The Canterbury Tales

Front Cover
Penguin UK, Feb 2, 2012 - Poetry - 528 pages

'Nevill Coghill's easy, seductive translation ensures that this, the most popular work in English Literature - now 600 years old - will run through yet more centuries' Melvyn Bragg

In The Canterbury Tales Chaucer created one of the great touchstones of English literature. A storytelling competition within a group of pilgrims from all walks of life is the occasion for a series of tales that range from the Knight's account of courtly love and the ebullient Wife of Bath's Arthurian legend to the ribald anecdotes of the Miller and the Cook. This masterly and vivid modern English verse translation retains all the vigour and poetry of Chaucer's fourteenth-century Middle English.


Translated by NEVILL COGHILL

 

Selected pages

Contents

Chaucers Life Chaucers Works
GROUP
THE MILLERS TALE
THE COOKS TALE
The Prioresss Prologue
Copyright

Other editions - View all

The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer
Limited preview - 2003
The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer
Snippet view - 1963
The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer
Snippet view - 1952
View all »

Common terms and phrases

Absalon answered arms began better blessed body bring brother brought called Chaucer child Christ Constance daughter dead dear death eyes face fair fall fear fell fire follow friar friends gave give God’s grace grief hand head hear heard heart Heaven holy honour hope horse Host husband I’ll Italy John keep killed kind King knew known lady land leave live look Lord matter mean mind nature never night noble once Palamon pass pity pleasure poor priest round seemed sent sight sing soul speak stand stood story tale tell thanks thee there’s things thou thought told took town true truth turn wife woman women worth young

About the author (2012)

Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London in about 1342. He was valued highly by Edward III, who paid part of his ransom when he was captured fighting in France in 1360. He rose in royal employment, becoming a Justice of the Peace and was buried in 1400 in Westminster Abbey.
Nevill Coghill's translation of Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde into modern English is also published by Penguin Classics.

Bibliographic information

TitleThe Canterbury Tales
Clothbound classics
Penguin classics
AuthorGeoffrey Chaucer
Translated byNevill Coghill
PublisherPenguin UK, 2012
ISBN0718193741, 9780718193744
Length528 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Poetry / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Poetry / General
Poetry / Medieval
  
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