I haven't read all 24 stories from The Canterbury Tales, however I did study a number at A Level, and all these years later they are still with me. I initially marched over the words, puzzled the meaning, took the structure apart, but, but… Then the moment arrived when it all became clear! I actually saw five of the tales performed in a play using traditional language and a vivid, vibrant clarity appeared and gave meaning. From then on I would read the stories out loud and I could understand the pattern, the feel, the thoughts, the greed, corruption and saucy moments. These are wondrous tales, let yourself fall into them as they come to life in a way that could well open your eyes, they certainly opened mine.
Preserving Chaucer's rhyme and metre, Sheila Fisher's vivid, lively and readable translation makes the poetic artistry of The Canterbury Tales accessible to a contemporary ear and invites readers, even those who have read the work before in Middle English, to a new appreciation of its delightful stories and unforgettable, surprisingly modern characters.
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