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170th out of 1,069 books
—
2,418 voters
The Canterbury Tales
Lively, absorbing, often outrageously funny, Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is a work of genius, an undisputed classic that has held a special appeal for each generation of readers. The Tales gathers twenty-nine of literature’s most enduring (and endearing) characters in a vivid group portrait that captures the full spectrum of medieval society, from the exalted Knight to...more
Paperback, 688 pages
Published
February 1st 1982
by Bantam Classics
(first published 1372)
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A classic that has worn well... the psychology, in particular with regard to women, seems remarkably modern! It's funny, and not just in one style either. Sometimes he's subverting the popular cliches of the day, sometimes he's slyly campaigning for women's rights, and sometimes he's just having fun telling dirty jokes. I'm having trouble deciding which style I like most - they're all good, and often mixed up together too.
I once spent a pleasant bus trip sitting next to a grad student who was do...more
I once spent a pleasant bus trip sitting next to a grad student who was do...more
I really love this collection of stories. Who didn't love the Wife of Bath? Or the Friar (a timely parable all Priests and Pastor should read). I loved The Canterbury Tales so much that I memorized the prologue in Old Middle English (and can still partially recite it)...
"Whan that Aprille with his shoures sote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour,
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every hol...more
"Whan that Aprille with his shoures sote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour,
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every hol...more
7 likes · like · see review
Look out, Bocaccio -- there's a new author of clever, bawdy rhyming tales, and his name is Geoffrey Chaucer! Whether you're a reeve, abbot, or just a simple canon's yeoman, you're sure to find something delightful in this witty, incisive collection. My personal favorites were the one about Chaunticleer the rooster and the one where the dude gets a red-hot poker shoved up his butt. I read it while I was laid up with the plague, and Chaucer's insouciant descriptions and intricate plotting helped i...more
15 likes · like · see review
Jan 18, 2008
Nathanial
added it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
bawdy minstrels and blushing maidens, or blushing minstrels and bawdy maidens
i love that the pilgrimage never ends, that they're always going somewhere, and that someone always has a story to tell to pass the time. my favorite part is when chaucer breaks into the mix of voices (each distinct and characteristic) to mock himself as an orator and then proceed to proclaim a long, extensive essay into the histories of judgment, reason, and passion. of course, it's the part of the book that this edition has cut out.
I read the "Miller's Tale". There once was a trade carpenter who lived him Oxford. There was also Nicholas, a poor cleric. Nicholas was madly in love with the carpenter's wife, Alison, and wanted to be with her. One day they were flirting and he grabbed her and told her to make love with him that very moment or he would die. She told him she would not kiss him by her faith though she wanted to. Nicholas and Alison came up with a plan so they could be together for the night without her jealous hu...more
1 like · like · see review
Oct 09, 2012
Rebecca
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-fiction,
british
Update: So I went and read some of this book in it's original Olde English and found that I probably wouldn't have been as offended (though the story is the SAME... so why not?!) had I read it instead of the translation.
It is also possible that I might have been a bit over-sensitive and reactionary.
One day I may attempt to read this in its original tongue. Maybe.
******
Wow. This was not what I thought it would be (Aesopian or in the vein of the Brothers Grimm). Where should I start?
I didn't fini...more
It is also possible that I might have been a bit over-sensitive and reactionary.
One day I may attempt to read this in its original tongue. Maybe.
******
Wow. This was not what I thought it would be (Aesopian or in the vein of the Brothers Grimm). Where should I start?
I didn't fini...more
2 likes · like · see review
I'm gonna start texting in Chaucer's English.
