Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400)
Auteur de Les Contes de Canterbury
A propos de l'auteur
Geoffrey Chaucer, one of England's greatest poets, was born in London about 1340, the son of a wine merchant and deputy to the king's butler and his wife Agnes. Not much is known of Chaucer's early life and education, other than he learned to read French, Latin, and Italian. His experiences as a afficher plus civil servant and diplomat are said to have developed his fascination with people and his knowledge of English life. In 1359-1360 Chaucer traveled with King Edward III's army to France during the Hundred Years' War and was captured in Ardennes. He returned to England after the Treaty of Bretigny when the King paid his ransom. In 1366 he married Philippa Roet, one of Queen Philippa's ladies, who gave him two sons and two daughters. Chaucer remained in royal service traveling to Flanders, Italy, and Spain. These travels would all have a great influence on his work. His early writing was influenced by the French tradition of courtly love poetry, and his later work by the Italians, especially Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch. Chaucer wrote in Middle English, the form of English used from 1100 to about 1485. He is given the designation of the first English poet to use rhymed couplets in iambic pentameter and to compose successfully in the vernacular. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a collection of humorous, bawdy, and poignant stories told by a group of fictional pilgrims traveling to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket. It is considered to be among the masterpieces of literature. His works also include The Book of the Duchess, inspired by the death of John Gaunt's first wife; House of Fame, The Parliament of Fowls, and The Legend of Good Women. Troilus and Criseyde, adapted from a love story by Boccaccio, is one of his greatest poems apart from The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer died in London on October 25, 1400. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, in what is now called Poet's Corner. (Bowker Author Biography) afficher moins
Crédit image: Illustration from Cassell's History of England - Century Edition - published circa 1902.
Via Wikipedia.
Via Wikipedia.
Séries
Œuvres de Geoffrey Chaucer
Troilus and Cressida and The Canterbury tales. With modern English versions of both works (1952) 381 exemplaires
The Canterbury tales; the Prologue and four tales, with the Book of the duchess and six lyrics, (1930) 147 exemplaires
Chaucer : the prologue, the knightes tale the nonne preestes tale from the Canterbury tales (1878) 88 exemplaires
Canterbury Quintet : The General Prologue & Four Tales : A Reader-Friendly Edition (2000) 44 exemplaires
The Canterbury Tales: Seventeen Tales and the General Prologue (Norton Critical Editions) (2018) 44 exemplaires
The complete poetical works of Geoffrey Chaucer, now first put into modern English (1966) 29 exemplaires
Reading Chaucer: An Interlinear Translation of Selections in The Norton Antology of English Literature (2006) 27 exemplaires
The Reeve's Prologue and Tale with the Cook's Prologue and the Fragment of his Tale (1979) 18 exemplaires
Five Canterbury Tales: Level 1: 400-Word Vocabulary Five Canterbury Tales (Dominoes, Level One) (2010) 14 exemplaires
Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Vol. III: The House of Fame: The Legend of Good Women, The Treatise on the… (2008) 13 exemplaires
The Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Volume 3: The Canterbury Tales. From the text of Professor Skeat. (1910) 13 exemplaires
A Variorum Edition of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Volume V: The Minor Poems, Part One (1982) 13 exemplaires
Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Vol. I: Romaunt of the Rose, Minor Poems (in seven volumes) (2003) 12 exemplaires
Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Vol. VII: Chaucerian and Other Pieces, Being A Supplement to the Complete Works of… (1897) 11 exemplaires
The General Prologue & The Physician's Tale: In Middle English & In Modern Verse Translation (2006) 10 exemplaires
The Poems of Chaucer 9 exemplaires
The Canterbury Tales and Faerie Queene: With Other Poems of Chaucer and Spencer. Edited for Popular Perusal, with… (1874) — Auteur — 9 exemplaires
The Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Vol. 1: From the Text of Professor Skeat (1906) 9 exemplaires
The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 6, Introduction, Glossary, and Indexes (2013) 8 exemplaires
The prioresses tale, Sir Thopas, the Monkes tale, the Clerkes tale, the Squieres tale, from the Canterbury tales (2007) 8 exemplaires
Chaucer 8 exemplaires
Reading & Training : Geoffrey Chaucer : The Canterbury Tales [book + sound recording] (2007) — Writer — 7 exemplaires
The Reeve's Tale 7 exemplaires
The Tale of the Man of lawe;: The Pardoneres tale; the Second nonnes tale; the Chanouns yemannes tale, from the… (1879) 7 exemplaires
The Canterbury Tales: A Facsimile and Transcription of the Hengwrt Manuscript, with Variations from the Ellesmere… (1979) 7 exemplaires
The Canon Yeoman's Prologue and Tale: From the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (Selected Tales from Chaucer) (1965) 6 exemplaires
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (Selected): An Interlinear Translation — Auteur — 6 exemplaires
Geoffrey Chaucer's The Pardoner's Tale (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations) (1988) 6 exemplaires
The Canterbury Tales: A retelling by Peter Ackroyd 6 exemplaires
Grolier Classics: Don Quixote, Plutarch's Lives, The Republic, Canterbury Tales (1955) 5 exemplaires
An ABC 5 exemplaires
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: Annotated and Accented, With Illustrations of English Life in Chaucers Time (Classic… (1845) 4 exemplaires
The Canterbury tales I & II 4 exemplaires
The Wild Duck By Ibsen, the Manual By Epictetus, the Canterbury Tales By Chaucer (Great Books Foundation, Set Five,… 4 exemplaires
A one-text print of Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde from the Campsall ms. of Mr. Bacon Frank, copied for Henry v. when… 4 exemplaires
The Programmed Classics (13 Volume Set (Canterbury Tales, Crime & Punishment, Complete works of William Shakespeare… (1968) — Contributeur — 4 exemplaires
The Canterbury Tales In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (Classics Retold) (2012) 4 exemplaires
The Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer with an Essay on His Language and Versification and an Introductory Discourse… 4 exemplaires
Chaucer : the prologue and three tales 3 exemplaires
Två Canterbury sägner 3 exemplaires
Geoffrey Chaucer TROILUS AND CRESSIDA Krapp Transl. 1932 Random House 3rd Print. (1385) 3 exemplaires
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales for the Modern Reader prepared & edited by Arthur Burrell (1929) 3 exemplaires
The Canterbury Tales With Side-By-Side Modern English Translation (Classic Retold With Side-By-Side Translation Book 1) (2015) 3 exemplaires
The riches of Chaucer : in which his impurities have been expunged, his spelling modernised, his rhythm accentuated and… 3 exemplaires
The workes of our ancient and learned English poet, Geffrey Chaucer, newly printed. : To that which was done in the… 3 exemplaires
Die Canterbury-Erzählungen : mittelenglisch und deutsch 2 Fragment V - Fragment X der Canterbury-Erzählungen 3 exemplaires
The Tales of The Clerk and The Wife of Bath (Curriculum Policy and Research Series) (1992) 3 exemplaires
El parlamento de las aves y otras visiones del sueno/ The parliament of the birds and other dream visions (Biblioteca… (2006) 3 exemplaires
