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The Canterbury Tales
They set off on an April morning with the rain dripping from the branches. Even with the rain, they were glad to be on their way--priests, nuns, tradesmen, men from the city, all pilgrims on the road to Canterbury.
To pass the long journey they told each other stories: of magic and trickery, of animals with blazing eyes, of people with their pants on fire, of two thousand men battling before smoking walls, stories of love and death and the devil. There were written down by Geoffrey Chaucer, and he called them The Canterbury Tales.
Geraldine McCaughrean retells The Canterbury Tales for children in a lively and humorous style which captures the original flair of Chaucer himself. She introduces us to the characters who told these tales: the shy, battle-hardened Knight, the Summoner whose breath smells of onions, the angry Miller with his read beard, and the Widow of Bath who likes a happy ending.
The stories and the characters are vividly brought to life by Victor Ambrus, with pictures of wild chases, exciting battles, and the April countryside through which the pilgrims travel.
To pass the long journey they told each other stories: of magic and trickery, of animals with blazing eyes, of people with their pants on fire, of two thousand men battling before smoking walls, stories of love and death and the devil. There were written down by Geoffrey Chaucer, and he called them The Canterbury Tales.
Geraldine McCaughrean retells The Canterbury Tales for children in a lively and humorous style which captures the original flair of Chaucer himself. She introduces us to the characters who told these tales: the shy, battle-hardened Knight, the Summoner whose breath smells of onions, the angry Miller with his read beard, and the Widow of Bath who likes a happy ending.
The stories and the characters are vividly brought to life by Victor Ambrus, with pictures of wild chases, exciting battles, and the April countryside through which the pilgrims travel.
113 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1984
98 people are currently reading
929 people want to read
About the author
Geraldine McCaughrean
349 books326 followersGeraldine McCaughrean is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including Peter Pan in Scarlet (2004), the official sequel to Peter Pan commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the holder of Peter Pan's copyright. Her work has been translated into 44 languages worldwide. She has received the Carnegie Medal twice and the Michael L. Printz Award among others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
April 5, 2016
At first I thought it was great that they could make Chaucer accessible to kids. The stories were adventuresome and some were funny and I thought it would be a great way to introduce this book to children. But then I was curious about the retellings and read the cliff notes. Now I don't like this book at all. Some of the story's characters names were changed and I think it's totally unnecessary to do that, plus the stories had to be modified because of the content and at first I thought that it's OK, but now I think it's wrong. Because of the nature of the stories, I don't think children should be exposed until they're older. Some books are just like that!
June 14, 2020
This is sort of like a dry run for the original text of the Canterbury Tales. Not that I mind that. The prose is functional and heavy, but, most importantly, it serves its purpose: to give the reader a quick retelling of each of the Canterbury Tales, without the poetry.
For me, it's a lot easier to absorb words in older English/Shakespearian English if I have an idea of what they're about first, and it allows me to focus more on the poetry/prose itself, with the worry of figuring out the story gone. So this is good for that; now, when I read Chaucer's original Canterbury Tales, I'll already have an idea of each story going in.
Don't come to this edition if you're looking for outstanding verse, poetic phrases, or a strong authorial voice. DO come to this edition if you want a functional Sparknotes on the Canterbury Tales to make future reading a little easier.
For me, it's a lot easier to absorb words in older English/Shakespearian English if I have an idea of what they're about first, and it allows me to focus more on the poetry/prose itself, with the worry of figuring out the story gone. So this is good for that; now, when I read Chaucer's original Canterbury Tales, I'll already have an idea of each story going in.
Don't come to this edition if you're looking for outstanding verse, poetic phrases, or a strong authorial voice. DO come to this edition if you want a functional Sparknotes on the Canterbury Tales to make future reading a little easier.
July 23, 2020
Nice adaptation for my 8-year-old for read-aloud. Used to complement SOTW 2 with our homeschool.
