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The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling (2009)

by Peter Ackroyd(Favorite Author)

3.44 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0670021229 (ISBN13: 9780670021222)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Viking Adult

review 1: If you only remember The Canterbury Tales as that hard slog in your Major British Writers class in college, try this. The language barrier will not impede you; this is a translation into contemporary English. Just as bawdy, just as funny, but perhaps more approachable. And then maybe you'll feel compelled to dip back into that dusty old paperback version on your bottom hallway shelf. I did, and heard again the echoes of my old professor declaiming those two opening lines "Whan that Aprill with his shoures sote/ The drought of Marche hath perced to the rote," and that's all I remember of that.
review 2: Ever since I read "Hyperion", which I learned was a modern, SF version of "The Canterbury Tales", I have wanted to read the original. Then I read a recommendatio... moren about this particular "translation" by Peter Achroyd so I got a copy from the library. Considering the fact that this was written over 700 years ago, it was surprisingly good. Really good, in fact. A very interesting mix of moralistic tales, with some really ribald tales. Surprisingly, women come off particularly strong in some of these stories; they are not second class citizens at all. The morals are just as applicable today. The last story warns against gossip: "Do not speak. Just nod your head and stay silent. Pretend that you are deaf, even, if some gossip tries to spread rumours." "If you have not said wicked word, my son, then you have nothing to fear. If you say something wrong, or foolish, you will never be able to take it back again. What is said is said. It flies into the air, and cannot be caught.". I can recommend this particular version. less

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