*declares war on abbreviation*
*declares war on abbreviation*
15 likes · like · see review
"The Summoner"
A friar goes into a town looking for goods to give to the church. He spotted a house that he had stopped at before and always gave willingly. The Friar talked to the man (who is in a wheelchair) and his wife. The wife offered the friar something to eat. The friar told her that he would love something, but nothing needed to be killed on his account; but if she truly wanted to she can. The wife greets the friar and talks about how the last time the friar visited her son died not too...more
A friar goes into a town looking for goods to give to the church. He spotted a house that he had stopped at before and always gave willingly. The Friar talked to the man (who is in a wheelchair) and his wife. The wife offered the friar something to eat. The friar told her that he would love something, but nothing needed to be killed on his account; but if she truly wanted to she can. The wife greets the friar and talks about how the last time the friar visited her son died not too...more
Jan 31, 2011
Robyn Blaber
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
british-literature,
favorites
I don't think I've ever felt more humbled while reading a book. Of course I had read some of these tales as a schoolboy, but really hadn't the education to understand what I was reading. Chaucer's characters are so varied in style and spirit, yet with great ease manage to drop references from Solomon to Ovid, Catullus to Cato, Boethius to Dante and sometimes all within a single paragraph.
How can it be that some fellow from the Dark Ages could be better read than my modern self? How is it possibl...more
How can it be that some fellow from the Dark Ages could be better read than my modern self? How is it possibl...more
3 likes · like · see review
Here are my little critiques of Chaucer's masterpiece, tale by tale.
The General Prologue
A nice introduction to Chaucer's conceit, his characters, storytellers all, and his conversational style. One thing that surprises me, is Chaucer's tendency to halt his narrative for little asides about his choices in detail. It's all a little meta for 14th century literature and disruptive to say the least - I mean, who needs to be told why Chaucer tells us of a character's dress and complection, but not of...more
The General Prologue
A nice introduction to Chaucer's conceit, his characters, storytellers all, and his conversational style. One thing that surprises me, is Chaucer's tendency to halt his narrative for little asides about his choices in detail. It's all a little meta for 14th century literature and disruptive to say the least - I mean, who needs to be told why Chaucer tells us of a character's dress and complection, but not of...more
Writing a "review" of The Canterbury Tales is difficult, not because the book/collection isn't worthy of a review, but because it is so widely variant and has so many nuances to be discussed.
For those who don't know, The Canterbury Tales is a book containing a bunch of stories told by individuals traveling together on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. The book is written in the late 1300s with the pilgrimage set in the same basic time. It begins with a "General Prologue" providing a description of ea...more
For those who don't know, The Canterbury Tales is a book containing a bunch of stories told by individuals traveling together on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. The book is written in the late 1300s with the pilgrimage set in the same basic time. It begins with a "General Prologue" providing a description of ea...more
I found this rather disappointing, but not because of Chaucer's text, but rather the structure and layout chosen by the author and editors. The facing page arrangement of Middle English vs a modern english translation was good - it kept intelligibility high without losing sight of the original metre / versification. However, all the notes were tucked away at the back of the book, obscurely referenced by an asterix placed seemingly at random in the text to indicate you should look something up.
Th...more
Th...more
I read this in Middle English, so it was extremely challenging, but well worth the extra effort. The "Canturbury Tales" are a collection of stories, all but two of which, were written in verse. In the framing story, 24 pilgrims are on their way from Southwark to Canturbury to visit the Saint Thomas Becket shrine at Canturbury Cathedral. When they stop along the way, they entertain the group with tales, some serious, some hilarious, some racy, some satirical, and some laced with religious themes....more
Nov 16, 2007
Kevin Tucker
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
no-one
I'm actually listening to this on CD and it has been "translated" from it's original "Old English" to a bit more modern English. And I must say, I am grateful that it has been, they provided a snippet of what it might have actually originally sounded like and I could barely understand a single word! It was amazing!
I couldn't finish this. Perhaps it's the translation. Perhaps they didn't translate it enough. Perhaps it's just the content. But I just didn't care for these stories.
The first one ab...more
I couldn't finish this. Perhaps it's the translation. Perhaps they didn't translate it enough. Perhaps it's just the content. But I just didn't care for these stories.
The first one ab...more
1 like · like · see review
I read the "Man Of The Law's Tale". The tale is a very interesting story about a Sryian Sultan who hears from merchants about the beautiful Lady Constance. The Sultan goes out of his way to marry Constance. The Sultan succeeds in marrying Lady Constance, but the wedding ceremony does not go the way he intended. I found this story quite interesting in the way it pans out. I would recommend this story to anyone ages 16 and up.