June 13, 2025
read this to my little sister over the past couple months and was such a good read. i've never really bothered to read the canterbury tales so this was really interesting to both me and viola and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. chaucer is just so good i don't know how he did it! viola says that she thought that the clerk's tale should have won (questionable choice) but the miller's tale was the funniest (good taste). i'm for the pardoner's or the wife of bath's tale. all round super fun to read and provoked some good conversation topics for me and the sister - alchemy, compound interest, the plague, misogyny, religion, what makes a good story - inclusive.
we've also agreed to write our own canterbury tale about our family in a car trip i'm looking forwards to that
we've also agreed to write our own canterbury tale about our family in a car trip i'm looking forwards to that
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August 11, 2023So boring 😢 poor 7th graders 😢
March 15, 2016
I wanted a refresher on The Canterbury Tales and I really didn't feel like reading it in Middle English, so this was perfect for me. The stories are just as charming as ever (my favorite will always be the Widow's). This version of the book would probably be a great introduction to this classic bunch of tales for younger readers.
September 19, 2025
We’ve been jumping around in class with this so I decided to just read it through
December 30, 2020
Very fun retelling.
October 15, 2017
I've never read the original, so I can't say how good a "translation" this is, but it is entertaining. I wasn't sure my kids would like it because I felt the language was still a little above their comprehension, but they loved it. Occasionally I'd stop and make sure they understood what was happening and then we'd read on. My kids ages 7-12 enjoyed it the most, but ages 2-5 lost interest quickly. We all voted that Brother John told the best story.
March 25, 2013
Loved it when I was 10 years old. Love it now I'm 25. A true classic, told in a plainer, but nonetheless charming, way.
January 27, 2016
Fun read. The kids and I enjoyed it very much. Full of different types of short stories- some humorous others more dramatic.
February 12, 2017
Some pilgrims once made a pilgrimage journey up to Canterbury Cathedral, where they could touch the Holy Relics of Thomas Becket. On the way they stopped at an inn led by Harry Bailey, a good friend of Geoffrey Chaucer, who was the author and main character of the original book. The meals at the inn were amazingly scrumptious, so the innkeeper set up a challenge. Whoever could tell the best story on the pilgrimage won a free dinner. They drew straws on who would start the competition first.
The Knight's Tale: Chivalry and Rivalry
The short straw happened to be picked out by the Knight, who set to work on his tale and with high confidence too. It was about two prisoners of war, called Palamon and Arcite. They were captured by Duke Theseus, and taken off to Athens, where they remained in a single prison cell. One day, whilst Palamon was balancing on a stool to stare out of the arrow window, Theseus' sister-in-law, Lady Emily, made her way into the gardens. When Arcite saw her also, the two fell in love. But Theseus guessed it, and banished the latter from the kingdom on pain of death. He pined for Emily, and oh, how he pined! One dark night, when the gaoler forgot to lock the door, Palamon escaped, and found Arcite trying to see Emily in the light of the morning. When Theseus found them, arguing over who loved her the very most, he sent them immediately to a joust. It was Palamon who won, and Palamon who won the lady, whether she wanted him to or not.
The Miller's Tale: A Barrel Full of Laughs
The next tale was told by the Miller. He was the worst enemy of one of the pilgrims, the Reeve, who was known as Oswald. So he created a rude story about him. There was once a Reeve called Oswald. He fairly stupid and rather foolish. He had a beautiful wife called Alison, but she had no interest in him, and more in one of the lodgers of her inn, a fair, handsome and educated man called Nicholas. One very dark, Alison and Nicholas had locked themselves in a room underneath Oswald, and were performing rather personal business that Alison must have been dishonest to do. Suddenly there was a knock on the window, and Absalom, one of the fair maiden's lovers, began to whisper things like, 'Alison! Cooey! Baby bubbles! Chickadee! Give me a kiss, won't you?' Simply to shut him up, Nicholas said, 'Of course, Absalom, how I love you so! But do shut your eyes, it isn't suited for a man like you to see his lover in her nightclothes!' when Absalom shut his eyes and pursed his lips, Nicholas ran forward and planted a kiss on them!
But Absalom felt the tickling stubble on his chin, and ran to get a branding-iron. He came back asking for yet another kiss, and when Nicholas stuck the seat of his fabric trousers to him, he pushed the burning hot iron to it, and that was the end of that!
The Nun's Priest's Tale: The Nightmare Beast of the Firebrand Tale
Once there was a beautiful cock, with a brilliantly coloured ruffle of feathers and a red breast and golden-brown crest. His wife, the beautiful hen, thought that he was rather a silly coward when he was terrified of a bad dream. But that very morning, the great beast in his dream came along and almost devoured him! Then so did a fox! But on both times the cowardly cock managed to get away, and that was the end of that.