The Works 1532, With Supplementary Material from the Editions of 1542, 1561, 1598 and 1602 (1969) 3 exemplaires
The Canterbury tales of Geoffrey Chaucer / a selection edited with introduction and notes by Daniel Cook. 2 exemplaires
The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer, Selected and Ed. By Edwin Johnston Howard [and] Gordon Don (1947) 2 exemplaires
Selections from Chaucer, including his earlier and later verse and an example of his prose 2 exemplaires
The Flower and the Leaf. One of 165 copies, all on vellum pages, with 3 hand-colored engraved plates and 85 hand… 2 exemplaires
The story of Patient Grisilde 2 exemplaires
The works of Geoffrey Chaucer, : compared with the former editions, and many valuable MSS. out of which, three tales… 2 exemplaires
Canterbury tales; Chaucer for present-day readers 2 exemplaires
Chaucer's Troylus and Cryseyde (from the Harl. ms. 3943) compared with Boccaccio's Filostrato (1976) 2 exemplaires
The Pierpont Morgan Library Manuscript M.817: A Facsimile (The Facsimile Series of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer ; V.… (1986) 2 exemplaires
The Canterbury Tales [with] The Golden Cockerel Press, The Canterbury Tales and Eric Gill, An Essay By Peter Holliday (2010) 2 exemplaires
Truth {poem} 2 exemplaires
Selected Canterbury Tales (Dover Thrift Editions) by Geoffrey Chaucer (1994) Paperback 2 exemplaires
The Caterbury Tales 2 exemplaires
The Wife of Bath: Complete, Authoritative Text With Biographical and Historical Contexts, Critical History, and Essays… (1996) 2 exemplaires
The Complaynt of Chaucer to His Purse {poem} 2 exemplaires
Poetical Works, 6 vols., Bell & Daldy, London, '66 2 exemplaires
Poetical Works, Tyrwhite, London, '74 2 exemplaires
Canterbury Tales, Dent, London '89 2 exemplaires
Canterbury Tales, Routledge, London, n.d. 2 exemplaires
Gentilesse {poem} 2 exemplaires
The workes of our ancient ... poet Geffrey Chaucer. [Followed by] The storie of Thebes, by I. Lidgate 2 exemplaires
The Friar'S, Summoner'S, and Pardoner's Tales from the Canterbury Tales (Medieval and Renaissance Texts) (1975) 2 exemplaires
Selections from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales 2 exemplaires
The Shipman's Tale 2 exemplaires
Chaucer Criticism The Canterbury Tales 2 exemplaires
Geoffrey Chaucer Canterbury Tales 2 exemplaires
The Canterbury Tales (Penguin Popular Classics) by Geoffrey Chaucer (24-Feb-2011) Paperback (1600) 2 exemplaires
The Cuckoo and the Nightingale 1 exemplaire
The Court of Love 1 exemplaire
The Assembly of Fowls 1 exemplaire
The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism) by Chaucer, Geoffrey [17 April 1996] 1 exemplaire
Chaucer's A.B.C. 1 exemplaire
The Prologue and Four Canterbury Tales 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales, [Oxford World's Classics 76] 1 exemplaire
Chaucer's Dream 1 exemplaire
Prioresses Tale, Sire Thopas, the Monkes tale, the Clerkes tale, the Squieres tale, from the Canterbury tales 1 exemplaire
The Pardoner's Tale. Edited by Carleton Brown 1 exemplaire
December 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales: A Selection 1 exemplaire
Rare CANTERBURY TALES by Chaucer, Limited Editions Club, 2 Vols in Slipcase, 1934 [Hardcover] Geoffrey Chaucer 1 exemplaire
Chaucer, Geoffrey ( Author )(The Portable Chaucer: Revised Edition (Revised)) Paperback 1 exemplaire
The Miller's Tale 1 exemplaire
Cuentos del molinero y el carpintero 1 exemplaire
Poems By Geoffrey Chaucer 1 exemplaire
Opowieści kanterberyjskie 1 exemplaire
The Indispensable Chaucer 1 exemplaire
The Wife of Bath Prologue and Tale 1 exemplaire
The Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer Vol. IV 1 exemplaire
Historias de Chaucer 1 exemplaire
CHAUCER The Pardoner's Tale 1 exemplaire
Poetical Works 1 exemplaire
