The Canterbury Tales: (original-spelling edition) (Penguin Classics)

Book Description

One of the greatest and most ambitious works in English literature, The Canterbury Tales depicts a storytelling competition between pilgrims drawn from all ranks of society.

The tales are as various as the pilgrims themselves, encompassing comedy, pathos, tragedy, and cynicism. The Miller and the Reeve express their mutual antagonism in a pair of comic stories combining sex and trickery; in "The Shipman's Tale," a wife sells her favors to a monk. Others draw on courtly romance and fantasy: the Knight tells of rivals competing for the love of the same woman, and the Squire describes a princess who can speak to birds. In these twenty-four tales, Chaucer displays a dazzling range of literary styles and conjures up a wonderfully vivid picture of medieval life.

Customer Reviews:

A perfect edition.......2007-02-26

This is an unbelievably great edition of The Canterbury Tales. All I wanted was the original, complete version with definitions for archaic words. But the Penguin Classics edition was all I could find, so I got it. It comes with over 500 pages of extras!!! Super-detailed notes, a great glossary, and lots on Chaucer, his times, literary genres, etc., etc. Multiple interpretations are given for parts scholars don't agree on. I can't believe I paid $80 for the Riverside Chaucer in college! ...which I later sold back for much less. This edition blew me away, and it's relatively cheap.

If you haven't read Chaucer and want to read him in old English, it's tough at first, but it gets easier with practice. There are long tales, short tales, noble tales, bawdy tales, etc. If you just want to read a few, there are cheaper paperbacks with just a few. If you want the complete tales but not the essays and things, they exist, but they're more expensive than this edition!

Chaucer Was a Sly Fox.......2007-02-12

Chacuer's Tales have lived on because they address the human condition with keen insight, humor and honesty. Walking to Canterbury by Jerry Ellis is a highly recommended read for those who want to follow the author on a fun walking adventure along the route of the Canterbury Tales. It is easy reading and filled with heart, humor and amazing little known facts about the Middle Ages.

Great inexpensive complete edition of Chaucer.......2006-10-24

Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales (Original-Spelling Edition). Edited by Jill Mann. Penguin Classics, 2005. ISBN 014042234X.

The Canterbury Tales itself needs no review, as Chaucer is universally acknowledged to be the greatest English poet after Shakespeare and Milton. As Chaucer's Prologue explains, the Tales are stories told by pilgrims en route to Canterbury. They range from tales of courtly love to bawdy farce to fable. Chaucer is a storyteller, and it might surprise some modern people just how entertaining a seven-hundred-year-old collection of stories might be.

Unfortunately, the English language has changed since Chaucer's time, making it difficult for modern English readers to enjoy the Canterbury Tales without a bit of work. Chaucer wrote in a dialect of Middle English (ME) which is a direct ancestor of Present Day English (PDE). This relationship makes Chaucer much easier to read than other dialects of ME further removed from PDE, such as that in which the Gawain poet wrote. Chaucer's vocabulary, consisting mainly of words derived from French and Old English, is also easier than the Gawain poet's. With a little concentration, the modern reader will probably find many ME words that looked unintelligible are actually similar to PDE words. (This edition includes a note on "Chaucer's Language" which explains Middle English grammar well, but due to its use of grammatical terminology, it will be helpful only to those who already know what such things as pluperfect and genitive singular mean.) Getting used to Middle English will take time, but it's worth it.

Now for this particular edition. I found it well edited, with glosses at the bottom of each page and detailed endnotes, which occupy about a third of the volume. Very rarely did I have a question that Mann did not address in one place or the other. There is a 140-page glossary which includes (I think) all words glossed. Archaic characters such as thorn are replaced with their modern equivalents; otherwise spelling is unchanged. My only complaint is its bulkiness: at 1254 pages, it's quite fat.

Here's a sample of the Canterbury Tales as edited by Mann:

Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,
Ther was a duc that highte Theseus. 860
Of Atthenes he was lord and governour,
And in his time swich a conqueror
That gretter was ther noon under the sonne.
Ful many a riche contree hadde he wonne,
What with his wisdom and his chivalrye. 865

859 Whilom: once upon a time 860 highte: was called

Here's my prose modernization:Long ago, as old stories tell us, there was a duke that was called Theseus. He was the lord and governor of Athens, and such a conqueror that there was none greater under the sun. He had won many a rich country with his wisdom and chivalry.

