The Canterbury Tales

Penguin Classics

Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Lesley Manville (winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress and known for Phantom Thread and Mum), Derek Jacobi (winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor and known for Gladiator and Gosford Park), Michael Balogun (known for National Theatre Live: Macbeth), Jay Bernard (writer of Surge, artist, film programmer and activist) , Seroca Davis (known for Prime Suspect and Doctor Who), Daniel Weyman (winner of Audiobook Narrator of the Year at the Audio Production Awards 2016 and known for Gentleman Jack and A Very English Scandal) and Roy McMillan (winner of an Earphone Award for narration on Conclave and award-winning producer). This definitive recording is translated by, and includes an Introduction by Nevill Coghill.

In The Canterbury Tales Chaucer created one of the great touchstones of English literature, a masterly collection of chivalric romances, moral allegories and low farce. A story-telling competition between 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.

Translation copyright © Nevill Coghill, 1951 and Nevill Coghill Ltd, 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2019

Hit or Miss Performances

Many performances were absolutely great. Others were flat. One, The Knights Tale, had poor diction.

Magnificent

One of the most influential texts of our history, The Canterbury Tales explores every aspect of medieval life in all its absurdity and wonder.

Great translation but a pity about the reading.

An excellent rendering into modern English. However, the reading is variable and sometimes so bad that it interferes with one's enjoyment.

Not over performed but wonderfully performed

Love this translation and the work. Beautiful language and bawdy content. Loved all the voices and will seek them out. The golden standard in my Audible experience.

Modern language retained rhyme structure.

Voice actor variety was good, though might have been expanded to make each tale's author unique.