A review by mikelangan
The Canterbury Tales by SparkNotes, Geoffrey Chaucer
3.0
Words of advice; the book is written in rhyming couplets, make sure you buy a good translation rather than working through the words as written by Chaucer. To gain its full effect I would recommend buying a good audio version performed by accomplished actors. It makes all the difference and enhances the understanding and enjoyment of the various tales.
Chaucer is effectively the scribe recording the tales of various individuals on pilgrimage to Canterbury. It a clever mechanism that allows the exploration of a wide spectrum of society from the knight to the pardoner – a man who sells ‘pardons’ for sins (would be very handy for politicians, if they were ever to inadvertently tell a slight untruth).
It has been suggested that the tales represent Chaucer’s exploration of the role of chance in human affairs. How much does a person control his/her destiny? Is success or failure a matter of chance and circumstance or can one influence matters by your efforts and actions.
Chaucer’s skill lay in his ability to vividly portray his characters, their way of life and also the interaction within groups and society. More than 20 pilgrims tell their tales which contain a surprising amount of humour together with an undercurrent of disagreements and one-upmanship between the story tellers. The tensions wrought from class awareness are also evident.
Would I recommend it? On balance, I think not – it is different and important because of its place in English literature but it was a bit of a slog and the rhyming couplets lose their flow and impact unless read out loud (which might get some enquiring glances on a commuter train).
Chaucer is effectively the scribe recording the tales of various individuals on pilgrimage to Canterbury. It a clever mechanism that allows the exploration of a wide spectrum of society from the knight to the pardoner – a man who sells ‘pardons’ for sins (would be very handy for politicians, if they were ever to inadvertently tell a slight untruth).
It has been suggested that the tales represent Chaucer’s exploration of the role of chance in human affairs. How much does a person control his/her destiny? Is success or failure a matter of chance and circumstance or can one influence matters by your efforts and actions.
Chaucer’s skill lay in his ability to vividly portray his characters, their way of life and also the interaction within groups and society. More than 20 pilgrims tell their tales which contain a surprising amount of humour together with an undercurrent of disagreements and one-upmanship between the story tellers. The tensions wrought from class awareness are also evident.
Would I recommend it? On balance, I think not – it is different and important because of its place in English literature but it was a bit of a slog and the rhyming couplets lose their flow and impact unless read out loud (which might get some enquiring glances on a commuter train).