Now Chaucer can be more complicated than this, but Mann's glosses almost always make him intelligible to the enterprising reader. Many words are very similar to their modern equivalents: "tellen" = "tell," "ther" = "there," "swich" = "such." The French influence is obvious in such words as "riche" and "duc."

As you can see, glosses are identifiable by line numbers at the bottom of the page, but they are not set off in the text. Line numbers correspond, I believe, to the standard lineation of the Tales.

At about twelve dollars on Amazon, this edition is a bargain. It's complete and cheap. I highly recommend it to those who want to read the actual words that Chaucer wrote.

Worth its weight in gold.......2006-05-30

I bought this Penguin Classics edition of Chaucer last year during a visit to Canterbury. I already owned the modernized edition edited by the late Nevill Coghill, but I figured: Hey, I'm in Canterbury--I have to buy a copy. So I bought this one.
For starters, this is the complete text of the Tales, and it is in the original Middle English. While the language may take a while to get used to (for beginners, especially) it's a blast to read. Another plus for this edition is the heavy, heavy glossing and a really extensive notes section which helped even an experienced reader of Chaucer like myself.
If you're new to Chaucer, or even if you're not, this is the edition to have. It's a paperback, so it's portable, and it's complete. You won't be left wanting an odd tale or two with this book.
Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Authoritative edition, but overpriced
A superior edition for scholars and novices alike
Travelling mercies...

The Canterbury Tales: Complete
Geoffrey Chaucer , and Larry D. Benson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395978238

Book Description

Based on the definitive Riverside Chaucer, this edition of The Canterbury Tales contains the complete text of all 24 Tales, thoroughly updated scholarship from the past 20 years, and extensive editorial support. This volume is ideal for instructors who want to assign only the Tales and have no need for the complete Chaucer.

An overview briefly outlines the basic plot and main idea of each Tale, while a section on language and versification helps students with pronunciation. Explanatory notes provide information on sources, problematic passages, and critical interpretations. Additional pedagogy includes a glossary, a section on Chaucer's life which traces the author from childhood to his final years, an index of proper names, a general bibliography, and a list of abbreviations.

Customer Reviews:

Authoritative edition, but overpriced.......2006-09-05

Based on the Riverside Chaucer, this edition is the critical text of Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales.* It is accompanied by glosses of the Middle English at the bottom of the page, a useful glossary, and explanatory notes that guide the reader to further criticism. All of the above make it a good trustworthy teaching text as well as a resource for the serious amateur reader who wants to get to know Chaucer's most famous poem in its own language.

The price of the book, however, is a scandal. I teach Chaucer, and I'm embarrassed to assign a flimsy paperback like this to my students, expecting them to pay $55 for it. If perchance someone from Houghton Mifflin ever happens to read this review, please revisit the question of how you price textbooks like this one. Next time around I'm planning to use the Norton Critical edition; it may not have all twenty-four tales (it has fifteen), but the glosses are better, and it also includes a rich offering of primary contexts (Boccaccio, Petrarch, the Romance of the Rose, etc.) and criticism. And it costs less than $15.