The Reeve's Tale: A Racket at the Mill
There was once a miller called Matthew, and he was quite crafty, for whenever anybody asked for him to grind their grains to flour, he would take half of their flour for himself, and keep it in his bedroom with his wife! So one day, two crafty customers came along with two bulging sacks of flour, and at night, they sneaked into Matthew's bedroom and took the flour back for themselves!
The Scholar's Tale: The Test of a Good Wife
Lord Walter was a lord of high land and quality, yet he had not married, and his people feared that he might not have an heir. So when they said to him, 'Lord, do you not think it acceptable that, just perhaps, you might marry for an heir?' Walter agreed, and found a beautiful slave-girl called Griselda, who, despite her rags, he had loved for a long time. So, just to test that she might be suitable, when she gave birth to a much-loved baby girl, he took her away! Griselda said, however, 'Well, if it is what darling Walter wants, the dear must have what he wishes,' and handed the baby over to the servant. Even when she had a boy, the same request and answer was given. Griselda was a good wife.
But Walter was adamant his test wasn't finished yet. Later, he said to Griselda, 'I have realised now that I am a good lord, you a peasant woman, and that our conditions do not suit each other. I have chosen another bride, another pageboy, and soon more sons and daughters. You, however, must help me prepare the wedding, before taking yourself back to your ramshackle hut and living there without the pride I believed you deserved. Now, however, I realise that it is impossible for you to live with such luxuries.'
But his bride, Griselda discovered, was her daughter, the pageboy was her son, and soon she was married with Walter again and the test joke was over.
The Wife of Bath's Tale: What a Woman Most Desires
There once was a man who, when he met an adorable young maiden one day in the wood, he instantly spoke of kisses and beauty and value, instead of the weather. That was rather unbecoming for a young knight of his age, and when King Arthur heard, he immediately brandished his sword for the chop. Queen Guinevere, however, as a joke, almost, told the frightened but brave knight that he would not be executed if, within a year and a day, he could find out what a woman would most desire. That was the final word.
So hastily the knight, whose name I must tell was Sir Salvio, got on his horse and marched off into the daylight. He met lots of women and young girls, and to all of which he asked what she would most desire. A dancing gypsy girl required fun, a beautiful lady demanded beauty, and finally, an old washerwoman said that the only thing true women wanted was their own way. Salvio wrote down the many answers he got, and a year and a day later, he came up to Queen Guinevere, and said, thinking quickly, 'Her own way.'
Much to his surprise, the fair queen clapped her hands with joy, and said, 'Yes, yes my dear Sir Salvio, you are correct! Who told you this? A young man of prejudice like yours would not guess that within a million years! Who, my dear? Who told you?' and the old, warty, wrinkled washerwoman appeared. Soon King Arthur had forced the two to marry, much to Sir Salvio's disliking and despair. The washerwoman said, as they lay far apart in bed, 'I thought, you know, you would like me better being ugly. If you go off to a battle, you mustn't worry that anybody would take me for themselves; you know, pretty women are always flirting with different men. But would you rather I was as pretty as you wanted me to be?' upon his answer, she turned herself into a lovely, beautiful, most fair maiden that he dreamed he could love. 'I shall make it so I am pretty, loving, but most of all, loyal. I shall be of a true heart to you!' and it ended happily.
The Pardoner's Tale: Death's Murderers
There were once some men called Grab, Cut, and Dip. They decided that, being rather drunk, they were going to kill this strange 'Death' man. On their way to find him, they saw a man who said that he had seen Death crouched underneath a tree some way off. But when the three drunkards found the tree, the old wizened man had gone, and left under the tree a pot of pure gold, much like one found underneath a rainbow!
Grab and Cut sent Dip to buy some wine. On the way, Dip poisoned two of the bottles. When his two drunk mates killed him because they wanted more share of the money, they also were killed by their wine. And so continued Death.
Geoffrey Chaucer's Tale: A Gem of a Poem
What I found actually quite annoying was that when the main character of the book, Geoffrey Chaucer himself, made his tale, it was a poem that nobody really liked. Half way through the innkeeper Harry Bailey said, 'If he is going to make us listen to his poem about whatever it is, he can think again!' and when somebody asked if he was going to do another, different tale, Harry said, 'No, he is not, because he has such ignorance he does not know one!' I didn't quite understand why he said this, being Geoffrey's best friend, but he did, and that is all I can say about the matter.
