The Canterbury Tales (Bantam Classics)
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Review
'Written in a lucid and elegant style, Wetherbee's book has lost nothing of its worth during the fifteen years that have elapsed since it was first published. It provides a useful and thought-provoking commentary to the Tales not only for university students or general readers but also for specialists.' Anglia
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
A modern playscript adaptation of some of Chaucer's fine Tales
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
My review relates specifically to the Kindle edition of the Canterbury Tales (Bantam Classic) as at July 2011. Judging from the other very positive reviews, my guess is that the print version of this book is much, much, much better!
I was looking for a good version of Cantebury Tales for Kindle, ideally with both middle english and modern text, and this ebook sounded perfect as described. I downloaded the sample and I was impressed by the content as far as it went. Unfortunately, the sample content only includes the Table of Contents, Preface and Introduction etc. It did not contain any portion of the Tales themselves, not even part of the General Prologue. So I purchased the whole thing to have a better look. That's when I decided to give this a 1-star rating in Kindle edition.
Amazon really do need to ensure that Kindle sample content samples the book and not just its introductory sections.
According to other reviewers, in the printed version the two formats of the text (middle english and modern) are presented opposite each other on facing pages. Ideal!
I knew this would not be possible on Kindle which can only display one page (or part page) at a time so I expected a bit of a challenge. But...woe...the formatting is such that blocks of middle english text and the modern text just follow on from each other with no clear breaks between the two versions of text and no way of jumping between the two. The poetry line formatting is OK but The Knight's Tale, for example, is just one continuous poem with middle english, then modern english, then middle english again etc. Every page and a half you have to spot the line where one text ends and the other begins. There is rarely even a line gap to make that easy to do. It is very, very hard therefore to read the work fluently in either text format and pretty much impossible to try to compare the two. I gave up trying after flicking through the General Prologue and the Knight's Tale.
For me, this makes this Kindle edition of this book practically unreadable in either middle or modern english. I have requested a refund from Amazon which I am sure will be forthcoming.
I was looking for a good version of Cantebury Tales for Kindle, ideally with both middle english and modern text, and this ebook sounded perfect as described. I downloaded the sample and I was impressed by the content as far as it went. Unfortunately, the sample content only includes the Table of Contents, Preface and Introduction etc. It did not contain any portion of the Tales themselves, not even part of the General Prologue. So I purchased the whole thing to have a better look. That's when I decided to give this a 1-star rating in Kindle edition.
Amazon really do need to ensure that Kindle sample content samples the book and not just its introductory sections.
According to other reviewers, in the printed version the two formats of the text (middle english and modern) are presented opposite each other on facing pages. Ideal!
I knew this would not be possible on Kindle which can only display one page (or part page) at a time so I expected a bit of a challenge. But...woe...the formatting is such that blocks of middle english text and the modern text just follow on from each other with no clear breaks between the two versions of text and no way of jumping between the two. The poetry line formatting is OK but The Knight's Tale, for example, is just one continuous poem with middle english, then modern english, then middle english again etc. Every page and a half you have to spot the line where one text ends and the other begins. There is rarely even a line gap to make that easy to do. It is very, very hard therefore to read the work fluently in either text format and pretty much impossible to try to compare the two. I gave up trying after flicking through the General Prologue and the Knight's Tale.
For me, this makes this Kindle edition of this book practically unreadable in either middle or modern english. I have requested a refund from Amazon which I am sure will be forthcoming.
35 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Although difficult at first to get your head around the old english, be patient and before long you will enjoy geoffrey Chaucers unique sense of humour and light critizicm of the times.
The Wife of Baths story is particuarly interesting. Her tale of the woes of marriage - which for her are numerous! are hilarious! she argues for remarriage very well, and her whole demenour is a refreshing change from those male dominated times. it is worth buying this book, just to be able to read the wifes story.
Dont be put off by the language - it adds to the appeal.
The Wife of Baths story is particuarly interesting. Her tale of the woes of marriage - which for her are numerous! are hilarious! she argues for remarriage very well, and her whole demenour is a refreshing change from those male dominated times. it is worth buying this book, just to be able to read the wifes story.
Dont be put off by the language - it adds to the appeal.
93 of 103 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As with all of the Penguin Classics, this is a nicely presented book. An introduction at the start covers the life and works of Chaucer in good detail.
The text has been updated into modern English by Neville Coghill. It is easy to read and retains the effect of Chaucer's poetic language.
The modern English means that it is easy to understand but is not suitable for those needing to study the original English. There are, however, boooks with the original old English.
A very informative set of notes and annotations add to the efectiveness of the translation, and give essential detail needed to understand the text.
All of the tales are included, including the General Prologue.
Worth buying if you need to study the tales or are interested in reading them and understanding them properly.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Kindle 'version' is NOT the same book.
"Instant Order Update for Pamela. You purchased this item on 11 Feb 2012."
I put it to you that I did not buy THIS item. Read more
I put it to you that I did not buy THIS item. Read more
Published 3 months ago by P. C. M. Smith
Needs formatting for Kindle
Unfortunately, this text has not been formatted for the Kindle and is practically unreadable. Sections of the modern translation flow on from the original text without even a line... Read more
Published 3 months ago by jinjer
good price for an essential item
- a necessity for my daughter who's studying A level English and needed a translation of this olde english tale ... otherwise she couldn't make head nor tail of it!!
Published 5 months ago by soo
the canterbury tales audio cds
VERY GOOD. WOULD SUGGEST,AS AN EXCELLENT LEARNING AID,TO ASPIRING ACTORS.THIS PRODUCT,IS VERY WORDY,THEREFORE,IT DESERVES A LEISURELY LISTEN AS IN PLACES,IT REQUIRES CONSENTRATED... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jameson Wisdom
canterbury yales
great translation in vivid modern english a great read. if you had to read it at school read it again for fun
Published 12 months ago by upanishads
Canterbury Tales, Nevile Coghil Modern English
Absolutely delightful modern translation of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Very funny and written in rhyming couplets throughout, which give it a specail appeal and cancause the... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mrs. Rosemary Spada
This is not Coghill
The Canterbury Tales (mobi): In Modern English
The major fault with this product is that it is not the Coghill translation it purports to be. Read more
The major fault with this product is that it is not the Coghill translation it purports to be. Read more
Published 17 months ago by bookwormsu
Modern English version
This has been very well updated so that everyone can enjoy Chaucer's amazing insights about his fellow humans. Highly recommended. Read more
Published on 16 May 2010 by N. E. BURDETT
A great yarn
Really enjoying this book. Have compared parts of the text to the original and its brilliantly done, keeping both the sense and the style but in language you don't have to stumble... Read more
Published on 9 April 2010 by meganfunk
Tales not for Nuns
[For a shortened version please disregard the section between the lines]
`Medieval' is largely a derogatory term in the modern language. Read more
`Medieval' is largely a derogatory term in the modern language. Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2010 by Xena
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