A superior edition for scholars and novices alike.......2006-08-30

This edition of the Canterbury Tales, edited by Larry Benson, is superb. It is based on the Riverside Chaucer, Third Edition (also edited by Benson) and is as authoritative as you can get. It's greatest attribute is the presentation of a highly readable text that will be appreciated by scholars and lovers of Chaucer of all levels. It's beautifully glossed, but in an unobtrusive manner that allows the language to sing off the page without any unneccesary interruptions; the copious (and useful) vocab and grammar notes are clearly marked by line and placed below the body text, thus one can read (aloud preferably!) at one's own pace without being constantly interrupted. The placement and economy of the notes also makes for a clear presentation and a great reading text that allows one to approach the Tales at one's own pace. Highly informative and entertaining essays on Chaucer's life, outlining the history and conext in which he lived and wrote, and on the language and versification of the Tales introduce the volume and provide an excellent jumping off point into the them. The latter essay is a decent - albeit brief - introduction to reading and pronounciation of the Middle English that Chaucer employs in the Tales, but it is far from comprehensive in that it confines its survey to just the Tales. Although covering only the most basic elements thereof while paying scant attention to the nuances of inflection and grammar (and, again, variations and specifics of Middle English in general and Chaucer's language in his other works), it is still a great gateway, especially for the novice reader of Chaucer who wishes to engage the author and the work in their original vernacular. And this is really where this edition acheives - it presents a highly readable and accesible version of Chaucer's masterpiece and allows readers of all levels to approach the poem(s) on their own terms, unencumbered by an intrusive or burdensome sholarly apparatus. In other words, one can approach the Tales with just enough context, historically and linguistically, to engage with it in a manner as close to possible as a fluent reader of Middle English would have. And the perfect balance between inspiring the novice reader to venture forth independently and the superior guidance that is readily available with just a quick glance toward the bottom of the page, will undoubtadly improve one's reading and comprehension of Middle English. Scholars of all levels will appreciate and enjoy this edition. Larry Benson (still teaching at Harvard, by the way) is one of the great Chaucerians and has given us one of the best editions of Chaucer available - one that is equally beneficial and interesting to both the student and the layman. The point is, you can't outgrow this one. If anything, you can grow into it. What more could one want?

Travelling mercies..........2005-02-01

In Chaucer's work, 'The Canterbury Tales', perhaps the greatest of English literary works from the period of the language known as Middle English, there is one particular piece that have always stood out for me.

'A Clerk ther was of Oxenford also,'

This is perhaps my favourite character, as when I first read it, it seemed to epitomise what I hoped for in my own life.

'That unto logik hadde longe y-go.
....
For him was lever have at his beddes heed
Twenty bokes, clad in blak or reed,

Of Aristotle and his philosophye,
Than robes riche, of fithele, or gay sautrye,
But al be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre,
But al that he mighte of his freendes hente,
On bokes and on lerninge he it spente,
and bisily gan for the soules preye
Of hem that yaf him wherwith to scoleye.
....
...gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.'

Every now and then I cannot help but re-read this part of the Prologue, for a reminder of what I'm aiming for in my own life.

Chaucer was son of a wine merchant, something near and dear to my heart. Chaucer was well-read, well-phrased, well-mannered, industrious in literary and legal/administrative pursuits, as I trust I will become, if not already so qualified.

As one can see from the above examples, English has changed much over the past 600 years, but not so much as to make these passages unrecognisable. Compare for yourself with a modern translation, and see how much you can decipher.

Chaucer is one of the first great English authors of name; most (but not all) literary output in English prior to this time was anonymous. Living in the 1300s, he held administrative posts of importance under Kings from the time of Edward III to Henry IV. Never one to shrink from spending too much money (he had to reapply for pensions and ask for advances several times in his life) or shying away from controversy (he fell out of and came back into favour several times). When he died, he was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, in a section on the south side that has since become Poet's Corner, largely due to Chaucer, the first great English poet, having been buried there.

In addition to his magnus opus, 'The Canterbury Tales', a collection of stories with prologue told by pilgrims on their journey to Canterbury (car radios and in-flight movies were rare in those days), Chaucer wrote minor poems to suit various occasions (his first record as poet comes from having written a poem as elegy on the death of John of Gaunt's first wife, Blanche, in 1369), and the major work for which he was noted for 'Troilus and Criseyde', which showed his sense of humour, power of observation and attention to detail, and keen dramatic skills in language. This work is often compared to Dante and Boccaccio, perhaps the most famous poets of the day. 'The Canterbury Tales' is actually intended to be much longer - 120 tales told by 30 pilgrims (two each on the way to Canterbury, and two each returning). As it is, there are only 24 tales plus a prologue - had it been completed, it would be by far the longest poem in the English language.

There is a strong, practical side to Chaucer's writing, sophisticated yet not aloof and removed from the affairs of the world, cultured yet in tune with the better (and more interesting) aspects of the common people, too.

This edition by Larry Benson is designed for those who only want the Canterbury Tales, not the other writings of Chaucer, but want a set of the complete tales and prologue from standard texts. This comes from the Riverside Chaucer, with introductory notes explaining plot, versification, and various issues that might arise in the translation of the tales. The indexes include one for proper names. There is also a timeline showing Chaucer's life that is handy for students.

For those who want the Canterbury Tales in good form, this is a good volume to get.

