At the Tabard Inn, thirty travelers of widely varying classes and occupations are gathering to make the annual pilgrimage to Becket's shrine at Canterbury. It is agreed that each traveler will tell four tales to help pass the time and that the host of the inn will judge the tales and reward the best storyteller with a free supper upon their return.
Thus we hear, translated into modern English, twenty-some tales, told in the voices of knight and merchant, wife and miller, squire and nun, and many more. Some are bawdy, some spiritual, some romantic, some mysterious, some chivalrous. Between the stories, the travelers converse, joke, and argue, revealing much of their individual outlooks on life as well as what life was like in late fourteenth-century England.
At the Tabard Inn, thirty travelers of widely varying classes and occupations are gathering to make the annual pilgrimage to Becket's shrine at Canterbury. It is agreed that each traveler will tell four tales to help pass the time and that the host of the inn will judge the tales and reward the best storyteller with a free supper upon their return.
Thus we hear, translated into modern English, twenty-some tales, told in the voices of knight and merchant, wife and miller, squire and nun, and many more. Some are bawdy, some spiritual, some romantic, some mysterious, some chivalrous. Between the stories, the travelers converse, joke, and argue, revealing much of their individual outlooks on life as well as what life was like in late fourteenth-century England.
Reviews-
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October 1, 1988
Like Charles Lamb's edition of Shakespeare, Hastings's loose prose translation of seven of Chaucer's tales is more faithful to the work's plot than to the poet's language. This is not a prudish retelling (even the bawdy Miller's tale is included here) but the vigor of Chaucer's text is considerably tamed. In the original, the pilgrims possess unique voices, but here the tone is uniformly bookish. The colloquial speech of the storyteller is replaced by formal prose; for example, while Cohen (see review above) directly translates Chaucer's ``domb as a stoon'' as ``silent as stones,'' Hastings writes ``in solemn silence.'' Cartwright's startling paintings skillfully suggest the stylized flatness of a medieval canvas, but often without the accompanying richness of detail. Like Punch and Judy puppets, the faces and voices of these pilgrims are generally representative but lack the life and charm of the original text. Ages 10-up. -
A knight, a miller, a cook, and a nun are just a few of the more than two dozen lively characters traveling together on an annual pilgrimage from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. They each tell a tale drawn from religion, folklore, classic myth, or even gossip to make the time pass. Geoffrey Chaucer's simple literary device provides an unprecedented and unsurpassed view of his fourteenth-century England. Five of the BBC's most versatile and creative narrators do a marvelous job voicing the personalities of the storytellers. Burton Raffel's very complete and contemporary translation retains the poetic half rhymes of the original Middle English and includes the often severely abridged monk and parson's tales. It never ceases to amaze how immediate and modern Chaucer's world continues to sound. B.P. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
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British actors present seven of Chaucer's classic tales in modern verse. Tim Pigott-Smith opens with "The Friar's Tale," recounting the Summoner's pact with the devil in a clear and expressive voice. Timothy West's portrayal of "The Seaman's Tale" lags a bit when the long-suffering wife's vocal characterization changes mid-speech. Rosalind Shanks lends sweet sadness to the murder and miracle comprising "The Prioress's Tale." Genuine angst rings through Sean Barrett's depiction of "The Manciple's Tale," as a husband takes decisive action on a crow's advice. Michael Maloney applies a driving rhythm as a young woman chooses death over loss of virtue in "The Physician's Tale." This clear and compelling collection is certain to appeal to both novice and experienced Chaucer readers. J.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
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In this immortal fourteenth-century collection, pilgrims to the shrine of slain St. Thomas Becket decide to beguile the journey by telling each other stories. With lusty verve and wit, Chaucer recounts them, partly in prose and partly in verse. Even when listening to the best translation from Middle English, the modern listener may not recognize many antiquated concepts and words (what ARE pardoners, reeves, summoners, etc.) without following along with a good annotated print edition--or at least a few notes. No notes come with this audio, in which David Butler essays an uncredited translation in pleasant, clear British tones. He recites with comprehension and as much expression as his limited range allows. He is, in short, somewhat dull. A smattering of sloppy edits further erodes the production. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
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Even with only five tales (not including the Prologue), this production includes a good mix of the stately and the satirical in Chaucer's masterpiece. Classical actor Edward de Souza delivers the "Knight's Tale" with appropriate nobility, while Anthony Donovan injects levity into the bawdy "Miller's Tale." In a similar pairing of opposites, the "Merchant's Tale" and the "Franklin's Tale" present contrasting views on marriage, though it might have been nice to include one of the tales narrated by women. Nonetheless, all six readers are sensitive to the rhythm and rhyme of the translation, and the interludes of medieval music also add a splash of flavor. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine
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When the host of the Tobard Inn suggested to the assembled Pilgrims that their journey to Canterbury will be more pleasant if they share stories along the way, he was also inventing the idea of audiobooks. Six hundred years later, Recorded Books saw the Tales as ideal for both audio production and the educational market. The catalyst for the project was a modernization of the Tales done by Michael Murphy. The absolutely stunning program which resulted has angered some scholars, brought praise from some teachers, and has made Chaucer more accessible for everyone. The General Prologue and twelve stories in this program are the most notable, showing interactions between some of the characters as well as the marriage debates in the tales of the Knight, the Wife of Bath, Clerk, and Franklin. Murphy expertly introduces each tale; the recordings involve some of Recorded Books's most notable narrators. Patrick Tull brings an appropriately earthy tone to his readings of the Miller's and Merchant's Tales; George Guidall a courtly quality to the Knight's and Friar's Tales; and Davina Porter a gentleness to the Prioress's Tale. The one disappointment in the program is that Barbara Rosenblat sounds too sophisticated for the Wife of Bath. But all of the readers deliver intelligent interpretations and infuse drama into their texts, which brings them to life despite difficult vocabulary. A commuter can enjoy this work as can a student following a written text with a good glossary. Obviously a special project for all involved, this program deserves very broad support. S.K. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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This fine prose version probably brings listeners as near to Chaucer's Middle English original as the modern ear can come. Translator Gerald J. Davis has preserved much of the rhythm and even the rhyme of the original verse, while updating the language and syntax. As narrator, John Hanks maintains a consistent tone for tales that range from the ribald to the sententious, and his voice is much like you'd imagine Chaucer's own: wise, congenial, good-humored. The tales are, as ever, a mixed delight, some locked in medieval thinking, others as fresh as tomorrow. This production is a good choice for those who want to sample a few tales or gain a general understanding before tasting the distinctive flavor of the original. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
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September 7, 2009
Ackroyd's retelling of Chaucer's classic isn't exactly like the Ethan Hawke'd film version of Hamlet
, but it's not altogether different, either. Noting in his introduction that the source material “is as close to a contemporary novel as Wells Cathedral is to an apartment block,” Ackroyd translates the original verse into clean and enjoyable prose that clears up the roadblocks readers could face in tackling the classic. “The Knight's Tale,” the first of 24 stories, sets the pace by removing distracting tics but keeping those that are characteristic, if occasionally cringe-inducing, like the narrator's insistence on lines like, “Well. Enough of this rambling.” The rest of the stories continue in kind, with shorter stories benefiting most from Ackroyd's treatment, though the longer entries tend to... ramble. The tales are a serious undertaking in any translation, and here, through no fault of Ackroyd's work, what is mostly apparent is the absence of the original text, making finishing this an accomplishment that seems diminished, even if the stories themselves prove more readable. - —Masterpieces of World Literature "Chaucer's genius is such that the tales reveal the personalities of their tellers."