The Franklin's Tale - Love on the Rocks
Once there was a fair maiden called Dorigen, and she married a man called Arveragus. Another man known as Aurelius was deeply in love with Dorigen. One day Arveragus left on a voyage, saying to his lover that he would come back rich and less pitiful. Every night the beautiful lady would look down at the rocks and hope that her husband wouldn't kill himself in the ship if he crashed on them. So whilst Aurelius was talking about his love for her, she joked around and said, 'I would love you with all my heart if you could only make those rocks on the shore disappear. Then I promise I would love you.'
So Aurelius left to find a conjurer, and told him to make all the rocks on the bay's shore disappear. When he had done so, Arveragus was back, and when Dorigen noticed that all the evil, sharp rocks had gone, she asked her husband what to do. 'Go,' he had said. 'Take away your silly promise to that silly man and love him. Go there every day and do what you must. Forget about me.' And he walked away.
Aurelius and Arveragus were both loyal. Aurelius told Dorigen that if her husband was such an overwhelmingly brilliant man, she may keep him. The end.
The Magistrate's Tale: Snowy Crow
Once upon a time, Crow was as white as snow, and pretty, too, with a much less harsh voice than nowadays, and he sung the most amazing songs. His master had a very pretty wife, and when Crow saw a young man who was not his master kissing the kind lady, he immediately chirped for his master. The old man got so angry he killed his wife, and then regretted it deeply. He said that Crow had lied, and before he knew it, the poor bird had been conjured to a blackened Crow that now everybody knows.
The Canon's Yeoman's Tale: Fool's Gold
There was once a crafty man who fooled another into thinking that he could make silver with his ingenious invention. However, he simply poured some chemicals and acids into a funnel and while the other man wasn't looking, slipped in an ingot of silver. When he saw the trickling stream of hot liquid running out the funnel, he thought that he had silver. However, the man was just tricking him and ran off with the money the other gave him to see silver.
The Friar's Tale: Going to the Devil
This was a tale that I didn't understand much, and I thought could be replaced with a better one because of this, but I knew that it was about a Summoner and the Devil. That is all I knew because it was quite a difficult one.
The Merchant's Tale: Old January and Young May
Once there was an old man called January, who married a sixteen-year-old girl known as May. She was very pretty, but she had nothing for January, and only loved a boy her age who worked in his house, called Damian. In his old age, January soon went blind, and May craftily took Damian into the secret garden and climbed up a pear tree, sharing the same pear and knowing that January couldn't see them doing it. But there was a god up in the tree with them, and he made it so that his ability to see was brought back again. Immediately he saw the sixteen-year-old- boy and girl, and knew that his love had been ruined. But fortunately for her, May made up a story so that January believed that she still loved him, and together, she could love January and Damian.
I found this book great in some parts, boring in others; alright in others, difficult to understand in others, and so on.
The Knight's Tale: Chivalry and Rivalry
The short straw happened to be picked out by the Knight, who set to work on his tale and with high confidence too. It was about two prisoners of war, called Palamon and Arcite. They were captured by Duke Theseus, and taken off to Athens, where they remained in a single prison cell. One day, whilst Palamon was balancing on a stool to stare out of the arrow window, Theseus' sister-in-law, Lady Emily, made her way into the gardens. When Arcite saw her also, the two fell in love. But Theseus guessed it, and banished the latter from the kingdom on pain of death. He pined for Emily, and oh, how he pined! One dark night, when the gaoler forgot to lock the door, Palamon escaped, and found Arcite trying to see Emily in the light of the morning. When Theseus found them, arguing over who loved her the very most, he sent them immediately to a joust. It was Palamon who won, and Palamon who won the lady, whether she wanted him to or not.
The Miller's Tale: A Barrel Full of Laughs
The next tale was told by the Miller. He was the worst enemy of one of the pilgrims, the Reeve, who was known as Oswald. So he created a rude story about him. There was once a Reeve called Oswald. He fairly stupid and rather foolish. He had a beautiful wife called Alison, but she had no interest in him, and more in one of the lodgers of her inn, a fair, handsome and educated man called Nicholas. One very dark, Alison and Nicholas had locked themselves in a room underneath Oswald, and were performing rather personal business that Alison must have been dishonest to do. Suddenly there was a knock on the window, and Absalom, one of the fair maiden's lovers, began to whisper things like, 'Alison! Cooey! Baby bubbles! Chickadee! Give me a kiss, won't you?' Simply to shut him up, Nicholas said, 'Of course, Absalom, how I love you so! But do shut your eyes, it isn't suited for a man like you to see his lover in her nightclothes!' when Absalom shut his eyes and pursed his lips, Nicholas ran forward and planted a kiss on them!