Average customer rating:

The Hobo Philosopher
Too bad I bought this book.
The strength of Chaucer's verse shines through....
Canterbury Tales - Which Version is Best For You?
Tall Tales Live Forever

The Canterbury Tales (Penguin Classics)
Geoffrey Chaucer
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140424385
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Book Description

With their astonishing diversity of tone and subject matter, The Canterbury Tales have become one of the touchstones of medieval literature.

Translated here into modern English, these tales of a motley crowd of pilgrims drawn from all walks of life-from knight to nun, miller to monk-reveal a picture of English life in the fourteenth century that is as robust as it is representative.

Translated by Nevill Coghill

Customer Reviews:

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-30

I suppose that any freshman college student has read some of these Tales. I had a professor who read a few of them to us in the Olde English. It was really fun and you really got a grasp of where the English language was coming from - and poetry.
I went on from my English class and read the whole works. They are good, classic short stories. You are really going back to the basics here. The stories are all easy to read and are about the everyday type people and their everyday lives. You get classic English literature, history, short story writing techniques, and the roots of the English language all in one medium sized book. Can't beat it. It's a bargain.

Too bad I bought this book........2007-07-03

I find it very unfortunate that I wasted my money on this book when I could have read the entire story on the Internet. Of course, the story is out of copyright, and you'll find it all over the Internet, in complete.

Don't waste your money like I did. Even worse, I never even read the book.

My rating is only on the size of the book, because like I said, I never read it, and I am forced to issue a rating (I only wanted to enter a comment).

The strength of Chaucer's verse shines through...........2007-06-29

Chaucer was a master story teller. He was a master poet. He was a master writer. He was just blessed, gifted... there aren't enough words to express the depth of Chaucer's talent... his gift.

This collection reminds me why I fell in love with Chaucer's work back in college. It's one of the more complete collections and I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end.

I will read it a thousand times in my life and will undoubtedly love it more with each reading!

Canterbury Tales - Which Version is Best For You? .......2007-04-28

Over some period I have read several translations of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. My first experience, selections in a high school text, was not promising. (Possibly, I was not yet ready for Chaucer.) Translating poetry from one language to another is difficult and often unsuccessful. Translating Chaucer from Middle English is not much easier. English has changed dramatically in the last 600 years, to the point that Middle English is nearly indecipherable. For example, we read Chaucer's description of the Knight's appearance:

Of fustian he wered a gipoun (Of coarse cloth he wore a doublet)
Al bismotered with his habergeoun (All rust-spotted by his coat-of-mail)

A glossary, persistence, and considerable time are required for reading the original Chaucer. If you choose to do so, the Riverside Chaucer edition (edited by L. Benson) and the Norton Critical Edition (edited by Olson and Kolve) are highly recommended. The Signet Classic paperback (edited by D. R. Howard) modernizes the spelling a bit, but still largely adheres to the original Chaucer.

Although your instructor will most likely assign a particular edition of Canterbury Tales, it can be exceedingly helpful to pick-up an additional version or two. A slightly different translation may entirely surprise you, may even resonate with you, making Chaucer much more enjoyable. I suggest that you look for these versions:

Canterbury Tales, Penguin edition, translated by Nevill Coghill, is an excellent poetic translation. It is a complete collection arranged by Group A thru H. It also includes The Parson's Prologue, The Parson's Tale in synopsis, and Chaucer's Retractions. Coghill's translation remains my favorite.

Selected Canterbury Tales, Dover Thrift edition - provides a poetic, rather than literal interpretation, and is quite readable. The collection of tales is fairly small, however.

The Canterbury Tales, Bantam Classic paperback edited by Hieatt, uses the "facing page" format with the original Chaucer on the left and a modern literal translation on the right page. I found the literal translation a little wooden, but this edition can be quite helpful if you need some help with Middle English. (A guide to phonetics, grammar, spellings, and a glossary is provided.)

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (Barrons Educational Series) uses an "Interlinear Translation" format in which each line of Middle English is followed by a modern translation (literal to make the comparison easier). I rather like this approach.

Canterbury Tales, John Murray Publishers, London is hard to find, but provides a partial translation to modern English, maintaining as much as possible of the Middle English. This rather clever approach is somewhat risky, but the translator H. L. Hitchins pulls it off. With some effort I could follow the text without continually referring to a glossary and in a limited way I was "reading Middle English".

