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The Canterbury Tales
- A New Unabridged Translation by Burton Raffel
- Narrated by: uncredited
- Length: 22 hrs and 21 mins
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Samson Agonistes, the 'dramatic poem' by John Milton, was published in 1671, three years before the poet's death. Written in the form of a Greek tragedy, with the Chorus commenting on the action, it follows the biblical story of the blind Samson as he wreaks his revenge on the Philistines who have imprisoned him. A powerful subject, with a personal resonance for the blind Milton, it is a perfect work for the medium of audiobook where poetry and drama can be balanced equally.
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Unbelievable
- By Anonymous User on 11-06-20
By: John Milton
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Le Morte D'Arthur
- By: Sir Thomas Malory
- Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
- Length: 37 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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To the modern eye, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have many similarities to our own contemporary super-heroes. Equipped with magical powers, enchanted swords, super-strength, and countless villains to take on, they protect the weak and innocent and adhere to their own code of honor. Comparing Batman, Superman, and Captain America to Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, and Sir Galahad isn't a huge leap of the imagination.
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This is my go-to audio version of Malory
- By Arthurian Tapestry on 03-16-19
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The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Keith Moore, Toby Leonard Moore, Colin McPhillamy, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Author Peter Ackroyd has won the Somerset Maugham Award, the Whitbread Novel of the Year, and the Guardian Fiction Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s immortal work, this retelling of The Canterbury Tales follows a party of travelers as they tell stories amongst themselves about love and chivalry, saints and legends, travel and adventure. Through allegory, satire, and humor, the tales help pass the time during their journey.
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WOW
- By Mitchell Drimmer on 02-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
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The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
- By: James Hogg
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny, Nick McArdle
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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A psychological thriller before its time, James Hogg’s Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, published in 1824, takes us back to the world of 18th-century Scotland, into a mind haunted by religious obsession, and driven to commit murder. The events are told from several different viewpoints, so that truth and reality appear to dissolve in this disturbing story of the dark legacy of Calvinist doctrine, and how it led one man to madness.
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A gripping story
- By fred greene on 04-19-18
By: James Hogg
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Thus Spoke Zarathustra
- By: Friedrich Nietzsche
- Narrated by: Kevin Theis
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Written in the mid 1880's by Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a critically-acclaimed work centered around the "death of God" and the rise of a superhuman. A philosophical and moral examination of good versus evil, divine versus mortal, and power versus submission are all encapsulated in the musings of Zarathustra. Zarathustra's doctrine is the idea of eternal recurrence, which claims that all events repeat themselves.
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Well Spoke Zarathustra
- By IndiaC on 01-25-18
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Gargantua and Pantagruel
- By: François Rabelais
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 34 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is a grotesque and carnivalesque collection of exuberant, fantastical stories that takes us from the ancient world through to the European Renaissance. At the heart of these tall tales are the giant Gargantua and his equally seismic son, Pantagruel. Containing magical adventures, maniacal punning, slapstick humor, erudite allusions, and just about any bodily function one can think of, here is quite possibly the zaniest, most risqué book ever written.
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The king of all the narrators
- By amazon on 02-13-20
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The Plays of Sophocles
- Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone
- By: Sophocles
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Sophocles was born at Colonus, near Athens in about 496 BC and is considered to be one of the premier playwrights of Greek tragedy. His stories may have been filled with strife, but Sophocles himself was prosperous and came from a good family. It is said that he was handsome, wealthy, and a highly respected citizen of Athens. During his life, he wrote over 120 plays and was instrumental in how plays would eventually be performed, including the addition of stage props.
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Bad Dialogue
- By Zoe Olvera on 08-12-18
By: Sophocles
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WOW
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The book was better
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Read in a mixture of Middle-English and modern English, The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales are told as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
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Terrible Recording Quality
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Excellent.
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A helpful index
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The book was better
- By Lana Whited on 08-28-20
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- By Michael on 09-17-10
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The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories, written in the Middle English vernacular, supposedly told among a group of pilgrims traveling from London to Canterbury. Chaucer uses the form, possibly based on knowledge of Boccaccio’s Decameron gained on a visit to Italy in 1373, to provide a highly varied portrait of his society, both secular and religious. The journey of the pilgrims, unlike that of, say, Homer’s Odysseus or of Dante in the Divine Comedy, is relatively unimportant compared to the tales themselves, where Chaucer’s true interest lies.
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The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales
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Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is one of the most influential pieces of writing in the British literary cannon. It helped to establish English, rather than Latin or Norman French, as an acceptable language for literature. It was also one of the earliest pieces of work to have story linking - what had previously been just collected writings which the author deemed interesting.
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A joy
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The General Prologue and The Physician's Tale
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The Canterbury Tales, written near the end of Chaucer's life and hence towards the close of the 14th century, is perhaps the greatest English literary work of the Middle Ages: yet it speaks to us today with almost undimmed clarity and relevance.
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Workmanlike reading in clear Middle English
- By Celia on 09-14-08
By: Geoffrey Chaucer
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The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue
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This is a story from the Canterbury Tales I: Modern Verse Translation collection. 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.