But Absalom felt the tickling stubble on his chin, and ran to get a branding-iron. He came back asking for yet another kiss, and when Nicholas stuck the seat of his fabric trousers to him, he pushed the burning hot iron to it, and that was the end of that!
The Nun's Priest's Tale: The Nightmare Beast of the Firebrand Tale
Once there was a beautiful cock, with a brilliantly coloured ruffle of feathers and a red breast and golden-brown crest. His wife, the beautiful hen, thought that he was rather a silly coward when he was terrified of a bad dream. But that very morning, the great beast in his dream came along and almost devoured him! Then so did a fox! But on both times the cowardly cock managed to get away, and that was the end of that.
The Reeve's Tale: A Racket at the Mill
There was once a miller called Matthew, and he was quite crafty, for whenever anybody asked for him to grind their grains to flour, he would take half of their flour for himself, and keep it in his bedroom with his wife! So one day, two crafty customers came along with two bulging sacks of flour, and at night, they sneaked into Matthew's bedroom and took the flour back for themselves!
The Scholar's Tale: The Test of a Good Wife
Lord Walter was a lord of high land and quality, yet he had not married, and his people feared that he might not have an heir. So when they said to him, 'Lord, do you not think it acceptable that, just perhaps, you might marry for an heir?' Walter agreed, and found a beautiful slave-girl called Griselda, who, despite her rags, he had loved for a long time. So, just to test that she might be suitable, when she gave birth to a much-loved baby girl, he took her away! Griselda said, however, 'Well, if it is what darling Walter wants, the dear must have what he wishes,' and handed the baby over to the servant. Even when she had a boy, the same request and answer was given. Griselda was a good wife.
But Walter was adamant his test wasn't finished yet. Later, he said to Griselda, 'I have realised now that I am a good lord, you a peasant woman, and that our conditions do not suit each other. I have chosen another bride, another pageboy, and soon more sons and daughters. You, however, must help me prepare the wedding, before taking yourself back to your ramshackle hut and living there without the pride I believed you deserved. Now, however, I realise that it is impossible for you to live with such luxuries.'
But his bride, Griselda discovered, was her daughter, the pageboy was her son, and soon she was married with Walter again and the test joke was over.
The Wife of Bath's Tale: What a Woman Most Desires
There once was a man who, when he met an adorable young maiden one day in the wood, he instantly spoke of kisses and beauty and value, instead of the weather. That was rather unbecoming for a young knight of his age, and when King Arthur heard, he immediately brandished his sword for the chop. Queen Guinevere, however, as a joke, almost, told the frightened but brave knight that he would not be executed if, within a year and a day, he could find out what a woman would most desire. That was the final word.
So hastily the knight, whose name I must tell was Sir Salvio, got on his horse and marched off into the daylight. He met lots of women and young girls, and to all of which he asked what she would most desire. A dancing gypsy girl required fun, a beautiful lady demanded beauty, and finally, an old washerwoman said that the only thing true women wanted was their own way. Salvio wrote down the many answers he got, and a year and a day later, he came up to Queen Guinevere, and said, thinking quickly, 'Her own way.'
Much to his surprise, the fair queen clapped her hands with joy, and said, 'Yes, yes my dear Sir Salvio, you are correct! Who told you this? A young man of prejudice like yours would not guess that within a million years! Who, my dear? Who told you?' and the old, warty, wrinkled washerwoman appeared. Soon King Arthur had forced the two to marry, much to Sir Salvio's disliking and despair. The washerwoman said, as they lay far apart in bed, 'I thought, you know, you would like me better being ugly. If you go off to a battle, you mustn't worry that anybody would take me for themselves; you know, pretty women are always flirting with different men. But would you rather I was as pretty as you wanted me to be?' upon his answer, she turned herself into a lovely, beautiful, most fair maiden that he dreamed he could love. 'I shall make it so I am pretty, loving, but most of all, loyal. I shall be of a true heart to you!' and it ended happily.
