A selection of the best-loved and most frequently studied of The Canterbury Tales This collection is the perfect introduction to one of the cornerstones of English literature. The General Prologue provides picturesque character sketches of the colorful band of pilgrims who gather at a London inn on their way to Canterbury. The nine tales chosen ran...more

This Norton Critical Edition includes the most admired of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Each is presented in the original language, with normalized spelling and substantial annotations for modern readers. Among the new added to the Second Edition are the much-requested "Merchant's Tale" and the "Tale of Sir Thopas.Sources and Backgrounds" are include...more

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 - 1400) was an English author, poet, bureaucrat, philosopher and diplomat. Chaucer has been called the father of English literature. Chaucer is credited as being the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language, rather than French or Latin. Troilus and Criseyde is set against the e...more