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The Canterbury Tales
- Narrated by: Philip Madoc, Edward de Souza
- Length: 3 hrs and 21 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
Non-member price: $20.83
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In this edition, we hear, translated into modern English, 20-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 about their individual outlooks upon life as well as what life was like in late 14th-century England.
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Padua holds many suitors for the hand of fair Bianca, but Bianca may not be married until her spinster sister, Kate, is wed. Could any man be rash enough to take on Kate? The witty adventurer Petruchio undertakes the task. While he sets about transforming Kate from foul-tempered termagant to loving wife, young Lucentio and his clever servant, Tranio, plot to win Bianca.
Editorial Reviews
The five tales (not including the Prologue) of this production include 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 narrators are sensitive to the rhythm and rhyme of the translation, and the interludes of medieval music also add a splash of flavor.
Publisher's Summary
Chaucer's greatest work, written towards the end of the fourteenth century, paints a brilliant picture of medieval life, society and values. The stories range from the romantic, courtly idealism of "The Knight's Tale" to the joyous bawdy of the Miller's; all are told with a freshness and vigor in this modern verse translation that make them a delight to hear.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
What listeners say about The Canterbury Tales
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- J. Sharpe
- 25-09-2019
Fantastic
This is Chaucer as it's meant to be heard, a brilliant performance and translation from Ernest Hill, retaining the poetic rhythm of the original. Incredibly easy to listen to and a real delight.
3 people found this helpful
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- 匿名
- 07-09-2020
Well read modern translation
This is a well read collection of tales, although the rhyming words are occasionally (deliberately or accidentally) missed/unstressed by the readers.
The tales are in modern English rather than original chausarian English and it’s a shame the full tales are split into three separate audiobooks (from a buyers point of view).
Well worth a listen nevertheless!
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- Janey May
- 19-02-2020
A Pilgrimage Worth Going On.
I thoroughly enjoyed these classic tales, both funny and tragic, and am looking forward to listening to the next instalment.
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