Skip to main content

I Conquered Chaucer!

"Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is undeniably one of the English
 language's greatest literary achievements."
 ~ Robert W. Hanning ~

I did it! I actually read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales! I read them completely! In both Middle and Modern English! And wow was it interesting, challenging and rewarding. 

I had started reading Chaucer back in the early summer, but got bogged down with it and so walked away from it until last week. I picked it up again and breezed through it (not sure what changed... maybe the onset of fall, perhaps?). I read each tale in the Middle English first and then went back and re-read it in Modern English. It was really interesting because I struggled quite a bit with deciphering some of the Middle English spellings. But at the same time, it was rewarding because I was better able to understand the cadence and the rhyme. The Modern English was just as interesting. Especially since sometimes it had to completely change a sentence in order to make sense with the rest of the translation. Again, both translations were challenging, but rewarding. 

I have to admit part of the reason I walked away from it earlier in the year and why it was still such a challenge this last week was that I am not a poetry fan. I have such a hard time reading any poetry because it seems so choppy and to have no fluidity. Granted, that's why a lot of people love poetry. But not this girl. It drove me crazy that I had to oftentimes re-read a section of Chaucer after looking at the punctuation so I could actually know how to read it and how to make it sound right in my head. While parts of it were beautiful and parts of it were fluid, the majority of it was hard and choppy. Too much for my taste. 

My favorite tale was "The Man of Law's Tale" and his story of Constance. It was beautiful! And also the one easiest for me to focus on. I don't know what it was about her, but I was drawn to her story. A story of arranged marriage, betrayal, murder, travel, redemption, renewal and reunions. Constance was a woman of strength who endured a great deal of hardship and she did so with grace and faith. She overcame so many different trials and yet she did it with character. Chaucer did wonders through the "Man of Law" in telling Constance's story. It was my favorite for sure!

While I am not sure I will ever re-read all of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, I am sure I will re-read parts of them. And I will hold on to the story of Constance for a long time. 

Happy reading!

Comments

  1. Ruth @ An Experiment with The Well-Educated MindOctober 1, 2013 at 9:59 PM

    Good for you! I have only read abridged versions with my kids, but I look forward to reading the unabridged CT for my Well-Educated Mind list, although I doubt I will attempt the original form.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Am I afraid of a certain Classic?

I haven't written here much at all. Mostly because I have been blogging over at my other site and just haven't had much to write in regards to books and reading here. But this month's discussion question for Classic Club members is one I just couldn't pass by:  What classic piece of literature most intimidates you, and why? Or, are you intimidated by the classics, and why? And has your view changed at all since you joined our club? I think the two major pieces of classic literature that I am most intimidated by are the works of William Shakespeare and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I am usually not intimidated by the Classics. In fact, I lov e reading C lassics and have begun quite the collection on my shelves. B ut those t wo men and their writings stare me in the face like a brick wall that I'll never be able to climb over.  I have read Victor Hugo's Th e Hunchback of Notre Dame and absolutely hated it . There were sections in the book where it ...
4 comments
Read more

Dickens in December

What is your favorite memory of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol? Have you ever read it? If not, will you? Why should others read it rather than relying on the film adaptions? So, I have to be completely honest and make a confession... I have never in my almost 24 years of life and 20ish years of reading ever actually finished a book by Charles Dickens. I own all of his books (whether in hard copy or on my Nook), but I have never actually finished one of his works. I attempted to read Oliver Twist and David Copperfield back when I was in junior high and maybe high school. But I gave up not long after starting them. I have seen the movies, in fact they are two of my favorite movies of all time, but sadly I have failed in reading the books. And honestly, I have no idea why. I think back when I first tried to read them they were just a little too hard for me. The older English grammar. The more detailed and intricate story-lines. They just made it hard for me to get through. With tha...
5 comments
Read more

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Reads

It's "Top Ten Tuesday" from The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is about what books am I looking forward to reading this summer. So here's my list! 1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a re-read for me, but I am excited to do it as a group-read/event. 2. Candide by Voltaire. I am actually starting this one today and looking forward to it since it sounds so intriguing and tackles a tough topic. 3.. The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett. I have seen the movie countless times, but I never read the book. It's already sitting on my shelf and just waiting to be opened. 4. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I have been wanting to read this book since it came out. But never got the chance. So, I am going to make time for it this summer. 5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I just finished her sister's Jane Eyre and can't wait to be introduced into Emily's writing style. 6. Mixed Signals by Liz Curti...
4 comments
Read more