The Faerie Queene, Book One (Hackett Classics)

As a child, I loved the way Dr. Seuss unreeled his spools of proliferating improbability in intricate patterns of rhythm and rhyme; in fact, I loved it so much that I think he helped wire my brain for the more complex complexities unreeled by Spenser. Even so, when I came to the forests and castles of "The Faerie Queene," it was by way not of McElligot's Pool, but rather of Barsoom, Hyboria, Middle Earth, and Narnia--though I must admit that when C. S. Lewis conducted me across the frontier once and for all it was through "The Allegory of Love" rather than Professor Kirke's wardrobe. (I had also previously accompanied the psychologists of the Garaden Institute on an inconclusive foray via syllogismobile.) You see, while reveling in the worlds of fantasy and adventure, I had also begun to look into more serious study of mythology, psychology, morality, and religion, and when on the threshold of my college years I learned from Lewis that all these enthusiasms were united in a single landmark work already enshrined on many a college syllabus, I was hooked.Or, at least, hooked in principle. Knights and ladies, lady knights, quests and combats, a revenant corpse, wizards and witches, wild men, dragons and giants, demons, nymphs and satyrs, gods and goddesses, an iron automaton, a guardian angel--how could I resist? Yet making headway in the poem was difficult, and not only because of the alienating archaism and allegory that loomed before me. In those days it was hard even to find a copy of "The Faerie Queene" that wasn't in minuscule small print, and impossible to find one with helpful annotation for anything like the length of the poem. I persevered, and it was worth it; but it was tough going. But now! Nowadays there are not one but two splendidly legible, fully-annotated Kindle editions (by Roche and Hamilton). Many first-time readers seem completely unfazed by the features of the poem that I found off-putting. And for newcomers who, like my teenage self, are determined to take on the entire poem, yet need basic help from same-page annotation that doesn't threaten to engulf the text, there is Hackett Publishing's five-volume edition. From the darkest infernal depths to the Olympian luminosity of the lunar sphere, wherever the poem takes you, a Hackett editor is at hand with just the amount of information you need to get your bearings and keep on going.It is, on the whole, an advantage of the Hackett set that we get the editorial perspective of a different expert scholar in each volume; the big disadvantage is that five separate volumes are cumbersome to carry around and fumble with if, rather than focusing on a single book at a time, you want to consider all the far-flung corners of the poem synoptically. It would be wonderful to have all five volumes in a single searchable e-book, and, luckily, such an edition does exist; I have it and consult it often. The penetrating introductory essays, succinct annotation, bright illustrated covers (with back-cover blurbs), and original pagination (in the form of page images) are all intact. Yet, apart from Book One, you're not going to find it on Kindle--and the flowing text of the Kindle version, while beautifully readable, not only dispenses with the original pagination, but fudges the traditional stanza format and introduces some confusing typos.So. If you like proliferating improbabilities in intricately patterned rhythm and rhyme, to say nothing of fantasy, adventure, mythology, psychology, morality, or religion, you just might come to love "The Faerie Queene." If you'd like help from judicious same-page annotation, you may find the complete Hackett edition in any of its formats to be invaluable. But since the most convenient format is the e-book containing all five volumes, why, oh why is that not available for Kindle? I just can't fathom it.In the meantime: While you can't get the complete Hackett set for your Kindle e-reader or the Kindle app, you CAN easily get it on the Fire tablet (Kindle Fire, as some still call it). Simply download the Bookshelf app offered by VitalSource Technologies and you'll be able to purchase and download either the complete 5-in-one Hackett "Faerie Queene" or any of the five volumes individually, thus bringing Spenser's prescient 1594 rave at least one step closer to full realization: "KINDLE FIRE ... WONDERFUL DEVICE" ("Amoretti," Sonnet 30, line 12). And the Bookshelf version is both more distinctly legible and much more readily navigable than the Google Play one I used to recommend here.

Of all of the classic English literature that I have read, The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser is among my favorites. The funny thing is, I don't have that much love for reading poetry (I can appreciate it for it's merits, but it's normally not my cup of tea,) but I thoroughly enjoyed this book length poem.The main story is of the Redcrosse Knight and his lady love Una, a princess who has asked her betrothed to rid the kingdom of a terrible dragon. Along the way they must face many challenges (and much allegory,) which makes for quite an entertaining tale. My favorite part of the story is the Redcrosse Knight's experiences in the House of Pride.Overall, this is a rich allegorical tale full of knights, princesses, and evil creatures of myth and legend all written in a beautifully constructed verse that flows wonderfully. I haven't read any of the other books of the Faerie Queene, but Book 1 was fantastic.

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. But making the FAERIE QUEENE portable and easier to take with you and understand is what makes me recommend this edition. The poem itself is a testament to imaginative poetry, and a must read for serious students of Literature or the Elizabethan era.

The annotations are good, but leave many puzzling words and phrases unexplained.I read it in PDF form, which has annotations in footnotes at the bottom of each page. In conjunction with the versions annotated by  AC Hamilton  and  D L Purves , the poem is quite readable.Hamilton's annotations are often overbearing, with a lot of interpretation and academic commentary. Kaske's annotations interfere less with appreciating the poem as poetry. The Purves version has somewhat modernized spelling, which sometimes is useful to understand something.Kaske's version has numbers on the stanzas, which is useful.

While my professor does not enjoy digital text books, she allowed me to try downloading this for my iPad and it worked very well. Sometimes the words got a little fuzzy but overall, this book worked like a charm.

I know this is a classic and mandatory for probably every English major in the Anglophone world, but it is misogynistic, puerile, lacking in internal logic, and not very interesting. Chaucer and Shakespeare are everything Spenser is not, but it is unlikely you will not be forced to read it if you seek higher education. I will definitely be selling mine.

Fascinating after getting used to the meter and old English words!

Perfect quality and fast arrival.

This book looks as if it’s been pulled out of a printer jam!!!! There are folded edges with ink on them and the spine has been badly creased from a hard impact. Very disappointed.

フェアリークイーンの本はペンギンブックスとロングマンから分厚いペーパーバックが出ている。ペンギンブックスは古い英語がそのままになっていて、注は後ろにまとめてある。ロングマンは詳しい注が本文下にあるので勉強するには一番よいが、何といっても本が大きすぎる。このハケット版は５分冊になっているので、他のものよりうすく、持ち運びが楽である。さらに注の量は少ないが、ページの下部にあり、さらに本文を現代綴りに直してあるので、読んで楽しむためにはこの版が良いのではないだろうか。さらにハードカバーもあるようだ。