Canterbury Tales, Pocket Books, prose translation by R. M. Lumiansky, is easy to read, but while this prose format adheres to the storyline, it is only a shadow of the poetic Chaucer. However, it can be helpful if you are not comfortable with poetry.

Tall Tales Live Forever.......2007-02-12

Chaucer was ahead of his times in many ways and the Canterbury Tales reveal it. Human nature has not changed since the Middle Ages and these Tales take a modern day reader into himself/herself as well as into the past. A wonderful companion book to the Canterbury Tales is Walking to Canterbury by Jerry Ellis. This author--he also wrote Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears, nominated for a Pulitzer--walked the route of the Canterbury Tales to explore contemporary life in England and interweave it with the history and traditions of Chaucer's times to make for a wonderful adventure.

The Canterbury Tales: In Modern English (Penguin Classics)

Average customer rating:

Beware of translation CD!
Great version
Cnnterbury Tales(Oxford Word's Classics)
THE classic of the English language
It seems that Amazon...

The Canterbury Tales: In Modern English (Penguin Classics)
Geoffrey Chaucer
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140440224

Amazon.com

On a spring day in April--sometime in the waning years of the 14th century--29 travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett. Among them is a knight, a monk, a prioress, a plowman, a miller, a merchant, a clerk, and an oft-widowed wife from Bath. Travel is arduous and wearing; to maintain their spirits, this band of pilgrims entertains each other with a series of tall tales that span the spectrum of literary genres. Five hundred years later, people are still reading Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. If you haven't yet made the acquaintance of the Franklin, the Pardoner, or the Squire because you never learned Middle English, take heart: this edition of the Tales has been translated into modern idiom.

From the heroic romance of "The Knight's Tale" to the low farce embodied in the stories of the Miller, the Reeve, and the Merchant, Chaucer treated such universal subjects as love, sex, and death in poetry that is simultaneously witty, insightful, and poignant. The Canterbury Tales is a grand tour of 14th-century English mores and morals--one that modern-day readers will enjoy.

Book Description

Providing a full critical introduction to the complete Canterbury Tales, this classic and eminently readable work is now available again in paperback.

Customer Reviews:

Beware of translation CD!.......2007-08-08

This is a translation abridgement (not the original text). It's not going to help you at all, with any english class. If you want to listen to the original unabridged text in old english look here:The Canterbury Tales

Great version.......2007-02-21

This version is in the classic Middle English that the original poems were written in...it's difficult to read, but still really good...It comes with a ribbon bookmark as well, and of course is hardcover, so I liked it.

Cnnterbury Tales(Oxford Word's Classics).......2006-11-10

This translation allows you to read the stories, which often are in poetry, with pleasure. I found the stories to be earthy, funny, but sometimes sad.

THE classic of the English language.......2006-08-02

Disclaimer: This refers to the print version of the product in original middle English, with occasional margin translations. There seems to have been a product crossover between this and a modern English tape.

Having read the Canterbury Tales I think Shakespeare, the "canonical" classic English writer, does not compare to Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales are so extensive, whimsical and vibrant that I they should overturn Shakespeare as the celebrated English texts.

Chaucer presents us with an entire universe - the England of his time. Over a dozen people from all walks of life tell their tales, women and men, rich and poor, criminal and saintly. Reading the Tales is like reading a textbook on medieval England, but one that's come to life and had been soaked with the warmth of Chaucer. He mocks any and all aspects of society and is not above toilet humour - but for me this hardly detracted from the work, instead making it more real and unelitist. In fact it is largely due to Chaucer and his unelitist use of the vernacular English that the movement of using the language of the people for literature started.

Of course there are difficulties. The work is in Middle English. But please please please don't read a "translation" into Modern English! The original is so musical, so understandable that the extra effort in decoding does not compare to how it appears. I'd imagine a translation to be very flat unless the translator was almost divinely inspired. Chaucer's language is not that difficult, just read aloud and phonetically and follow the rhythm and rhyme of the verse. This will make most words easy to understand.

