The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales

'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
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Reviews

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sophie <3@chatnoirreads
3 stars
Dec 28, 2024

admittedly only read 'the knight's prologue & tale' but god, why did I read this in medieval english (pre-1700 texts class, why did you do this to me?)

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Ester Waclavova@esterka

Only read the Miller’s tale, Reeve’s Tale and wife of bath, but it was pretty good

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Lee@llee
3 stars
Jan 7, 2024

This is the wrong edition but I can't find the correct one so IGNORE THAT ... this shit was so confusing ... why did I have to read it in Middle English when I am NOT TRYING TO BECOME A MEDIEVALIST??? Wife of Bath is my girl tho...

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Laura Mauler@blueskygreenstrees
4 stars
Dec 25, 2023

I'd say it's more like 3.5 stars, but we round up in my family. Some great stuff and some duds, and that's perfectly fine. When I was really in the mood for this book, even a dud story didn't bother me because the feeling of the rhymes carried me along; it was almost like listening to music in a foreign language, pleasant for the sounds if not the content. The great stuff was a treat no matter my mood, and at times I actually gasped aloud in shock and delight at the raunchiness.

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Joe Ross@joeross
3 stars
Sep 2, 2023

Some bwere better than others. The wonder is in the set-up, the stories-within-stories. Good OLD frickin' genius

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Vanya de Lang @vampibish
4 stars
Oct 17, 2022

This was a read for university and we only did one story, but I really enjoyed it. The middle English is challenging to read but the outcome is amazing. The storytelling from that era was absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed it.

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Donald@riversofeurope
5 stars
Feb 25, 2022

The middle English is gorgeous. Don't read translations!

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Bryanna M@byranna_mere
2 stars
Feb 23, 2022

I didn't hate it as much as Beowulf or Sir Gawaine...

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Jenna Kathleen@jennarator
5 stars
Nov 26, 2021

My favourite book of all time. Now to save money for The Riverside Chaucer...

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Cameron Austin@camelot
4 stars
Nov 22, 2021

I also read this for my English class. Although I didn't read every tale, the ones I read were actually pretty good. Some of the tales I could see the ending coming, ie The Pardoner's Tale. It's still one of my favorite though, including the tale the Wife of Bath told.

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Jawad Abdulrazzaq@acid
3 stars
Jan 15, 2025
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joa@ilybyoshimoto
2.5 stars
Nov 2, 2024
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Arden Stirling@raynedrop
4.5 stars
Mar 10, 2024
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Shreyaa@shreyaa
4.5 stars
Dec 11, 2021
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Rocío de la Hera@rdlhbooks
2 stars
Jul 25, 2024
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Louise mcdonagh@superslothl
4 stars
Jul 15, 2024
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Mat Connor@mconnor
5 stars
Jun 25, 2024
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Saad@bulbasaur
5 stars
Jun 14, 2024
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Brendan @bwbrewster
4 stars
Jun 11, 2024
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Joe Bauldoff@bauldoff
4 stars
May 22, 2024
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elizabeth@ekmclaren
3 stars
May 11, 2024
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Jenny Wooten@jwoot
3 stars
Apr 5, 2024
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Amna A.@crayoladagger
2 stars
Apr 5, 2024
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Sarah Sammis@pussreboots
3 stars
Apr 4, 2024