Vision of Piers Plowman (Everyman's Library) [Paperback]

William Langland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1995

One man's dream of a better society...PIERS PLOWMAN stands at the centre of medieval English literature along with Chaucer's CANTERBURY TALES, which in many ways it complements. A weary wanderer falls asleep and dreams of a tower and a deep dungeon, and in between the whold of humanity pursuing its business and pleasure...but his dream becomes a profound vision of redemption, in which the corruptions and injustices that occur daily are laid open with passionate truthfulness in poetry that combines vigorous realism and probing argument with moments of epic sublimity and lyrical beauty. Edited by AVC Schmidt of Balliol College, Oxford, this is the B-Text. 'A marvel of comprehension' Derek Pearsall

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

About the Author

William Langland lived from c.1330 to c.1386. He was born near Malvern and was educated for a career in the Church, but appears to have married and never proceeded beyond minor orders. A.V.C. Schmidt taught at University College, Dublin and Exeter College, Oxford, before becoming Andrew Bradley-James Mazwell Fellow in 1973 at Balliol College, Oxford, where he is Senior English Fellow.

Product Details

• Paperback: 550 pages
• Publisher: Everyman Paperbacks; 2 edition (April 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0460875094
• ISBN-13: 978-0460875097
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #741,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has everything you need and more, August 4, 2005

By 

a reader "a reader" (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vision of Piers Plowman (Everyman's Library) (Paperback)

Personally I don't see the point of translating English into English, so if you want to read The Vision of Piers Plowman as it was written (well, one version anyway!), this is the edition to get. However, I do concede that our language has changed to the extent that reading such a text is difficult without aids - of which this book is chock full. You have (a) footnotes and translations of the Latin quotes (b) notes on lexical elements of the text (c) notes notes on the meaning of the text. (a) is presented alongside the text whilst (b) and (c) are at the back, which does mean flicking to and fro as you read, but the rewards are worth it! This is the standard to which all modern print editions of medieval manuscripts should aspire. Outstanding work.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For those who can read Middle English only!, February 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Vision of Piers Plowman (Everyman's Library) (Paperback)

I remember having to recite the prologue of the Canturbury Tales in Middle English in high school but this is a couple hundred pages. I have read some 'Middle English' books where it wasn't difficult to understand at all, only the spelling was slightly off. THIS IS NOT THE CASE HERE!

For example:

But of coket or clermatyn or ellis of clene whete

That sentence is translated as follows:
But only loaves made of fine wheat flour, or at least only out of wheat unmixed.

There is a lot of latin thrown in as well, so if you are a curious reader who has no background in germanistics or medieval literature, this might not be the book for you. You will probably understand 60-70 percent of what is going on, but a modern English translation might be better.

The story itself is awesome and far superior to Pilgrim's Progress. Like that story, the narrator has a vision and encounters various aspects of human nature in his quest for salvation. The characters are more complex than in Pilgrim's Progress and you have a beautiful tale of a man trying to adhere to his Christian faith amidst clerical and secular corruption.
Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relatively accessible edition, June 4, 2007

By 

N. M. Heckel (Madison, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vision of Piers Plowman (Everyman's Library) (Paperback)

That is, compared to, say, Skeat's multi-volume monstrosity. PP is a great text, but, as an earlier unfortunate reviewer noted, this is not an edition (or really a text, whether it's translated or not) to tackle without at least an introductory class on Middle English literature. If you haven't had any experience with MidE, don't beat yourself up if you can't deal with Schmidt's edition. If you have a little MidE and you want a decent basic text, this is the most affordable and accessible way to go. Just take notes in pencil-- the paper's not of the best quality.