Some tales (esp. the 2 prose tales) have been considered boring by many readers. Still, get an edition like this that includes them all. In Chaucer's overview of England, you won't find everything interesting. You won't laugh at all the jokes, some of the humour will be lost on us all through the 6+ centuries separating us and him. Sometimes he will be overbearing, pompous, dogmatic. But as a whole, the work still does an amazing job at describing medieval life: in terms of satire, language, poetry and meaning.

It seems that Amazon..........2006-07-30

...combines reviews. One person reviews the CD version of the book, while another reviews a modern interpretation of the middle english. I am here to review the book at hand, which is "Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, published by Everyman's library.

First off, the book is complete, and rendered in middle English, so it is not for the faint of heart. Notes are given in the margins, although these generally seem useless (if you read the book aloud, you will understand most of the phrases they "translate", even though your eyes won't believe what your mouth just spoke). Of far greater value are the footnotes to many of the lines, which render in a modern sense some of the more obscure greetings, curses, idioms, etc. the reader is likely to find. Unfortunately, looking down at the footnotes will break your rhythm, and it can be difficult to find your place again, with so many unfamiliar words staring at you. I wish the editors(presenters?) would have put THESE footnotes in the margins, instead of the simpler fare found there (however, I understand that some people may not read the book as easily as I did).

The work itself seems complete, however, although I am no scholar of Chaucer. Even the Parson's Tale is found here (it is deleted in many works, since it is little more than a maudlin sermon), although I would skip it if I were you. The poetry is incredibly pleasing to the ear, if offensive to the eye; I cannot stress enough that one should read the book aloud to hear its greatness.

I won't review the work, since I feel I have no right to criticise Chaucer. However, the presentation here is good, with the exception of the footnote problem. While this edition is not for the faint of heart (it takes real work to read), I would recommend it to anyone who wants to actually hear the words Chaucer heard in his own head as he wrote this.

Chaucer in Context: Society, Allegory and Gender (Manchester Medieval Studies)

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Chaucer in Context: Society, Allegory and Gender (Manchester Medieval Studies)
S. H. Rigby
Manufacturer: Manchester University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Everyone knows of the Canterbury Tales, acknowledged as one of the leading texts of the English Canon. Consensus about them ends there. Amongst the most written about works of English literature, they still defy categorisation. Was Chaucer a poet of profound religious piety or a sceptic who questioned all religious and moral certainties? Do his pilgrims reflect the actual society of his day, or were they a product of an already well-established literary tradition and convention? Was he a defender of women or a misogynist, who reproduced the antifeminism characteristic of his time? Did his writings present a challenge to the dominant social outlook of late Medieval England or reinforce the status quo? This stimulating new book surveys and assesses these competing critical approaches to Chaucer's work, emphasising the need to see Chaucer in historical context; the context of the social and political concerns of his own day. Writing as a historian, Rigby brings refreshing new insights to this contested old chestnut and Chaucer, and his Tales, are revealed to us as Chaucer's contemporaries would have seen them.

The Canterbury Tales (Oxford Illustrated Classics)

Average customer rating:

This is not the Canterbury Tales!
Teacher's Delight
Fun to read
Just say "no!" to translations
A great, easy-to-read retelling of Chaucer's tales

The Canterbury Tales (Oxford Illustrated Classics)
Geoffrey Chaucer , and Geraldine McCaughrean
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192741810

Book Description

They set off on an April morning with the rain dripping from the branches. 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 pants on
fire, of love and death and the devil. Geraldine McCaughrean retells The Canterbury Tales for children in a lively and humorous style that 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 Widow of Bath who likes a happy ending. The stories and characters are brought to life by the brush of Victor Ambrus, with pictures of wild chases, exciting battles, and the English countryside.

Customer Reviews:

This is not the Canterbury Tales!.......2006-05-08

This is a retelling of the Canterbury Tales, very simplified...in some cases leaving out the best parts! I believe it may have been originally intended safe for children.

If you're looking for a translation into modern English, keep looking. I am.

Teacher's Delight.......2006-01-31

Finally, help in getting children to comprehending and enjoy the art of Old English Ballads and the historical value of the storyteller.

Fun to read.......2005-03-01

If you want a modern english version that's funny and easy to read, this is the book for you. If you are looking for something scholarly and/or more difficult to read, get a different version.

