2 h 29 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 2 h 29 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does honour cost when keeping your word means facing a deadly game?
At Camelot's Christmas feast, a huge green rider arrives with an axe and a challenge. King Arthur's proud court falls silent. Gawain, Arthur's nephew, steps forward to protect his king. In this Arthurian poem, a rash promise sends a knight famed for courtesy out into winter, where courage alone may not be enough to keep his honour whole.
A warm welcome awaits at a castle in the wilds. Its cheerful lord, Bertilak, proposes a game of exchange, while his wife tests Gawain's courtesy with persistent visits. Hunts, temptation and supernatural mystery turn the adventure into a test of character. How can Gawain remain a good knight when politeness, fear and the wish to live pull him in different directions?
What you’ll discover
- A feast interrupted Watch Camelot's merry confidence falter as the Green Knight mocks the famous Round Table.
- A promise to keep Follow Gawain into winter as his pledge puts his courage and honour under strain.
- Courtesy under pressure Enter a welcoming castle where a lady's wit makes good manners a difficult test.
- The thrill of pursuit Move between energetic hunts outside the castle and tense encounters within its walls.
- Honour meets human fear Explore the fragile space between a knight's ideals and his urgent wish to survive.
Who will love it
You will love this if you enjoy knights and quests, stories where a promise carries real weight, and games of honour told with warmth and a sly sense of humour.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A green stranger interrupts the Christmas feast
- The beheading game binds Gawain to a year
- A year passes and Gawain arms himself
- A lonely ride ends at a castle on Christmas Eve
- The host proposes a bargain and the hunts begin
- Two more days of hunting, and one hidden gift
- A snowy morning leads to the Green Chapel
- The tale tests courage, honour and temptation
- Mirrored scenes and the colour green shape the telling
Who’s who
- Sir GawainArthur's nephew and a knight of the Round Table, who takes up the Green Knight's challenge and must keep his word.
- The Green KnightA mighty rider, green from head to foot, who offers a beheading game at Arthur's feast and sets Gawain a promise.
- King ArthurThe king of Camelot, who hosts the Christmas feast and almost takes the challenge himself.
- Queen GuinevereArthur's queen, seated at the high table, who watches the stranger's challenge with dismay.
- The lord of the castleA tall, red-faced host who welcomes Gawain at Christmas, offers him shelter, and proposes a bargain of winnings.
- The lady of the castleThe host's young and lovely wife, who visits Gawain each morning and tests his courtesy with words and gifts.
- The old ladyA wrinkled, dark-browed noblewoman who sits in the place of honour in the castle beside its lord.
- GringaletGawain's loyal horse, who carries him through winter wilderness to the castle and beyond.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
Sir Gawain y el Caballero Verde
by Jessie L. Weston · 1375
A mighty green knight rides into Camelot, offers a deadly game, and Gawain steps forward to take the axe.
Medium level2–5 hours to readEspañol
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
Picture a New Year feast at Camelot. The music has barely faded when a rider fills the doorway, taller than any man in the hall and green from head to foot.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A green stranger interrupts the Christmas feast
The story opens with a look back at Britain's founding. Arthur has a custom. On a feast day he will not eat until he has heard a marvellous tale or seen a knightly challenge.
He does not wait long. As the first course arrives, a figure rides through the hall door, so tall he seems a giant. His coat, his beard and his hair are green, and so is his huge horse.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 15 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1375
- Language
- Español
- Reading time
- 1 h 35 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Weston, Jessie L. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/sir-gawain-and-the-green-knight.
Weston, J. L. (2026). Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/sir-gawain-and-the-green-knight (Original work published ca. 1375)
Weston, Jessie L. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/sir-gawain-and-the-green-knight.
@book{weston2026sir,
author = {Weston, Jessie L.},
title = {Sir Gawain and the Green Knight},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/sir-gawain-and-the-green-knight},
note = {First published ca. 1375}
}
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Sir Gawain y el Caballero Verde
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight about?
It follows Sir Gawain, who accepts a strange challenge from a mighty green knight at Arthur's Christmas feast. He promises to meet the knight a year later, and his journey tests his courage, courtesy and honesty.
Who is the Green Knight?
He is a huge stranger who rides into Camelot dressed and mounted all in green, holding a holly branch and an axe. He offers Arthur's knights a beheading game that binds the one who plays it.
What does the pentangle on Gawain's shield mean?
The pentangle is a five-pointed star drawn in one endless line, a sign of truth. For Gawain, it stands for five senses, five fingers, five wounds of Christ, five joys of Mary, and five knightly virtues.
The author
Jessie L. Weston
1850–1928 · English medieval literature scholar
Jessie L. Weston (1850–1928) was an English scholar and translator who lived in England. She studied medieval literature and Arthurian legends. Her translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight appeared in 1898. She also wrote studies of Arthurian literature, including From Ritual to Romance, published in 1920.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
