Reviews with content warning for Blood - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

I've been assigned this tale twice for school, and I've enjoyed it both times. It's easy to follow and easy to get through, but it's also an interesting look back to a time that doesn't even feel real. Yes, I know headless knights and magical shields were never real, but they feel as real as the 1390s do.

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islabjb's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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level1055's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

🎶 अच्छा चलता हू, बुआ हैं ये याद रखना! 🎶

The idea that a strange looking stranger would walk up one day and challenge to be attacked and once having undergone it would collect their own beheaded head and then, demand the opportunity to attack back but a year later in itself is so fascinating but to spice it up perfectly for my Indian pallette it the storyline incorporated mysticism and topped it off with a plot twist at the end to make me lose my mind.

I was so excited to read this book not just because I wanted to watch the movie The Green Knight (2021) but also because everytime I clicked on it the first sight was that of this book cover. So pretty! ♥

The editing team behind this book and the translator have put in so much effort from setting up links to connect the references' explanations and the respective lines for a convenient reading, to providing whatever limited context available and detailed explanation of their translating choices, it made it such a fun experience for me.

Obviously I read the translated version and not the original. I am pretty sure that I have missed out on a lot of fun but it still managed to captivate me and as we were passing through different settings with Gawain, the beautiful descriptions and a befitting pace made it feel like I was riding a boat guided by the waves to the destination (and not in a scary manner).

Yes, the work is laced with a pinch of Misogyny and also, gender roles were being pushed under the guise of stoicism but it wasn't heinous enough to overshadow the rest of the good parts and I am so relieved about that.

This was so entertaining to read. So, if you wanted a sign to pick up this book... Well, this is it.
Have fun!
🙏

Content Warnings

lilylovesbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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caidyn's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a fun read. I definitely liked this better than Armitage's translation of The Death of King Arthur. I think that's because I like the story better. It wasn't just a huge battle with tons of fights, but more a typical Arthurian quest. I wish it had been a bit longer, but I really enjoyed the story, characters, and general pacing of it. It was also broken into four parts, which made it easier for me to find stopping points in the story, which, again, I liked a lot.

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