Canterbury Tales: the Prologue and the Man of Law's Tale. Edited by A.J. Wyatt, With a Glossary by J. Malins 1 exemplaire
The Canturbury Tales 1 exemplaire
Basilisk Press Kelmscott Chaucer 1 exemplaire
Selection from the Canterbury Tales 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales I 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales (Xist Classics) 1 exemplaire
Canterbury Tales, A6 1 exemplaire
Persuasion 1 exemplaire
カンタベリ物語〈上〉 (ちくま文庫) — Auteur — 1 exemplaire
The Prioress's Tale 1 exemplaire
Beowulf / Chaucer Read by Kokeriz and Pope 1 exemplaire
The General Prologue -- The Pardoner's Tale 1 exemplaire
The Book of the Duchess 1 exemplaire
Canterburysägner I 1 exemplaire
Canterburysägner II 1 exemplaire
Prologue and Knightes Tale 1 exemplaire
Ptačí sněm = The parliament of fowls 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales Three ( 3 ) Volumes 1 exemplaire
Chaucer's Shorter Works (from "The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer: A Facsimile of the William Morris Kelmscott Chaucer") 1 exemplaire
The Ellesmere Chaucer 1 exemplaire
Short poems 1 exemplaire
Boece 1 exemplaire
The Count of Monte Cristo; The Canterbury Tales(3); Vanity Fair (The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written) (1990) 1 exemplaire
Stories from Chaucer, the Canterbury Tales 1 exemplaire
Gríshildur góða og fleiri sögur 1 exemplaire
The College Chaucer 1 exemplaire
Burlesque Plays and Poems 1 exemplaire
Canterburyn kertomuksia 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales 1 exemplaire
Poetical works of Geoffrey Chaucer, volume II 1 exemplaire
Selections from Chaucer. The prologue. The nun's priest's tale. The pardoner's tale. The squire's tale 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer: A New Text with Illustrative Notes, Volume 1 (2010) 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales (Longman Classics, Stage 2) Simplified edition by Geoffrey Chaucer (1989) Paperback (1707) 1 exemplaire
Poetical works of Geoffrey Chaucer, volume V 1 exemplaire
The Man of Law"s Tale, the Nun"s Priest"s Tale, the Squire"s Tale. [The King"s Classics] (1904) 1 exemplaire
The Three Cuckolds. [Subtitle]: Out of Chaucer in modern prose renderingby Willis L. Parker. Privately issued for… (1932) 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales (2 cassettes) (The Prologue and the Pardoner's Prologue and Tale (Read in Middle English) (1978) 1 exemplaire
The manuscripts of Chaucer's Troilus,: With collotype facsimiles of the various handwritings, (Chaucer Society.… 1 exemplaire
Specimen extracts from the nine known unprinted mss. of Chaucer's "Troilus" and from Caxton's and… 1 exemplaire
Chaucer: The prologue to the Canterbury tales and The Nun's priest's tale (A series of English texts) 1 exemplaire
The prioress's tale, The tale of Sir Thopas 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer, Vol. 2: To Which Are Added, an Essay on His Language and Versification, an… (2017) 1 exemplaire
Miller's Tale -- Prologue 1 exemplaire
The Cook's Tale 1 exemplaire
The Friar's Tale 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales (Book on Tape) (The Nun's Priest's Tale/ The Knight's Tale, 2 Cassettes) (1983) 1 exemplaire
Introducing Chaucer: passages from Chaucer's writings chosen for beginners; with simplified spelling, and an… 1 exemplaire
Tale Of Melibee (Tale Of Melibeus) 1 exemplaire
Clásicos bruguera 1 exemplaire
Maestros Ingleses. TomoI . Cuentos de Canterbury. Aventuras de Robinson Crusoe. Nuevas aventuras de Robinson Crusoe.… 1 exemplaire
Tale Of Sir Thopas 1 exemplaire
The Second Nun's Tale 1 exemplaire
Chaucers Wordes Unto Adam, His Owne Scriveyn {poem} 1 exemplaire
A selection from the Canterbury tales 1 exemplaire
The Monk's Tale 1 exemplaire
Oxford Student Texts: 10 book pack (The Pardoners Tale / The Rape of Lock / The Duchess of Malfi / Keats Selected… (2010) 1 exemplaire
