The Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer, Nevill Coghill

I've found, like many before me, that Chaucer has many delightful little works within a work here. ...more

I've found, like many before me, that Chaucer has many delightful little works within a work here. I thank him for popularizing English, as I did not complete my training in Latin. You will be using such foul and blasphemous language as "By God's Blood and Bones" for many weeks upon completing this book. My favorite tale is the Miller's; that naughty Allison and her nether eye....   hide

This was written back in the time when English was still lyrical - before it became the language of...more

This was written back in the time when English was still lyrical - before it became the language of bankers and bureaucrats. I found that reading it aloud added a lot more to the enjoyment of the book - I am certain I did not pronounce everything the correct way that it would have been done in the 14th Century when it was written, but I tried, and it made the book so much more beautiful to hear the Middle English sounds as they came off of the tongue. Not only was it a good book to read aloud, but the plots are just as timely and interesting today as they were when Chaucer put them to parchment.   hide

I read this for the first time in uni and had to be coerced at first to take it seriously, then I...more

I read this for the first time in uni and had to be coerced at first to take it seriously, then I read the Miller's tale and laughed so hard I nearly wet myself. It's often crude and crass, sometimes pompous and perve, but always a timeless reminder of how some things change, and some things just don't.   hide

I swear I am *thisclose* to knowing how to speak/read/comprehend another language because of the...more

I swear I am *thisclose* to knowing how to speak/read/comprehend another language because of the unaltered version of this book! Three cheers for ye olde englische! huzzah huzzah huzzah   hide

I like the bawdy tales, but overall found myself a little bored. Good as an intellectual exercise,...more

I like the bawdy tales, but overall found myself a little bored. Good as an intellectual exercise, but I would really only read a couple of the tales for fun (the Wife of Bath and the Miller are the most entertaining).   hide