The Pardoner's Tale: Death's Murderers
There were once some men called Grab, Cut, and Dip. They decided that, being rather drunk, they were going to kill this strange 'Death' man. On their way to find him, they saw a man who said that he had seen Death crouched underneath a tree some way off. But when the three drunkards found the tree, the old wizened man had gone, and left under the tree a pot of pure gold, much like one found underneath a rainbow!
Grab and Cut sent Dip to buy some wine. On the way, Dip poisoned two of the bottles. When his two drunk mates killed him because they wanted more share of the money, they also were killed by their wine. And so continued Death.
Geoffrey Chaucer's Tale: A Gem of a Poem
What I found actually quite annoying was that when the main character of the book, Geoffrey Chaucer himself, made his tale, it was a poem that nobody really liked. Half way through the innkeeper Harry Bailey said, 'If he is going to make us listen to his poem about whatever it is, he can think again!' and when somebody asked if he was going to do another, different tale, Harry said, 'No, he is not, because he has such ignorance he does not know one!' I didn't quite understand why he said this, being Geoffrey's best friend, but he did, and that is all I can say about the matter.
The Franklin's Tale - Love on the Rocks
Once there was a fair maiden called Dorigen, and she married a man called Arveragus. Another man known as Aurelius was deeply in love with Dorigen. One day Arveragus left on a voyage, saying to his lover that he would come back rich and less pitiful. Every night the beautiful lady would look down at the rocks and hope that her husband wouldn't kill himself in the ship if he crashed on them. So whilst Aurelius was talking about his love for her, she joked around and said, 'I would love you with all my heart if you could only make those rocks on the shore disappear. Then I promise I would love you.'
So Aurelius left to find a conjurer, and told him to make all the rocks on the bay's shore disappear. When he had done so, Arveragus was back, and when Dorigen noticed that all the evil, sharp rocks had gone, she asked her husband what to do. 'Go,' he had said. 'Take away your silly promise to that silly man and love him. Go there every day and do what you must. Forget about me.' And he walked away.
Aurelius and Arveragus were both loyal. Aurelius told Dorigen that if her husband was such an overwhelmingly brilliant man, she may keep him. The end.
The Magistrate's Tale: Snowy Crow
Once upon a time, Crow was as white as snow, and pretty, too, with a much less harsh voice than nowadays, and he sung the most amazing songs. His master had a very pretty wife, and when Crow saw a young man who was not his master kissing the kind lady, he immediately chirped for his master. The old man got so angry he killed his wife, and then regretted it deeply. He said that Crow had lied, and before he knew it, the poor bird had been conjured to a blackened Crow that now everybody knows.
The Canon's Yeoman's Tale: Fool's Gold
There was once a crafty man who fooled another into thinking that he could make silver with his ingenious invention. However, he simply poured some chemicals and acids into a funnel and while the other man wasn't looking, slipped in an ingot of silver. When he saw the trickling stream of hot liquid running out the funnel, he thought that he had silver. However, the man was just tricking him and ran off with the money the other gave him to see silver.
The Friar's Tale: Going to the Devil
This was a tale that I didn't understand much, and I thought could be replaced with a better one because of this, but I knew that it was about a Summoner and the Devil. That is all I knew because it was quite a difficult one.
The Merchant's Tale: Old January and Young May
Once there was an old man called January, who married a sixteen-year-old girl known as May. She was very pretty, but she had nothing for January, and only loved a boy her age who worked in his house, called Damian. In his old age, January soon went blind, and May craftily took Damian into the secret garden and climbed up a pear tree, sharing the same pear and knowing that January couldn't see them doing it. But there was a god up in the tree with them, and he made it so that his ability to see was brought back again. Immediately he saw the sixteen-year-old- boy and girl, and knew that his love had been ruined. But fortunately for her, May made up a story so that January believed that she still loved him, and together, she could love January and Damian.
I found this book great in some parts, boring in others; alright in others, difficult to understand in others, and so on.
August 31, 2020
My previous Canterbury Tales experience is limited to the reading of one of the stories in high school English and I don't even remember which one we tackled. I picked up this version because it is one of the required books for 7th graders at my school thanks to a new English textbook series. As an adult I enjoyed some of the stories and found a few things to ponder along the way. But even so, there were transitions between stories that made me go back and re-read several times to figure out how we were now moving on to the next story. And even with the retelling in modern English, the vocabulary and sentence structure has me angry on behalf of my students as well as the poor teachers who have to try to get their seventh graders reading this.