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The Canterbury Tales' Prologue
- By Asheley on 07-27-18
By: Geoffrey Chaucer
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The Canterbury Tales: The Reeve's Tale (Modern Verse Translation)
- By: Geoffrey Chaucer
- Narrated by: John Rowe
- Length: 26 mins
- Unabridged
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This is a story from the Canterbury Tales II: Modern Verse Translation collection.
By: Geoffrey Chaucer
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Beowulf
- By: Seamus Heaney
- Narrated by: Seamus Heaney
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- Abridged
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New York Times best seller and Whitebread Book of the Year, Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's new translation of Beowulf comes to life in this gripping audio. Heaney's performance reminds us that Beowulf, written near the turn of another millennium, was intended to be heard not read.
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Why, oh, why is it abridged?
- By Tad Davis on 09-25-08
By: Seamus Heaney
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The Canterbury Tales (Unabridged Selections)
- By: Geoffrey Chaucer
- Narrated by: David Butler
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- Abridged
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This modern English edition of Chaucer's classic begins on a spring day in April. Sometime in the waning years of the 14th century, 29 travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett. Among them are a knight, a monk, a prioress, a plowman, a miller, a merchant, a clerk, and an oft-widowed wife from Bath. Travel is arduous and wearing; to maintain their spirits, this band of pilgrims entertain each other with a series of tall tales.
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Still enjoyable, relevant, and beautiful
- By Sean on 05-27-03
By: Geoffrey Chaucer
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The Canterbury Tales
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- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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.
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Abridged
- By Tad Davis on 10-28-22
By: Geoffrey Chaucer
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
- By: Simon Armitage
- Narrated by: Bill Wallis
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The famous Middle English poem by an anonymous Northern England poet is beautifully translated by fellow poet Simon Armitage in this edition. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" narrates in crystalline verse the strange tale of a green knight who rudely interrupts the Round Table festivities one Yuletide, casting a pall of unease over the company and challenging one of their number to a wager.
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great original, translation, and reader
- By Mary on 04-30-08
By: Simon Armitage
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Le Morte D'Arthur
- By: Sir Thomas Malory
- Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
- Length: 37 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
To the modern eye, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have many similarities to our own contemporary super-heroes. Equipped with magical powers, enchanted swords, super-strength, and countless villains to take on, they protect the weak and innocent and adhere to their own code of honor. Comparing Batman, Superman, and Captain America to Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, and Sir Galahad isn't a huge leap of the imagination.
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This is my go-to audio version of Malory
- By Arthurian Tapestry on 03-16-19
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Troilus and Criseyde
- By: Geoffrey Chaucer, Nevill Coghill - translator
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
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- Unabridged
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Set during the fierce Trojan War, Troilus and Criseyde is the poignant tale of love won and lost. The beautiful Criseyde becomes the object of desire for Troilus, the son of King Priam, and he is able to win her affection through the machinations of his uncle, Pandarus. They experience a brief time of bliss together, but despite their vows of faithfulness, they are soon separated by the fortunes of war.
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Love Won and Lost, in Rhyme Royal
- By Bruce Herr on 03-26-15
By: Geoffrey Chaucer, and others
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Le Morte d'Arthur
- By: Sir Thomas Malory
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Hear the immortal story of Arthur, the once and future king! The legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a superb story of adventure, love, honor, and betrayal. Originally published in 1485, Malory's epic poem, Le Morte d'Arthur, is filled with dramatic power and deep, tragic irony. Guenever, Launcelot, Mordred, the quest for the Holy Grail and the ultimate doom of Arthur's realm - it's all here.
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Derek Jacobi is Astounding
- By Edward on 05-31-03
What listeners say about The Canterbury Tales
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Jensophie
- 02-24-10
Lack of coherant "chapters"
This is a wonderful reading of Chaucer's tales. The different narrators really bring each of the stories to life. I have read this book (or sections) numerous times and I have to say that this translation was by far the most easy to understand and the most engaging. I really recommend this version of Chaucer's tales. The only problem I had with it has been mentioned by others (Audible, take note) the chapters are not designated by book, but by presumably Audible's convenience, that means, you cannot skip around to different tales, you have to listen to it front to back. This was irritating, and is the only reason I give it less than 5 stars.
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85 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Tad Davis
- 11-16-08
A wonderful treat!
Burton Raffel is the crown prince of Old and Middle English translators in my book, and his Chaucer is another masterpiece. The rhyming is more subtle than in other translations of Chaucer, but it's there; and the tales unfold with seemingly effortless clarity. This is a high-quality, multiple-reader production, and it includes all the tales (including the Tale of Melibee and the Parson's Tale). The only thing marring the production are the chapter breaks: they are geared to the CDs rather than the individual tales. If you're planning to listen straight through, that's not a problem, but I would have preferred the ability to be more selective.
It's amazing that in only a few months, Audible has gone from a skimpy selection of Chaucer to three outstanding recordings of the complete set of Tales: one from Charlton Griffin, one from Blackstone, and this one from the BBC. Any one of them provides a wonderful listening experience. This one is my favorite because of Raffel; others may suit your taste better. But for heaven's sake get ONE of them.
