The Canterbury Tales Hardback - 2009

by Geoffrey Chaucer; Retold by Peter Ackroyd; Nick Bantock (Illustrator)

A fresh, modern prose retellingcaptures the vigorous and bawdyspirit of Chaucer's classic Renowned critic, historian, and biographer PeterAckroyd takes on what is arguably the greatest poem inthe English language and presents the work in a prosevernacular that makes it accessible to modern readerswhile preserving the spirit of the original.A mirror for medieval society, Chaucer's CanterburyTales concerns a motley group of pilgrims who meet ina London inn on their way to Canterbury and agree totake part in a storytelling competition. Ranging fromcomedy to tragedy, pious sermon to ribald farce, heroicadventure to passionate romance, the tales serve notonly as a summation of the sensibility of the MiddleAges but as a representation of the drama of the humancondition.Ackroyd's contemporary prose emphasizes thehumanity of these characters-as well as explicitlyrendering the naughty good humor of the writerwhose comedy influenced Fielding and Dickens-yetstill masterfully evokes the euphonies and harmoniesof Chaucer's verse. This retelling is sure to delightmodern readers and bring a new appreciation to thosealready familiar with the classic tales.