The Canterbury Tales

By Geoffrey Chaucer

While Geoffrey Chaucer composed several magnificent works of poetry, his reputation as “the father of English literature” rests mainly on The Canterbury Tales, a group of stories told by assorted pilgrims en route to the shrine of Thomas à Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. From the mirthful and bawdy to the profoundly moral, the tales, taken in their entirety, reflect not only the manners and mores of medieval England, but indeed, the full comic and tragic dimensions of the human condition. Considered the greatest collection of narrative poems in English literature, The Canterbury Tales was composed in the Middle English of Chaucer’s day, possibly to be read aloud at the court of Richard II. However, their grandeur, humor, and relevance are timeless, as readers of this authoritative edition will discover.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9780735253582

Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) is considered to be the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. He maintained a career in civil service for most of his life, working as a courtier, diplomat, and was even a member of Parliament, however, he is famed for his literary work. Best known for his book The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer normalized the use of Middle English in a time when the respected literary languages were French and Latin, causing a revolutionary impact on literature. Chaucer is regarded as the father of English Literature for his invaluable contributions and innovations to the art.