Description

With their astonishing diversity of tone and subject matter, The Canterbury Tales have become one of the touchstones of medieval literature.

Translated here into modern English, these tales of a motley crowd of pilgrims drawn from all walks of life-from knight to nun, miller to monk-reveal a picture of English life in the fourteenth century that is as robust as it is representative.

Translated by Nevill Coghill

About the Author

Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1342-1400) had a career in royal service as a member of the court and a diplomat. His literary work, notable for its range of genres, helped establish the English literary tradition.

Nevill Coghill (1899-1980) held many appointments at Oxford University. His translation of Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde is also published by Penguin Classics.