"The joust was a circus of colour. Knights caparisoned in mail, heraldic surcoats, and plumes fit for birds of paradise were brazed by the blaring of trumpets whose scarlet oriflammes were embroidered with silvery beasts. Blade by blade, the grass was turfed out in divots by the flying hoofs of horses. The pavilions flapped like Chinese kites. By midday, the ladies tripping back and forth to their seats had scarlet hems where their gowns had swept the field."
This passage is just one of many that will lead to my students giving up. Personally, I've never heard the word "caparisoned" so I looked it up in text while reading on my Kindle. After reading the provided definitions, I'm not sure the author knows what it is either because I can't find a way to make it fit in that context.
"The joust was a circus of colour. Knights caparisoned in mail, heraldic surcoats, and plumes fit for birds of paradise were brazed by the blaring of trumpets whose scarlet oriflammes were embroidered with silvery beasts. Blade by blade, the grass was turfed out in divots by the flying hoofs of horses. The pavilions flapped like Chinese kites. By midday, the ladies tripping back and forth to their seats had scarlet hems where their gowns had swept the field."
This passage is just one of many that will lead to my students giving up. Personally, I've never heard the word "caparisoned" so I looked it up in text while reading on my Kindle. After reading the provided definitions, I'm not sure the author knows what it is either because I can't find a way to make it fit in that context.
May 15, 2022
Of course this much-abridged (and much-sanitized) adaptation cannot be considered the “real” Canterbury Tales, but McCaughrean nevertheless manages to create a work that is playful and engaging and still somewhat in keeping with the spirit of the original. The overtly sexual content of the Canterbury Tales has been replaced with mild innuendo which adult readers will catch and children will not.
My 4th and 5th graders enjoyed the book immensely, though I also supplemented our discussions with passages from the poem that we then compared to the adaptation.
A good first introduction, as long as you don’t expect the real thing.
3.5 stars.
My 4th and 5th graders enjoyed the book immensely, though I also supplemented our discussions with passages from the poem that we then compared to the adaptation.
A good first introduction, as long as you don’t expect the real thing.
3.5 stars.
November 30, 2024
5 Stars/
92%
An excellent, engaging retelling, capturing both the humour and the messages behind each story. This retelling is aimed at a younger audience and therefore avoids some of the more scandalous moments of medieval humour - but still continues to be amusing, with excellent turns of phrase.
In terms of the stories, Chaucer knows how to use pace and structure to create engaging and genuinely fascinating stories - you can almost imagine yourself next to a fire some point in the late 1390s listening to him wax eloquent. Will be returning to this quick little title often I think.
92%
An excellent, engaging retelling, capturing both the humour and the messages behind each story. This retelling is aimed at a younger audience and therefore avoids some of the more scandalous moments of medieval humour - but still continues to be amusing, with excellent turns of phrase.
In terms of the stories, Chaucer knows how to use pace and structure to create engaging and genuinely fascinating stories - you can almost imagine yourself next to a fire some point in the late 1390s listening to him wax eloquent. Will be returning to this quick little title often I think.
May 11, 2019
The story of a group of 32 people of varying social classes and backgrounds who make a pilgrimage to St. Thomas Becket’s shrine in Canterbury and the tales they tell one another along the way. While the McCaughrean version is aimed at children and, therefore, not in the original Middle English poetry and also abbreviated and a bit sanitized, I found it to be a rather enjoyable read and a great introduction to the tales. What it is not is a representation of Chaucer’s genius. Still, I appreciate that McCaughrean has made his work accessible to a younger audience and has proven the story has staying power. With tales filled with lies, deception, love and lust, bawdy humor, rivalry, wit and trickery, corruption, slapstick comedy and more, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales stands the test of time, an impressive feat for a work that dates back to the late 1300s.
A must read, whether this simplified adaptation for children, the more challenging original Middle English, or the PIT Modern English translation in between.
A must read, whether this simplified adaptation for children, the more challenging original Middle English, or the PIT Modern English translation in between.
