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1AquariusNat
I'm currently using 1001 Books and 501 Must Read Books to get reading ideas . My latest choice is Chaucer's Canterbury's Tales . My obvious question is which edition should I try to get ?
3cornerhouse
The Riverside Chaucer is the most commonly used and generally well-respected edition of the Canterbury Tales. It's a big, fat book, but it's generally pretty easy to get one's hands on a used copy, if you live in a college town.
If you really want to get serious, then go for Blake's edition of The Canterbury Tales in the York Medieval Texts series.
And, while the text is outdated because of the way it was emended and edited, W.W. Skeat's Oxford Chaucer has a good glossary and useful notes.
If you really want to get serious, then go for Blake's edition of The Canterbury Tales in the York Medieval Texts series.
And, while the text is outdated because of the way it was emended and edited, W.W. Skeat's Oxford Chaucer has a good glossary and useful notes.
4prudence2001
I really enjoyed 'listening' to the Canterbury Tales on tape once. It was actually a great way to get around the Middle English which doesn't really look so enticing to the eye. I got this at the local public library on the Recorded Books imprint.
5cornerhouse
Listening to a recorded version of the Middle English properly pronounced is definitely a good idea if you're new to Chaucer and his language.
It was my experience, at least, when I first came to Chaucer, that it looked more difficult than it really was. And using a text like the Riverside that has decent notes and glosses in combination with a recorded version so that you get the idea of how it sounds will set you on the right track.
It was my experience, at least, when I first came to Chaucer, that it looked more difficult than it really was. And using a text like the Riverside that has decent notes and glosses in combination with a recorded version so that you get the idea of how it sounds will set you on the right track.
6AquariusNat
Thanks for the advice ! I'll probably try to get Riverside Chaucer . The audio version is good idea !
7cornerhouse
I was in the thrift store yesterday, and happened upon a copy of The Canterbury Tales in the Everyman Library edition for two bucks, so I bought it (I buy anything from Everyman when I find it at the thrift store).
It turns out that it's a pretty decent edition, and may be one that you want to consider if you can't lay hands on a Riverside or don't want to be burdened with a large, heavy book.
This edition has glossed words in the outer margin, and translations of difficult phrases at the bottom of the page, along with the usual introduction and timeline that are included in all Everyman editions.
The Everyman editions are inexpensive new and often available used, or so I've found.
It turns out that it's a pretty decent edition, and may be one that you want to consider if you can't lay hands on a Riverside or don't want to be burdened with a large, heavy book.
This edition has glossed words in the outer margin, and translations of difficult phrases at the bottom of the page, along with the usual introduction and timeline that are included in all Everyman editions.
The Everyman editions are inexpensive new and often available used, or so I've found.
