Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

'Nevill Coghill's easy, seductive translation ensures that this, the most popular work in English Literature - now 600 years old - will run through yet more centuries' Melvyn Bragg

In The Canterbury Tales Chaucer created one of the great touchstones of English literature. A storytelling competition within a group of pilgrims from all walks of life is the occasion for a series of tales that range from the Knight's account of courtly love and the ebullient Wife of Bath's Arthurian legend to the ribald anecdotes of the Miller and the Cook. This masterly and vivid modern English verse translation retains all the vigour and poetry of Chaucer's fourteenth-century Middle English.


Translated by NEVILL COGHILL

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction: Chaucer's Life--Chaucer's Works(p. xi)
• Group A
• The Prologue(p. 3)
• The Knight's Tale(p. 26)
• Words between the Host and the Miller(p. 86)
• The Miller's Tale(p. 88)
• The Reeve's Prologue(p. 106)
• The Reeve's Tale(p. 108)
• The Cook's Prologue(p. 119)
• The Cook's Tale(p. 120)
• Group B
• Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale(p. 122)
• The Man of Law's Prologue(p. 125)
• The Man of Law's Tale(p. 126)
• Epilogue to the Man of Law's Tale(p. 156)
• The Shipman's Tale(p. 157)
• Words of the Host to the Shipman and the Prioress(p. 169)
• The Prioress's Prologue(p. 169)
• The Prioress's Tale(p. 170)
• Words of the Host to Chaucer(p. 176)
• Chaucer's Tale of Sir Topaz(p. 177)
• The Host stops Chaucer's Tale of Sir Topaz(p. 183)
• Chaucer's Tale of Melibee (in synopsis)(p. 185)
• Words of the Host to the Monk(p. 186)
• The Monks Tale(p. 189)
• Lucifer
• Adam
• Samson
• Hercules
• Nebuchadnezzar
• Belshazzar
• Zenobia
• King Peter of Spain
• King Peter of Cyprus
• Bernabo Visconti of Lombardy
• Count Ugolino of Pisa
• Nero
• Holofernes
• King Antiochus the Illustrious
• Alexander
• Julius Caesar
• Croesus
• Words of the Knight and the Host(p. 213)
• The Nun's Priest's Tale(p. 214)
• Words of the Host to the Nun's Priest(p. 231)
• Group C
• The Physician's Tale(p. 232)
• Words of the Host to the Physician and to the Pardoner(p. 239)
• The Pardoner's Prologue(p. 241)
• The Pardoner's Tale(p. 244)
• Group D
• The Wife of Bath's Prologue(p. 258)
• Words between the Summoner and the Friar(p. 280)
• The Wife of Bath's Tale(p. 281)
• The Friar's Prologue(p. 292)
• The Friar's Tale(p. 293)
• The Summoner's Prologue(p. 303)
• The Summoner's Tale(p. 305)
• Group E
• The Clerk's Prologue(p. 320)
• The Clerk's Tale(p. 322)
• Chaucer's Envoy to the Clerk's Tale(p. 354)
• The Merchant's Prologue(p. 356)
• The Merchant's Tale(p. 357)
• Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale(p. 388)
• Group F
• The Squire's Prologue(p. 389)
• The Squire's Tale(p. 389)
• Words of the Franklin to the Squire and of the Host to the Franklin(p. 407)
• The Franklin's Prologue(p. 408)
• The Franklin's Tale(p. 409)
• Group G
• The Second Nun's Prologue(p. 433)
• The Second Nun's Tale(p. 437)
• The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue(p. 449)
• The Canon's Yeoman's Tale(p. 454)
• Group H
• The Manciple's Prologue(p. 475)
• The Manciple's Tale(p. 478)
• Group I
• The Parson's Prologue(p. 485)
• The Parson's Tale (in synopsis)(p. 487)
• Chaucer's Retractions(p. 489)
• Notes(p. 490)