The Workes Of Ovr Ancient and learned English Poet, Geffrey Chavcer, newly Printed. To that which was done in the… 1 exemplaire
Chaucer. The prologue & ... the Prioress's tale. - The nun's priest's tale. - The pardoner's tale 1 exemplaire
Canterbury tales: Selections (Great Books) 1 exemplaire
A comprehensive list of textual comparison between Blake's and Robinson's editions of The Canterbury tales (1995) 1 exemplaire
geoffrey chaucer THE CANERBURY TALES A SELECTION 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer, Vol. 4: With an Essay Upon His Language and Versification, an Introductory Discourse,… (2015) 1 exemplaire
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The Prologue. Edited with introduction and notes by Alfred W. Pollard 1 exemplaire
Chaucer's Canterbury pilgrims 1 exemplaire
Rare TROILUS & CRESSIDA by Geoffrey Chaucer, Limited Editions Club in Slipcase, 1939 (1939) 1 exemplaire
حكايات كانتربري (سلسلة أفاق عالمية،#195) 1 exemplaire
The Wife Of Bath And Other Canterbury Tales 1 exemplaire
The clerk of Oxford's tale 1 exemplaire
The complete works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Volume IV 1 exemplaire
Chaucer Complete Works 1 exemplaire
Canterbury Tales, Volume 2 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales 1 exemplaire
The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales: The Romaunt of the Rose, and Minor Poems (Classic Reprint) (2017) 1 exemplaire
A first Chaucer 1 exemplaire
THE CANTERBURY TALES Easton Press 1 exemplaire
Major British Authors: Selected Canterbury Tales 1 exemplaire
Preamble and Tale of the Wife of Bath, The 1 exemplaire
The Poetical Works of Geoff. Chaucer: The Miscellaneous Pieces from Urry'S Edition 1721 : The Canterbury Tales from… (2012) 1 exemplaire
El cuento del molinero = The Miller's tale / El cuento del alguacil = The summoner's tale 1 exemplaire
Troilus and Cressida and Chaucer 1 exemplaire
Stories from Chaucer told to the children by Janet Harvey Kelman. With pictures by W. Heath Robinson (Told to the… (1906) 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer. Modernis'd by several hands [George Ogle, Thomas Betterton, John Dryden, Samuel… 1 exemplaire
Troilus and Cressida and The Canterbury tales 1 exemplaire
The Canterbury tales = Die Canterbury-Erzählungen : Mittelenglisch - Deutsch / Geoffrey Chaucer ; übersetzt… 1 exemplaire
English of the XIVth century: Chaucer's Prologue and Knightes tale (with grammatical and philological notes)… 1 exemplaire
The Works Now Newly Imprinted, Thumbnails, ChKWks0T 1 exemplaire
The poetical works of Geoff. Chaucer in fourteen volumes. The miscellaneous pieces from Urry's edition 1721, the… 1 exemplaire
The Works Now Newly Imprinted, Print, ChKWks1P 1 exemplaire
The Works Now Newly Imprinted, Browse, ChKWks2B 1 exemplaire
The Works Now Newly Imprinted, Read, ChKWks3R 1 exemplaire
The Works Now Newly Imprinted, Examine, ChKWks4X 1 exemplaire
Canterbury tales, a selective version 1 exemplaire
Canterbury Tales, Selections (audiobook) 1 exemplaire
Chaucer : contes de Cantorbéry : contes choisis, avec introduction grammaticale, notes et glossaire / par Joseph… 1 exemplaire
Oeuvres associées
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Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (1995) — Contributeur, quelques éditions — 930 exemplaires
World Poetry: An Anthology of Verse from Antiquity to Our Time (1998) — Contributeur — 450 exemplaires
The Graphic Canon, Vol. 1: From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Shakespeare to Dangerous Liaisons (2012) — Contributeur — 283 exemplaires
Trilogy of Life: The Decameron / Canterbury Tales / Arabian Nights (1971) — Original book — 50 exemplaires
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Vol. 1: The Individual and Human Values (1964) — Contributeur — 40 exemplaires
