Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. 2004. 544p. 1123 mins. Available on the library shelves at 821 COH as well as eBook and audiobook versions from Overdrive.
In the Middle Ages, people traveled throughout the country to visit holy sites. In England, one of these pilgrimages was to the Canterbury Cathedral. For some, this was the trip of a lifetime. For others, this was one of many holy sites they would visit. When a group of thirty pilgrims find themselves traveling to Canterbury, they agree to tell stories to each other to pass the time and be entertained during the long trip, with the teller of the best story winning a free meal.
Coming from all walks of life, from nobles to priests, from merchants to laborers, men and women, each of the travelers in turn tells a tale meant to entertain and teach. Each of these stories offer a glimpse of life in the 14th century in England through romances, folktales, legends, and racy anecdotes, and show a world changing, from the old feudal system that governed the country to one where towns and cities are becoming richer and more powerful.
A classic of English literature, Chaucer’s tales continue to both entertain and educate, showing us what it was like to live in England in the 1300s, and at the same time addressing universal themes such as spirituality, hope, love, and rivalry.
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