Just say "no!" to translations.......2003-09-23

If you're going to read the Canterbury Tales, read them in the original Middle English (which is alot more understandable than Old English and much closer to our own Modern English). You will surely miss out on the rhythm, poetry, and humor of these fabulous stories were you to read them in translation. I would recommend the Riverside Chaucer instead.

A great, easy-to-read retelling of Chaucer's tales.......2003-02-26

The biggest hurdle in reading Chaucer is the language. Trying to read his work in Middle English is impossible without really good footnotes, and some of the "translations" are even worse--they're written in a high-blown, pompous style that takes all the fun out of the stories.

Book Description

The three Oxford Guides to Chaucer are written by scholars of international repute, with the purpose of summarizing what is known about his works and offering interpretations based on recent advances in both historical knowledge and theoretical understanding. They will provide readers at every level with new interpretations and ideas, with essential and up-to-date information on such matters as dating and sources and with analyses of thematic issues, structure, style rhetoric and generic relations brought right up-to-date for this second paperback edition. Helen Cooper's volume on The Canterbury Tales tackles these matters both for the whole work and for each individual Tale. It also includes a survey of literary responses to the Tales over the two centuries following Chaucer's death. The book is perhaps the most comprehensive single-volume guide to the Tales yet produced, bringing together a wide range of disparate material and providing a readable commentry on all aspects of the work. It combines the comprehensive coverage of a reference book with the coherence of a critical account and since its first publication in 1989, has established itself as a standard work on the Tales.

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The Canterbury Tales (Cliffs Notes)
James L. Roberts
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764585908

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also features glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

Join Chaucer’s band of pilgrims on their journey in CliffsNotes on The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer’s narrators represent a wide spectrum of society with various ranks and occupations. From the distinguished and noble Knight, to the pious abbess, the honorable Clerk, the rich landowner, the worldly and crude Wife, and on down the scale to the low, vulgar Miller and Carpenter, and the corrupt Pardoner.

Let this study guide reveal Chaucer’s genius at understanding basic human nature as reflected in his tales. You'll also gain insight into the background and influences of the author. Other features that help you study include

Character analyses of major players
A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
Critical essays
A review section that tests your knowledge
A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

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Perhaps the most famous text remaining in Middle English, this tells the stories told by a party of pilgrims journeying from London to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. Chaucer offers a tableau of life in 14th-century England.

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Helpful.......2006-03-03

The CliffsNotes booklet on THE CANTERBURY TALES is a helpful supplement which will lead the user to a deeper understanding of a fairly difficult subject. It contains information about Geoffrey Chaucer and his work in addition to an introduction, brief synopsis and character map. Critical commentaries on The Prologue, individual tales and Chaucer's Retraction are included as well as character analyses of Harry Bailey, the Host, the Knight, the Miller, the Wife of Bath and the Pardoner. Three critical essays are added plus an index. Properly used this guide will make the learning experience more meaningful as long as the student reads the entire literary work and completes all classroom assignments.

Excellent handbook.......2004-06-21

Since "The Canterbury Tales" can be rather daunting for the student, I think this is an exceptional way to garner more of the needed information. The definitions are to the point, and the summaries aren't lengthy and over-bearing. If this is something to be read in the classroom, I see no reason why this shouldn't accompany the text.

Good Help.......2000-11-27

The notes are really helpful as a supplement to the book. I had to do a paper on it, and it gives a lot of insight on important topics to consider.

Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales: A Casebook (Casebooks in Criticism)

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Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales: A Casebook (Casebooks in Criticism)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195175743

Book Description

The ten essays selected for this book illuminate the central themes of the most frequently taught Canterbury Tales. These texts are appropriate for undergraduates and general readers and were edited carefully to ensure that references and allusions are explained in footnotes. Theoretical excursus and critical jousting have been either simplified or omitted entirely. At the end of each essay is an annotated list of further readings. The volumes editor is one of the most distinguished active Chaucerian scholars in the world.

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Canterbury Tales: Side by Side
Geoffrey Chaucer
Manufacturer: Prestwick House, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1580495206

Book Description

Visually engages readers by placing the original dialogue on the left-hand side of the page, and a modern prose interpretations on the right.

Includes the following selection:
•The General Prologue
•The Wife of Bath's Tale
•The Wife of Bath's Prologue
•The Knight's Tale
•The Pardoner's Tale
•The Nun's Priest's Tale

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