Floure and the Leafe, the Assembly of Ladies, the Isle of Ladies (1990) — mis-attribution, quelques éditions — 33 exemplaires
Lapham's Quarterly - Lines of Work: Volume IV, Number 2, Spring 2011 (2011) — Contributeur — 29 exemplaires
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 4th Edition, Volume 1 (1974) — Contributeur — 20 exemplaires
The Graphic Canon of Crime & Mystery, Vol. 2: From Salome to Edgar Allan Poe to The Silence of the Lambs (2021) — Contributeur — 14 exemplaires
Oogst der tijden : keur uit de werken van schrijvers en dichters aller volken en eeuwen (1940) — Contributeur — 10 exemplaires
The tale of Gamelyn : from the Harleian ms. no. 7334, collated with six other mss. (1884) — Attribution, quelques éditions — 7 exemplaires
Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosphiæ." (0014) — Traducteur, quelques éditions — 5 exemplaires
Great Poems from Chaucer to Whitman — Contributeur — 3 exemplaires
Étiqueté
Partage des connaissances
- Nom légal
- Chaucer, Geoffrey
- Date de naissance
- s. 1343 [1343]
- Date de décès
- 1400-10-25 [1400]
- Lieu de sépulture
- Abadia de Westminster, Londres, Anglaterra, RU (Cantonada del Poeta)
- Sexe
- male
- Nationalité
- Royaume-Uni
- Pays (pour la carte)
- Royaume-Uni
- Lieu de naissance
- Londres, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni
- Lieu du décès
- Londres, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni
- Lieux de résidence
- Gatehouse, Aldgate, Londres, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni
- Professions
- poeta
filòsof
burócrata
diplomàtic
funcionari
soldat (tout afficher 10)
escuder (Casa del Rei Edward III)
controlador (Aduanes i subvencions de la llana, la pell i el cuir tenyit)
traductor
Secretari (dels Treballs del Rei) - Relations
- Gower, John (amic)
- Prix et distinctions
- Caballer de la comarca (Kent)
Membres
Discussions
OT: Chaucer collection goes online à Fine Press Forum (Octobre 2023)
Folio Archives 341: Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer – LIMITED EDITION 2011 à Folio Society Devotees (Septembre 2023)
Folio Archives 323: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 1990 à Folio Society Devotees (Juillet 2023)
LE Canterbury Tales à Folio Society Devotees (Juin 2023)
Kelmscott Chaucer - Easton Press vs. Bradford Exchange side by side comparison à Easton Press Collectors (Décembre 2022)
Kelmscott Chaucer à Fine Press Forum (Novembre 2022)
Critiques
This is THE Chaucer book, it has everything plus helpful comments and annotations. I wish I had the time to read it front to back, but for now I only had the time to read some of the Tales and the Romaunt of the Rose.
Joseph Glaser's translation of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is wonderfully readable and entertaining. His translation makes the work easily accessible to modern readers providing a poetic rhythm and rhyme that hints of Chaucer's own poetry.
The Tales themselves range from the devout to the vulgarly humorous. Most delightful are the characters brought to life within the Tales.
The Tales themselves range from the devout to the vulgarly humorous. Most delightful are the characters brought to life within the Tales.
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Auteurs associés
Statistiques
- Œuvres
- 396
- Aussi par
- 47
- Membres
- 41,352
- Popularité
- #421
- Évaluation
- 3.8
- Critiques
- 365
- ISBN
- 1,013
- Langues
- 24
- Favoris
- 103
edition: Broadview Editions, Second Edition, edited by Robert Boenig & Andrew Taylor (2012)
OPD: 1400
format: 503-page large paperback
acquired: April read: Dec 30, 2023 – Apr 27, 2024, time reading: 62:07, 7.4 mpp
rating: 5
genre/style: Middle English Poetry theme: Chaucer
locations: on the road from London to Canterbury
about the author: Chaucer (~1342 – October 25, 1400) was an English poet and civil servant.
