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The Canterbury Tales (Modern Library Classics)

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THE CANTERBURY TALES BY GEOFFREY CHAUCER, TRANSLATED BY BURTON RAFFEL: The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by one of the greatest writers in history, up there with William Shakespeare himself. Originally published in the late fifteenth century, it has appeared on high school reading lists, and serves as one of the most important medieval texts - if not the most important - ever written and published.

Chaucer tells the story of 29 pilgrims who set out on pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. Pilgrimage was a common event in many people's lives in the medieval world, especially if they were looking to be pious and guarantee their ascent into heaven; it was also a good way for those who had committed sins to be absolved of their actions. The Host of this pilgrimage sets the stage in the "General Prologue" by asking each of the pilgrims to tell four stories; two on the way to Canterbury, and two on the way back to London. The storytelling will help pass the time, but will also serve to enlighten the group about the lives and actions of the pilgrims.

While Chaucer never fully completed his 124 stories, ending at 22,, there is nevertheless a wide selection of stories from most of its main characters. "The Knight's Tale" is the story about two royal Theban cousins who love the same woman. There's "The Wife of Bath's Tale," as she discusses her life of five husbands and the importance and sacrifice she has made in marriage and being a wife. "The Miller's Tale" mocks the life of a carpenter who is fooled into believing a flood is coming, while the clerk sleeps with his wife. In the final story, "The Parson's Tale," the Parson talks for a long time about the importance of being just and pious and faithful to God.

The Canterbury Tales is not just a collection of entertaining stories from the fifteenth century, but is a most fascinating insight into the way of life of these people, what they considered funny or sad, what they wore and ate, and what sort of a role the church truly played in their lives. Chaucer even inserts himself into his book, arguing back and forth with the Host, as he is challenged to tell a superior story.

In this new translation from Burton Raffel, much of the original text is preserved, even though Raffel admits that in any translation, it is ultimately going to be different as it is that, a translation. Nevertheless, where possible, Raffel keeps and maintains the rhyming scheme, giving life to the stories and making the old oral tradition of storytelling come alive off the page. This new translation of The Canterbury Tales is perfect for anyone who enjoys these old texts, or for a student having trouble reading the early Middle English; it is even ideal for families to learn through reciting the stories aloud and hearing these classics come to life through voice, as they were originally meant to.

As usual, what is presented as "translation" by Raffel is really a retelling and adaptation, changing and omitting whatever he chooses. Below are the first lines of Chaucer in the original, followed by a reasonably accurate translation into modern English, followed by Raffel.

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendered is the flour;

When April, with his sweet showers, has penetrated the drought of March to the root and bathed every vein in a sweet liquor by which the flower is engendered;

When April arrives, and with his sweetened showers,
Drenches dried-up roots, gives them power
To stir dead plants and sprout the living flowers
That spring has always spread across these fields,

What happened to Chaucer's "March"? And the whole last line is Raffel's invention.
And this is by no means Raffel's most egregious moment.

Leaving aside the issue of whether an modern English version is really a worthy project (Isn't the point of reading Chaucer, the language? And doesn't a good set of page notations allow one to experience the original?), this book is not what it claims to be.

These translations/interpretations do take their inspiration from
Chaucer but are freely adapted for the modern reader.

This a capital retelling of the "The Canterbury Tales" in which the
pilgrims in 14th century England give very interesting stories as they travel to the cathedral at Canterbury.

Over the years I tried the original, a few critical editions and
now have come to the conclusion Burton Raffel has produced a
masterful 'work of art' to be fully appreciated!

Dag Stomberg
St. Andrews, Scotland

I am listening to this on audiobook. The intro is over an hour long and in itself is worth the price of the entire book. Pure joy, timeless. Do not be swayed by some puerile bad reviews. Some intellects cannot appreciate talent or good literature.

The Tales offer such a diverse slice of Medieval life and are narrated from so many different perspectives. Yes they are a bit ribald but such was life before the constraints of Puritanism became the norm. I found myself laughing out loud at the hijinks described in the likes of The Miller's Tale and then (countered by) The Reeves Tale.
As is well known by now, Chaucer did not himself write these stories but instead took tales that were universally familiar and embellished them to such a degree as to make them highly enjoyable some six centuries later. I like that most are short and can be reread at leisure. I would highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys that particular period in time. It is history with scrumptious flavoring.

This particular translation proved to be an easier read than I had expected. A little of the flow feels like it has been sacrificed in favor of readability, but that didn't bother me- rather, I enjoyed the chance to read the stories without having to over-think the poetry. I always have my older editions for the times when the beauty of the language is more important to me than the stories!

This is one of the most "fun" books I've seen. The poetic style has not been lost in the modernization of the language. It is easy to read and understand. The cover is pretty and the whole thing just says "Read Me". I love it - very enjoyable.

Raffel produced by far the best translation of Gargantua and Pantagruel, and now he has done the same for another masterpiece of humanism. His art and wit releases the liveliness obscured in older translations. I love these books for their humor and sharp insights, and Raffel has worked magic in bringing them to the 21st century reader.

Oh, jeesch...if you love classical poetry...read this version of "The Canterbury Tales". This is a wonderful addition to the others that are out there.
Beautifully presented, and when you read it...it will be like reading it for the very first time.

This was a Christmas Present for my niece...she loved it!!
As always...Amazon delivered...before Christmas!..at a great Price!