This unabridged translation features an Introduction by influential medievalist author and professor John Miles Foley that explores Chaucer's life and times. In this major new translation, Burton Raffel has done a masterful job of carrying Chaucer into modern, highly readable English while retaining the rhythm and formal charm that so distinguish "The Canterbury Tales."--Billy Collins
Beyond its importance as a literary work of unvarnished genius, Geoffrey Chaucer's unfinished epic poem is also one of the most beloved works in the English language-and for good reason: It is lively, absorbing, perceptive, and outrageously funny. But despite the brilliance of Chaucer's work, the continual evolution of our language has rendered his words unfamiliar to many of us. Esteemed poet, translator, and scholar Burton Raffel's magnificent new unabridged translation brings Chaucer's poetry back to life, ensuring that none of the original's wit, wisdom, or humanity is lost to the modern reader. This Modern Library edition also features an Introduction by the widely influential medievalist and author John Miles Foley that discusses Chaucer's work as well as his life and times.