1 like · like · see review
It's disconcerting to me to look at the "published" date on the listing and see 1390!
I'll admit I probably didn't delve into this as much as scholarly appropriate - I read the translation mostly since plowing through the old english seemed a bit unnecessary since I wasn't reading it for a class. I do appreciate the magnitude of the work however - don't get me wrong.
I was pretty much surprised by the misogyny and the graphic sexuality contained within. I don't know what I expected really but I g...more
I'll admit I probably didn't delve into this as much as scholarly appropriate - I read the translation mostly since plowing through the old english seemed a bit unnecessary since I wasn't reading it for a class. I do appreciate the magnitude of the work however - don't get me wrong.
I was pretty much surprised by the misogyny and the graphic sexuality contained within. I don't know what I expected really but I g...more
I read the Franklin in the Canterbury Tales. This tale is about how a husband leaves for work in Britain leaving his wife very lovesick while he is gone. The wife’s friends try to get things off of her mind but nothing seems to work. While that is happening, another man, who is in love with the wife, makes a move. The wife is very loyal to her husband,refusing to do anything with the man. The wife makes one mistake and she tells the man that she will love him back if he can get rid of all the ro...more
1 like · like · see review
I lyked wonder well and trewely thise talen of chivalrye, love, and ribaudye of ful yore ago. Yow moot it rede, it wol profit thee anon! I felt like I should be hearing these tales in a great medieval hall before a huge fire, chewing on a turkey leg or something skewered on a knife. I could see Chaucer's audience being entranced by these tales from all levels of society, full of romance, humor, and human foibles. I made a heroic effort at the the middle english (with my facing page modern transl...more
1 like · like · see review
I just listened to this audio, and was alternately baffled, bored and amused by it, but acknowledge its brilliance. I admit I was almost defeated by the length and complexity of "The Knight's Tale" which dealt with an adventure in Greece and went on and on and on, but I was highly amused at Chaucer's portraits of the other tale-tellers, the monk, the abbot, the miller, etc. Basically a large eclectic group of pilgrims descends on an English inn, all on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Becket...more
I read all four parts of the knight's tale. This tale actually did a good job of including very chivalrous knights that held honor above everything else. It starts with showing Theseus's kind side and then introduces Arcite and Palamon. Arcite and Palamon spotted Emily from inside their jail cell and instantly fell in love. The two of them then fought and did everything in their power to win her over. Compared to what I have heard of the other tales, this seems like one of the better ones that G...more
1 like · like · see review
Jun 06, 2013
Dark-Draco
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
classics,
short-story-collection
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book. It is a collection of short stories, told be a group of travellers on a pilgrimmage to Canterbury. Each has a go at telling the most entertaining one, so that they get a free meal at the end of the journey. They are a diverse bunch of characters - a Knight, a Wife, a Priest, a Nun, a Clerk, a Miller etc. The stories are reasonably diverse, although there is a lot of unfaithful husbands and wives to contend with. My favorite stor...more
THE CANTERBURY TALES. (14th-15th Century). Geoffrey Chaucer. ****.
This was an edition of The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer issued by The Folio Society in 1966 in two volumes. It was translated from Middle English into modern English by Neville Coghill, with illustrations by Edna Whyte. We have – most of us – had to read at least part of this work for various English courses in either high school or college, so the stories are mostly familiar. What was nice about this edition was that by broken int...more
This was an edition of The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer issued by The Folio Society in 1966 in two volumes. It was translated from Middle English into modern English by Neville Coghill, with illustrations by Edna Whyte. We have – most of us – had to read at least part of this work for various English courses in either high school or college, so the stories are mostly familiar. What was nice about this edition was that by broken int...more
"The Prioress Tale" was the story I read in this book. This story is about a little boy that lives in a big town in Asia largely populated with Christians. However there is a ghetto that is populated with Jews. The little boy has to walk through this ghetto everyday to get to and from school. This little boy asks his older schoolmate to teach him a song that praises Mary, Christ’s mother, to show his religious devotion. When the boy’s schoolmate does, he devotes all his time to memorize the song...more
"The Cleric's Tale" was very different. I would recommend this tale to anyone of the ages 16 and up. Either guy or girl could be interested in this tale, but younger people may not fully understand the concept. I would give this book a three out of five because I didn't really like it that much. It's about a king who never wanted to get married, but his people wanted him to. He ended up getting married to a very poor woman, because she was kind, honest, loyal, and beautiful. They got married, an...more
Mar 28, 2012
Nikki
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
medieval-literature,
poetry
I actually reread this in my copy of the Norton Critical edition, which is very good, with glosses, notes, and a lot of supplementary material. Unfortunately, you can't put two read dates in, so. Here we go.
