Canterbury Tales, The
The Canterbury Tales is an entertaining romp through the Medieval English countryside. If you don't know what it's about, the Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury Cathedral. The tales are told as a way to entertain each other on their journey and the one who tells the best tale will earn a fine meal paid for by the other travelers. This is actually an incomplete work as Chaucer died before completing it, but it is a fine example of early English literature and one of the most important pieces of the English Canon.
The tales here vary in length and content as to the prologues and epilogues containing the goings on of the party members. Chaucer writes with a great sense of humor and, since he is writing in the language of the common folk, the content contains many lewd and bawdy jokes and events. It is a very entertaining read and if one wants more than just entertainment, there is a lot of social commentary about life in medieval England that can be gleaned throughout the text.
I was a little unsure what to expect when I read this and don't be turned off by the introductory prologue in which our narrator introduces all of the characters. It can be a little long and dry in parts, but it helps to give a clear picture of the characters in the party as they interact with one another and tell their respective tales.
Added note: I had to read this again for another class and this time we read it in the original Middle English. Having read the Canterbury Tales earlier, I appreciated the fact that I already had a handle on the general storyline of the tales and could instead concentrate on the nuances of the language and the beauty of the rhyme scheme. I thoroughly enjoyed this second time through the book and have increased my rating by a point as a result.
Have you read this book? Click here to rate it!
Geoffrey Chaucer - Canterbury Tales, The - 8
Moderators: clong, Mr. Titanic
Geoffrey Chaucer - Canterbury Tales, The - 8
Last edited by StefanY on Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/styates/ChiefsArrowhead.jpg[/img]
-
Evaine
- Devoted Scholar
- Posts: 935
- Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2004 2:14 pm
- Location: Hay-on-Wye, town of books
I haven't read the whole thing (shame on me!) but I do really like the Wife of Bath's tale, and the Miller's Tale (for all those who thought that sex was invented way after the Medieval period!)
when the floppy-eared Spaniel of Luck sniffs at your turn-ups it helps if you have a collar and piece of string in your pocket.
Terry Pratchett on taking opportunities in writing.
Terry Pratchett on taking opportunities in writing.
-
Mary Russell
- Devoted Scholar
- Posts: 893
- Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2005 2:49 pm
- Location: The freezing North and missing the heart of Africa
One possible way to think of C.T. is as a middle ages spiritual precursor to the infamous The Aristocrats gag, where storyteller and listeners (presumably fellow travellers on the road to Canterbury) take turns trying to outdo each other with improvized outrageous tales.
Lesser and far simpler modern day pass-time games like the various humor perpetual threads in our very own appendix sub-fora follow the same general pattern, but are quite a bit easier and more free-form.
Lesser and far simpler modern day pass-time games like the various humor perpetual threads in our very own appendix sub-fora follow the same general pattern, but are quite a bit easier and more free-form.