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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Medieval Book Reviews
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The Adventures of Sir Gawain The True
by Gerald Morris
Illustrated by Aaron Renier
Superb!
Sir Gawain, a knight in
King Arthur's court, has a reputation. He is Sir Gawain the
Undefeatable. He saves damsels from dragons. He wins
tournaments. But now, Sir Gawain faces a new kind of challenge
when, one Christmas feast, the Green Knight challenges him to meet blow
for blow. When Gawain chops off his head, the game
gets more serious. In a year's time, Gawain must meet the Green
Knight at the Green Chapel so that the Green Knight can return the
blow. Will Gawain keep his word? Through several
adventures, Sir Gawain learns that knighthood means more than being
undefeated.
In SIR GAWAIN THE TRUE, Gerald Morris instills his own storytelling
skills and humor into the medieval tale SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN
KNIGHT, making medieval literature come alive in the hearts of new
generations. At times his version diverges from the medieval
text. At times, Gerald Morris steps back to make fun of some of
the traditions and assumptions of chivalry, and yet, in the end, the
story itself exemplifies these values, such as the medieval concept of
trothe. Many
of the values underlying Sir Gawain's adventures are
indeed appropriate for young readers. Sir Gawain learns the value
of friendship, keeping one's word and courtesy/respect for others.
SIR GAWAIN THE TRUE is a great, fun story for young readers. The
pace is lively, the storytelling excellent and the characters
memorable. Aaron Renier's black and white illustrations enrich
the story's humor as well as the characterization and the
landscape. SIR GAWAIN THE TRUE is a marvelous way to introduce
the joy of the classics to young readers. SIR GAWAIN THE TRUE is
full of adventure, honor, and all those things that have enchanted
Arthurian fans throughout the centuries. Gerald Morris gives the
tales just the right twist for readers of today.
Although SIR GAWAIN THE TRUE has a target audience of young readers, I
highly recommend this and all of Gerald Morris's Arthurian tales to all
medievalists and Arthurian enthusiasts. Gerald Morris's tales,
SIR GAWAIN THE TRUE included, make one fall in love with medieval
literature all over again. In some ways, he is faithful to the
source material, but thankfully not in a slavish fashion. Those
who have read and reread SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT over and over,
like myself, will easily notice some of the differences between the
medieval version and Gerald Morris's version but the differences are
also what make the story so much fun. If you are looking
for a slavish word for word translation, go elsewhere. If
however, you enjoy a great story retold in new ways, SIR GAWAIN THE
TRUE is a keeper for the bookshelves! Indeed, in retelling
classic Arthurian tales while instilling in the tales his own unique
gift of storytelling, Gerald Morris makes the Arthurian world come
alive again. Of course, retelling and recreating, is in itself
faithful to the medieval spirit. Superb!
Publisher: Houghton
Mifflin
Books for Children (April 18, 2011)
Reading Level: Ages 6-9
Series: The Knight's Tales
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Medieval Book Reviews
Review Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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