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72 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Pierre Gauthier
- 01-31-11
Enjoyable, Mostly!
Listening to the Canterbury Tales as an audio book is probably the best way to fully appreciate them, as they were certainly conceived to be listened to and not read silently for oneself. The narrators are varied and talented; they certainly succeed in bringing out the most from each tale. Also, the excellent translation makes the work perfectly accessible and easy to understand.
This unabridged version makes one realize however that this work was never finished or has been incompletely transmitted to us. For instance, the first tales such as the miller's and the reeve's are cleverly linked to one another. Sadly, soon enough afterwards, no structure is perceptible and tales simply follow one another with no apparent logic.
In addition, the unabridged version includes lesser known tales, some of which are dismally boring, such as the Tale of Melibee or the Parson's Tale, both in prose. They are closer to a long series of quotations than an actual narrative. Was Chaucer being ironic in including them? Or else, are they later additions that Chaucer did not write himself?
Overall, listening to the Canterbury Tales is a unique experience that is highly recommended to all, for sheer delight but also to realize how much, and how little, our culture has evolved since medieval times.
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27 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Robert
- 06-01-10
Chaucer for everyone
I have attempted to read the Canterbury Tales many times in the last half century. After all, it's been a classic almost from the time of its writing but I do not believe this great work has ever been made so accessible as it has been here. The beauty of the translation is brought even more to life by the wonderful narrations. This is the best Chaucer that I have ever come across.
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23 people found this helpful
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- MamaBear
- 09-21-20
Translation- not ME
It’s a good translation, and well performed.
I doubt that many people will share my disappointment that this audio version isn’t in well-performed Middle English. But for those few of you, be aware that this is translated throughout. There is no “Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour;...”
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14 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Christopher
- 10-19-10
Tales of morality
Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see why this collection of moral stories has stood up over the centuries. I understand that this is a new interpretation of the original texts and I understand that the narration of the stories plays a big part in the story; however, to me this tales were antiquated tales of morality. I did enjoy some of the comedic stories near the beginning, but some of the more pious stories bored me. To each their own!
Point to consider: This rendition of The Canterbury Tales also contains UNFINISHED stories. You don't know they are unfinished until the story ends. Abruptly.
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11 people found this helpful
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- Lynn
- 10-16-16
Good for Review
It's The Canterbury Tales, so I feel really ridiculous reviewing it as a story. It's fantastic, of course. The narration is very good. More than one actor plays different pilgrims, which is a plus. I listened to this as a refresher before teaching the stories. My only problem with it is that I wasn't always pleased with the translator's choices, which is why I gave it four stars overall. Completely pedantic, I know.
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8 people found this helpful
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- T
- 09-10-16
a modern translation
sometimes it was a struggle to get through it since many tales aren't famous for a reason (downright boring) but the makers of this audio book did do the best they could. I would recommend this to a student who has to study the whole of the Canterbury Tales but needs it in plain understandable language. one thing that bothered me was that the author didn't manage to keep the rhyme scheme.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Richie Robertson
- 09-25-20
Was expecting knights and chivalry, got fart jokes and cheating wives instead.
This was not at all what I had expected. I know that it is a classic so it’s nice to have it under my belt, but it was just tales of voluptuous women, infidelity, and ending with a brief systematic theology on the Roman Catholic religion. The narration was good though.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Wayne K Dawson
- 09-01-20
A very listenable translation of the Old English
This translation doesn’t mince words. In the author’s (B Raffel) prolog, the effort was put into expressing the meaning over maintaining the rhyme. At the same time, it also maintains some of the remnant rhyme when it could, giving some feeling of the style of the original work, without making it obscure. The modernized English made it possible to capture the crudeness of some of the tale tellers and makes the work far more accessible to modern readers who are not versed in Old English. Hence, the voices of the various actors playing the parts of the various pilgrims seemed more natural and believable. Of course, even with such good acting, the subject themes of The Canterbury Tales are from a former time. I can imagine many people complaining about some of the characters and, obviously, there is plenty of discussion about religion, so it is probably not a book for people who cannot accept that Chaucer lived in a very different time and world than we do. However, considering a 14th century filter, I think Chaucer seriously discusses the matter in these tales in an intellectually honest way. Nevertheless, the treatment of women and (in one story in particular) Jews is understandably likely to offend some people. I can only plead some grace for very long dead people who weren’t raised in "wokeness". Yet even this is an advantage with an audio book. The really good tales can be reviewed again, and the more questionable ones can be heard once and never considered again without having to exert the effort of reading those parts and finding the motivation to keep on reading on. Certainly, through the timeless voice of the 14th century, The Chanouns Yemannes Tale speaks to chasing after to-good-to-be-true schemes to make a buck. The Tale of Melibeus taught me about what we seem to lack most in the modern world; prudence. The pardoner’s tale is a classic I remember from the first time I read this book. The main thing I really don't like about this audiobook was that the chapters are essentially arbitrary, containing neither a heading for what tale is being told nor even a subdivision into the different tales. Chapters close and open in the middle of several tales. In a short book, that might not matter, but in such a long book, it makes going back to find a particular tale quite difficult.
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