I decided to reread The Canterbury Tales because a) I've read Troilus and Criseyde twice now, and loved it, and b) I had to look at the Wife of Bath's tale as a Gawain romance. Gawain is always going to be a draw for me, so I settled down to read it. I find it frustrating, in its unfinished a...more
I decided to reread The Canterbury Tales because a) I've read Troilus and Criseyde twice now, and loved it, and b) I had to look at the Wife of Bath's tale as a Gawain romance. Gawain is always going to be a draw for me, so I settled down to read it. I find it frustrating, in its unfinished a...more
I picked "The Canterbury Tales" up without having any idea of what to expect. Reading through, I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud over some of the scenes presented within the tales. This book rammed a lightning bolt through the area of my brain which housed preconceived notions. The first notion that was shot to hell was that anything that is over 500 years old wouldn't be funny. Another notion that was put to an end while reading this book was that the art of poetry has evolved ov...more
Chaucer [...] came up with the ingenuous literary device of having a pilgrimage, a technique that allowed him to bring together a diverse group of people. Thus Chaucer's narrators represent a wide spectrum of society with various ranks and occupations. From the distinguished and noble Knight, we descend through the pious abbess (the Prioress), the honorable Clerk, the rich landowner (the Franklin), the worldly and crude Wife, and on down the scale to the low, vulgar Miller and Carpenter, and the...more
It would be impossible to overstate the influence of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. A work with one metaphorical foot planted in the Florentine Renaissance literary tradition of Boccaccio’s Decameron and the other in works ranging from John Bunyan, Voltaire, and Mark Twain to the popular entertainments of our own time, The Canterbury Tales stands astride the cultures of Great Britain and America, and much of Europe, like a benign colossus.
Beyond its importance as a cultural touchstone...more
Beyond its importance as a cultural touchstone...more
I've read both the Middle English (original) version and a few of the translated versions, and I've decided to go back to the original and revisit some of my favorite stories. The Tales, like Don Quixote, are one of those works that I'm *always* reading. They are lifetime books, in that there is always something new there, some nuance I've previously overlooked, some linguistic trick, some emotional capture...always something. Always. It is, I believe, probably one of the finest things ever writ...more
Feb 02, 2011
Claudia
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011-book-challenge-150-books
Wow -- can't even think of what to 'categorize' this as...not a classic I should have read a long time ago, not a picture book...Barbara Cohen has done a great job making Chaucer's classic accessible to modern readers, with all the sly humor and beauty...but it's Hyman's illustrations that make this story leap from the pages. I wish I could describe them adequately. The first illustration, a cutaway view of the Tabard, shows the activity of the Inn, the Pilgrims enjoying themselves, and the peop...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best translation? | 7 | 48 | 11 hours, 33 min ago | |
| Info on J. U. Nicolson please | 1 | 22 | Feb 12, 2013 10:06am | |
| Board game based on The Canterbury Tales | 1 | 24 | Aug 15, 2012 07:03pm | |
| Help!! | 4 | 76 | Mar 18, 2012 06:03am |
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – October 25, 1400?) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished frame narrative The Canterbury Tales. Sometimes called the father of English literature, Chaucer is credited by some scholars as being the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacu...more
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“people can die of mere imagination”
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