Free Downloads The Canterbury Tales: A New Unabridged Translation By Burton Raffel
This is the first and only edition of The Canterbury Tales that presents Chaucer's poem word for word in modern spelling. It retains the inimitable charm of Chaucer's language while eliminating the obstacle of archaic spelling. This text is eminently more readable and accessible, and will encourage students to read and appreciate Chaucer, not deter them. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 22 hours and 21 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Audible.com Release Date: November 11, 2008
Language: English
ASIN: B001L4EDYS
Best Sellers Rank: #54 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Ancient, Classical & Medieval > Medieval #67 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Fiction & Literature > Poetry #223 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Ancient, Classical & Medieval > Ancient & Classical
Over some period I have read several translations of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. My first experience, selections in a high school text, was not promising. (Perhaps, I was not yet ready for Chaucer.) Translating poetry from one language to another is difficult and often unsuccessful. Translating Chaucer from Middle English is not much easier. English has changed dramatically in the last 600 years, to the point that Middle English is nearly indecipherable. For example, we read Chaucer's description of the Knight's appearance:Of fustian he wered a gipoun (Of coarse cloth he wore a doublet)Al bismotered with his habergeoun (All rust-spotted by his coat-of-mail)A glossary, diligence, and time are required for reading the original Chaucer. If you choose to do so, the Riverside Chaucer edition (edited by L. Benson) and the Norton Critical Edition (edited by Olson and Kolve) are highly recommended. The Signet Classic paperback edited by D. R. Howard modernizes the spelling a bit, but largely adheres to the original Chaucer and is an easier introduction to Middle English.Although in most cases the instructor assigns a particular version of Canterbury Tales, it can be exceedingly helpful to pick-up an additional version or two. A slightly different translation may entirely surprise you, even resonate with you, making Chaucer much more enjoyable. I suggest that you look for these versions:Selected Canterbury Tales, Dover Thrift edition - provides a poetic, rather than literal interpretation, and is quite readable. The collection of tales is fairly small, however.Canterbury Tales, Penguin edition, translated by Nevill Coghill, is an excellent poetic translation.
The version of this classic I read was a translation into modern English by Nevill Coghill. As you can see above, I awarded Chaucer (and the translation) five stars; but I do have a criticism. This translation (and many other publications of Chaucer) do not contain the two prose tales ("The Tale of Melibee" and "The Parson's Tale"). These are rarely read and I understand the publisher's and the translator's desire to keep the book to a managable size. Still, that should be the readers decision and no one else's. I had to go to the University library and get a complete copy in order to read those sections. As I mentioned, this copy is a translation into modern English. However, I do recommend that readers take a look at the Middle English version, at least of the Prologue. Many years ago, when I was in high school, my teacher had the entire class memorize the first part of the Prologue in the original Middle English. Almost forty years later, I still know it. I am always stunned at how beautiful, fluid, and melodic the poetry is, even if you don't understand the words. Twenty-nine pilgrims meet in the Tabard Inn in Southwark on their way to Canterbury. The host suggests that the pilgrims tell four stories each in order to shorten the trip (the work is incomplete in that only twenty-four stories are told). The tales are linked by narrative exchanges and each tale is presented in the manner and style of the character providing the story. This book was a major influence on literature. In fact, the development of the "short story" format owes much to these tales.
The Canterbury Tales: A New Unabridged Translation by Burton Raffel Burton's Microbiology for the Health Sciences (Microbiology for the Health Sciences (Burton)) The Selected Canterbury Tales: A New Verse Translation The Canterbury Tales: The Knight's Tale (Modern Verse Translation) The Canterbury Tales: Fifteen Tales and the General Prologue (Norton Critical Editions) The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale CD: From The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Read by Elizabeth Salter (Selected Tales from Chaucer) The Miller's Prologue and Tale CD: From The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Read by A. C. Spearing (Selected Tales from Chaucer) The Merchant's Prologue and Tale CD: From The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Read by A. C. Spearing (Selected Tales from Chaucer) The Canterbury Tales [Blackstone] The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales (Dover Thrift Editions) Selected Canterbury Tales Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales (Bantam Classics) The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling The Canterbury Tales (Blackstone Audio Classic Collection) Canterbury Tales - Volume II (Classic Literature With Classical Music. Classic Fiction) The Canterbury Tales (original-spelling Middle English edition) (Penguin Classics) The Canterbury Tales (No Fear) The Canterbury Tales (Oxford World's Classics)
