Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, delivered here in Nevill Coghill’s masterful modern English verse, is a vivid and witty tapestry of medieval life. Pilgrims from diverse social strata embark on a journey to Canterbury, telling stories that span courtly romance, moral allegory, ribald farce, and pointed satire—all woven together by Coghill’s lively introduction and illuminating notes. This Penguin Classics trade paperback keeps the vigor and poetic richness of Chaucer’s 14th-century Middle English while making it wonderfully accessible.
About the Author
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400), hailed as the “father of English literature,” revolutionized the use of Middle English in literary works. A multifaceted figure—poet, diplomat, civil servant—he authored major works like Troilus and Criseyde and The Book of the Duchess. He served in Parliament, held court appointments, and is the first writer buried in Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey.
About the Translator
Nevill Henry Kendal Aylmer Coghill (1899–1980) was an Anglo-Irish literary scholar known for his elegant modern-English translations of Chaucer and Langland. A celebrated Oxford academic, he served as Merton Professor of English Literature and was affiliated with the literary circle “The Inklings” alongside J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
