and-bell fable in the prologue, which the author transforms into an argument for obedience to even a flawed authority as better than popular rule.
Before you start in on this rewarding adventure in reading, I would offer a couple warnings:
1) This is not an easy read. Even with the notes, Middle English takes some getting used to, and Langland is a bit more difficult than Chaucer. He also includes a massive battery of historical, religious and philosophical references. Don't expect to understand all of them on the first try.
2) Accurate knowledge of Catholicism is extremely helpful. Langland was definitely Catholic(despite some intellectual blunders on his part), and this heavily influences his characters' thoughts and actions. Catholics who forgot their catechism lessons and non-Catholics will be very confused without prior study.
And now, why don't you get away from your computer screen and buckle down to some difficult but all the more enjoyable literature? Life is short, and you've got a lot of reading to do.

This new edition has an extended introduction, expanded notes, new line-end annotations for "difficult" words, and retains a useful glossary. Pearsall's edition has just the right aids to enable the non-expert to gain access to this deeply strange work, without spoiling the fun by draining it of its challenge and magic with scholarly analysis. Economou's translation of the C text is recommended as a companion for newcomers.