The Faerie Queene: Book One

While nearly all Spenser scholars will point you to the Longman edition for the best edition of the FAERIE QUEENE (even the editors of this edition), what makes this book (and the subsequent edition for each individual book) worth while is that it comes with a Book specific introduction, and is easy to carry around, along with copious notes--not overdone, though, just enough for good understanding of Spenser's complex allegory... Read Full Review

This is a review of The Faerie Queene, Penguin Classics edition, edited by Thomas Roche (ISBN 0140422072). The Faerie Queene itself will not be to everyone's taste. It is probably easier than Milton, definitely harder than Malory, and parts of it are very accessible and parts of it are not very accessible at all. However, the language, which most will perceive as the primary barrier to Spenser's work, is not that difficult... Read Full Review

THE FAERIE QUEENE. By Edmund Spenser. Edited by Thomas P. Roche, Jr with the assistance of C. Patrick O'Donnell, Jr. 1247 pp. Penguin English Poets, 1978 and Reprinted.Although everyone has heard of Edmund Spenser's amazing narrative poem, 'The Faerie Queene,' it's a pity that few seem to read it. To a superficial glance it may appear difficult, although the truth is that it's basically a fascinating story that even... Read Full Review

The Faerie Queene is one of the great classics of Renaissance literature, and for very good reasons. Although it is difficult reading (and NO, contrary to another review here, it is NOT in OLD English! Look at the original version of Beowulf and you will see the difference), many of the tensions of the Renaissance, spiritually and philosophically, are masterfully renedered in these brilliant tales. Because its allegory is... Read Full Review

As a freshman student who is enrolled in English Literature, I needed all the help I could get,especially with English that is not modern. The Renaissance Version of the Faerie Queene is quite hard to read, and must be read over and over again before you can comprehend all the underlying themes and symbols. This edition, stated in modern English, makes the work so much more enjoyable and easy to understand. Not much... Read Full Review