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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
Opened my print copy to find out it was in Middle English and immediately downloaded a modern translation audiobook. Surprisingly entertaining for several tales, but also some major clunkers included the drawn out sermon of a final tale
I’m kind of obsessed with the Middle Ages and Chaucer. There’s a reason this is one of the most significant works of literature.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s a real pleasure to have been shared a joke from across so many years. Pretty much liked all of the stories but Chaucer is at his best when he’s giving free rein to viciousness and vulgarity. Read a translation; anxious to try again in Middle English.
Honestly just didn't enjoy the plots of the Tales themselves, found them frustratingly dull. Loved the concept and the language and the exposure to history
Not really a relaxed reading. No surprise there: it's more than 600 years old. It's a very uneven book: some stories are very amateuristic, others are gems. I enjoyed the nice psychological sketches of the knight, woman from Bath, clerk, landowner, drainage gobbler, and the nun priest (!).
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I found this one boring and difficult to follow. I can tick it off my read classics list but it’s not for me.
I've just finished listening to this wonderful audio recording of The Canterbury Tales but I'd say I'm only at the beginning of understanding it. I think it's one thing to read and understand each tale, but it's quite another to compare and contrast the stories and pick out common themes (e.g., marriage, women's rights, sinning etc). I've not even begun to do this last, but look forward to delving in.
This was my first real encounter with Chaucer, but I quite liked the translation by J.U. Nicholson. It was understandable, yet had enough of the flavor of the original Middle English that it was a nice compromise.
The audiobook presentation was excellent, with all the narrators easily understood, though I have to say that The Wife of Bath's Tale and The Prioress' Tale were my two favorite narrations. Changing up the narrators was a great idea and really added to the differentiation of the characters, even if some narrators took on more than one role.
For those interested, I'm including a "Table of Contents" of the Tales, providing chapters and timings of the Blackstone audiobook in the spoiler tags.
Prologue (Chapters 1-4, 0:00 to 46.22)
The Knight’s Tale (Chapter 5-15 46:23-2:51:45)
The Miller's Tale (Chapter 16-18 2:51:50-3:30:28)
The Reeve's Tale (Chapter 19-21 3:30:30-3:55:16
The Cook's Tale (Chapter 22 3:55:19 - 4:00:20
The Lawyer's Tale (Chapter 23-27 4:00:23-4:57:19)
The Sailor's Tale (Chapter 28-29 4:57:21-5:22:52)
The Prioress' Tale (Chapter 30-31 5:22:56-5:39:17)
Sir Topas' Tale (Chapter 32 5:39:20-5:49:48)
Melibee's Tale (Chapter 33-42 5:49:50-7:48:44
The Monk's Tale (Chapter 43-46 7:48:47-8:38:22)
The Nun's Priest's Tale (Chapter 47-49 8:38:25-9:14:11)
The Physician's Tale (Chapter 50-51 9:14:25-9:30:39)
The Pardoner's Tale (Chapter 52-54 9:30:42-10:06:49)
The Wife of Bath's Tale (Chapter 55-60 10:06:52-11:21:14)
The Friar's Tale (Chapter 61-62 11:21:17-11:44:00)
The Summoner's Tale (Chapter 63-65 11:44:03-12:21:57)
The Clerk's Tale (Chapter 66-71 12:22:00-13:20:40)
The Merchant's Tale (Chapter 72-76 13:20:43-14:26:28)
The Squire's Tale (Chapter 77- 80 14:26:30-15:00:26)
The Franklin's Tale (Chapter 81-83 15:00:28-15:44:44)
The Second Nun's Tale (Chapter 84-86 15:44:47-16:16:44)
The Canon's Yeoman's Tale (Chapter 87-90 16:16:48-17:04:36)
The Manciple's Tale (Chapter 91-92 17:04:42-17:25:47)
The Parson's Tale (Chapter 93-108 17:25:49-20:44:55)
Chaucer's Retraction (Chapter 108 20:44:58-20:47:41)
This was my first real encounter with Chaucer, but I quite liked the translation by J.U. Nicholson. It was understandable, yet had enough of the flavor of the original Middle English that it was a nice compromise.
The audiobook presentation was excellent, with all the narrators easily understood, though I have to say that The Wife of Bath's Tale and The Prioress' Tale were my two favorite narrations. Changing up the narrators was a great idea and really added to the differentiation of the characters, even if some narrators took on more than one role.
For those interested, I'm including a "Table of Contents" of the Tales, providing chapters and timings of the Blackstone audiobook in the spoiler tags.
Spoiler
Prologue (Chapters 1-4, 0:00 to 46.22)
The Knight’s Tale (Chapter 5-15 46:23-2:51:45)
The Miller's Tale (Chapter 16-18 2:51:50-3:30:28)
The Reeve's Tale (Chapter 19-21 3:30:30-3:55:16
The Cook's Tale (Chapter 22 3:55:19 - 4:00:20
The Lawyer's Tale (Chapter 23-27 4:00:23-4:57:19)
The Sailor's Tale (Chapter 28-29 4:57:21-5:22:52)
The Prioress' Tale (Chapter 30-31 5:22:56-5:39:17)
Sir Topas' Tale (Chapter 32 5:39:20-5:49:48)
Melibee's Tale (Chapter 33-42 5:49:50-7:48:44
The Monk's Tale (Chapter 43-46 7:48:47-8:38:22)
The Nun's Priest's Tale (Chapter 47-49 8:38:25-9:14:11)
The Physician's Tale (Chapter 50-51 9:14:25-9:30:39)
The Pardoner's Tale (Chapter 52-54 9:30:42-10:06:49)
The Wife of Bath's Tale (Chapter 55-60 10:06:52-11:21:14)
The Friar's Tale (Chapter 61-62 11:21:17-11:44:00)
The Summoner's Tale (Chapter 63-65 11:44:03-12:21:57)
The Clerk's Tale (Chapter 66-71 12:22:00-13:20:40)
The Merchant's Tale (Chapter 72-76 13:20:43-14:26:28)
The Squire's Tale (Chapter 77- 80 14:26:30-15:00:26)
The Franklin's Tale (Chapter 81-83 15:00:28-15:44:44)
The Second Nun's Tale (Chapter 84-86 15:44:47-16:16:44)
The Canon's Yeoman's Tale (Chapter 87-90 16:16:48-17:04:36)
The Manciple's Tale (Chapter 91-92 17:04:42-17:25:47)
The Parson's Tale (Chapter 93-108 17:25:49-20:44:55)
Chaucer's Retraction (Chapter 108 20:44:58-20:47:41)