Chaucer is tricky because he’s hard to read and his tales vary so much, they are hard to summarize or classify. There is a Boccaccio element to them, but it’s a very different experience. Like Boccaccio, one thing that stands out is Chaucer’s naughty stories – sex and farts and trickery, money and wealth often playing a central role. The plague also has a role. One of Chaucer's tales is about three youths who hunt for Death because he has killed so many, and tragically find what they’re looking for. But what makes Chaucer most stand out from Boccaccio are the tellers of the tales. In Boccaccio, the ten youths are all of a class and many of them blend together, hard to differentiate. Chaucer’s tale is a social mixture – good and bad, wealthy and common. They are each distinct, wonderfully distinct, so much so that they, the tellers, stand out way more in memory than the tales themselves. These characters come out in the story prologues and there is simply more creativity, more social commentary, more insight into this medieval world than anything the stories themselves can accomplish, no matter how good the stories are. The Merchant’s Tale, my favorite, includes many references and wonderful debate between Hades and Persephone, a battle of the sexes. But it doesn’t touch on the Wife of Bath’s 1000-line prologue on being a wife to five men and all the experiences and judgments and justifications within, it’s not even close. She’s the best, but the Miller comes in early, drunkenly inserting this tale of sex and fart jokes, and bringing the whole level of content down. The Miller says, "I wol now quite the Knightes tale!" The knight has just told a more proper Boccaccio-inspired tale. By "quiting", the Miller means he his giving him some payback, getting back at him. (His tale has thematic consistency, but with common characters, farts and sex.) And the Cook’s tale is so awfully improper that it hasn’t been preserved, or maybe Chaucer only wrote 50 lines. Later, the Cook will throw up and fall off his horse. The Canon’s Yeoman exposes his own canon’s alchemy and trickery, getting fired on the spot before he tells his tale. This is all quite terrific stuff in and of itself, a rowdy uncontrolled mixture of societal levels, and mostly humorous confrontations (notably in a post-plague era of social mobility).
The other thing Chaucer does that Boccaccio doesn’t do in the Decameron, is write in verse. This is special all by itself. If you have read excerpts of Chaucer, there's a fair chance that like me you have been bewildered by it. It’s a weird language, oddly drawn out, then oddly compressed, obscuring the meaning, jamming in a weird accent. It doesn't make for great quotes or easy visits. But if you get deep into it, focus hard on it, something happens. It becomes magical, inimical, and lush in sound and freedom, the random inconsistent spelling as beautiful as the random inconsistent and sometimes heavily obscured phrasing. It also becomes recognizable. The more you read it, the more sense it makes. Although I was never able to scan it. Show me a page of Chaucer, and I’m immediately lost in indecipherable letters. I have to begin to read it and find the flow before it comes to life.
I find it interesting, but not inappropriate, that when Chaucer is discussed, it’s almost always his opening lines that are quoted - Whan that Aprill with hise shoures soote/The droghte of March had perced to the roote/And bathed every veyne in swich liquor/Of which vertu engendered is the flour What’s interesting is that Chaucer really doesn’t write that beautifully anywhere else. His language is generally much tamer and less trying, the rhythm more casual.
Last year I read [Troilus and Criseyde] and was enraptured in the language. There is no question the language there is better than here. And is drawn out, as he stays with long monologues that go pages and pages, the reader lost in the rhythms. This here is just not quite like that. Yes, he gets carried away a lot. But it’s always a little jerky and bumpy. There are monologues, but these are story telling monologues, with quick-ish plots. While I liked staying in the Merchant’s Tale, the writing clearly elevated and interesting, it was not the same. But T&C is both made and limited by its singular story. The Canterbury Tales expands on its cacophony of voices. The stories for me actually fade. But the prologues leave such lush impressions, they are somehow so real, and charming and Discworld-ish, and uncontained. It’s a much more powerful thing in my head.
As many know, I read this every morning beginning with April’s shoures soote on January 1. And, with the exception of the prose tales, the Tale of Melibee and The Pardoner’s Tale, it was always the best part of my day. The same could be said for T&C last year. I’ll miss being lost in this. A really special experience, and special gift to English speakers and the language's history.
2024
https://www.librarything.com/topic/360386#8521275… (plus d'informations)