Read The Canterbury Tales

This just popped up on my Magic 8 Ball(first half decent thing to do so) and I did study it in school many years ago but didn’t pay attention, I feel like I should give it another go now I live 20 mins from Canterbury!!

Started it many times, but never finished it. And the worst part is, I always enjoyed it.

Done with the prologue introductions for the knight, the nun, and the monk.

we read a little of this is high school and i after i graduated i went back and read the rest of them. i thoroughly enjoyed it and wish he would have finished the story. oh well…

I tried to read the mid-english original but couldn’t understand it well enough to appreciate it.
I read a modern english version twice a year for 3 years and then got the full interlinear translation (each sentence in mid-english with the modern english version below it).
I have reread it 3 times reading each line as both modern or mid.
I then finally went back and read the original.
More than the fact that it is beautiful to read I have gained so much satisfaction in being able to now fully appreciate the original flow of style and language as written by Chaucer.

I had to memorize the first story in old english. Now I have it in modern english. Hope I can finish it.

Chaucer is not easily understood in modern translation. I reccommend the Riverside Chaucer as the best modern print of Chaucers works. it includes extensive footnotes for help with understanding the words, and once you learn middle english, you can also read things written by people with poor grammar and spelling!

I agree with others here: read it in the original Middle English. Also, look for a recording of someone reading it. Then you’ll have a sense of the sound and rhythm of Chaucer’s poetry. It’s also a lot of fun. The Prologue is a rich picture of the different types of people in medieval England. And the Miller’s Tale is really dirty!

Chaucer, now. Chaucer was the man.

It is an amzing book! recommended!