The Canterbury Tales
9781398860827
384 pages
Arcturus Publishing Limited
Overview
This major milestone in the history of English literature is presented in a sumptuous edition complete with illustrations by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris. The Canterbury Tales is an enduringly fascinating work - both an enjoyable romp through the lives of a cast of engaging characters and a window on the world of everyday life in 14th-century England. Its allegorical depths reward repeated reading. In this edition, the stories are presented in a modern English verse translation which succeeds in retaining the charm of the original while ensuring the text is accessible to a general readership.
Author Bio
Chaucer's life (c.1345-1400) spanned a time of extreme turmoil and social upheaval. When he was a small child, the Black Death wiped out around a third of the population of Europe. Chaucer lived through the Peasant's Revolt of 1381, parts of the Hundred Years War and the overthrow of King Richard II. In 1374, he was appointed to the senior position of controller of export taxes on wool, sheepskin and leather and wrote poetry in the evening. He died in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