March 29, 2023
This was a really charming modernization/adaptation of the Tales. Some have supposed this book was written for children. Perhaps it was, but to me it was not at all childish, and to the contrary was rather beautifully written. Though I do not know the original well enough, it seemed to me that the humor was in-tact, though I sensed it was perhaps somewhat less raunchy— the author used innuendo quite effectively IMO. The stories were, in any case, fun(ny) to me.
Used this as a primer before diving into the original text. I'll be studying Chaucer in depth this summer at Oxford under Francis Leneghan.
Used this as a primer before diving into the original text. I'll be studying Chaucer in depth this summer at Oxford under Francis Leneghan.
February 29, 2024
It's been nearly 30 years since I read Chaucer; I remember a bit. I pre-read McCaughrean's version to see if I want to include it in my third grader's medieval history reading. My verdict: eh, maybe. It captures the overall structure of the tales and some of the humor. It's fine, but there are many wonderful options to accompany elementary medieval history. I'll probably make this available, an option for independent reading, but not schedule it as a must-read.
February 20, 2025
I didn't know this was an abridged, retold version but nonetheless it was pretty good ngl. My favorite story was The Franklin's Tale. It described the Normandy coastline with so much emotion and beauty that it served as the perfect backdrop for the turmoil the couple were going through. I admired how it depicted love as a bond rooted in both freedom and respect making it feel especially honorable <3
June 26, 2018
This novel just reinforces how the themes of love, jealousy, and greed have always been of interest to man. This is definitely the simplified version, but none the less it gives an insight to life back in the 1300s. Human nature has not changed very much. We are still driven by the same fears and joys.
October 23, 2019
I have never read the original Canterbury Tales and always imagined it would be difficult and boring. However, in reading this children’s version, I have discovered that it is delightful and very funny. The curriculum I use with Liam suggests we read the “original” prologue in verse form. I think we will try it!
May 7, 2020
During high school and college, I was always given excerpts to read on the Canterbury Tales, and mostly just remember the Lady of Bath's tale. However, now that I read the entire book, a lot of the other tales are quite memorable as well. These are the perfect stories to mark the vernacular of the middle ages and see how ordinary people lived their lives as well as their particular beliefs.
October 17, 2023
I think that this book is a great adaptation of The Canterbury Tales for middle grade readers. Of course, some of the language and content needed to be changed, but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing like some other reviewers. I think that even an adapted version is valuable to students as an example of strong storytelling.
March 20, 2024
We read this as part of our homeschool history curriculum (History Quest Middle Times). I've never read the original Canterbury Tales before, so this was a nice introduction. Some of the stories are quite...terrible? But I think that's sort of the point. Men and women behaving badly and being called out for it. We liked it overall.
February 13, 2018
I have read this once before, yet the first time was long and drawn out.
When I decided to pick this up this morning, I did not expect to remember half a dozen memories from my high school years.
Although this retelling is a fun, fast-paced version, I'm keen to put the original on my list.
When I decided to pick this up this morning, I did not expect to remember half a dozen memories from my high school years.
Although this retelling is a fun, fast-paced version, I'm keen to put the original on my list.
December 31, 2019
*3.5 stars
If you are looking to skip reading the full translated edition of The Canterbury Tales and just want to get an idea of what each story is about, this edition is a great option. The illustrations are fantastic, too!
If you are looking to skip reading the full translated edition of The Canterbury Tales and just want to get an idea of what each story is about, this edition is a great option. The illustrations are fantastic, too!
February 5, 2020
My kids didn’t enjoy this but there is a lot of nuances and skipping around story wise that is confusing for their age. I think they will enjoy this version the next go round in 4 years.
I really enjoyed her translation
I really enjoyed her translation
June 27, 2020
My favourite book of 2020 so far, although a retelling and aimed at the younger audience I still enjoyed it so much I now want to read the original. The stories told by the cast members were creepy, funny or made you think. Brilliant, brilliant, brillant!
July 30, 2021
An adaptation of Chaucer from Middle English into Modern English; kid-friendly enough for me to read to my little kids (ages 6 & 8 at this time) - some of it was a little bit over their heads, but not a bad version for teaching little ones!
April 21, 2025
This is a book that gives a snapshot into historical thought and beliefs told through the eyes of an eclectic group of characters from the late 1300s.
I don’t think I would attempt to read the original version written in verse and Middle English, so thankful for this younger reader version.
I don’t think I would attempt to read the original version written in verse and Middle English, so thankful for this younger reader version.
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