Overview

Recognised on its first appearance as the most comprehensive single-volume guide to The Canterbury Tales yet produced, this third edition brings the Tales up to date in relation both to recent criticism and to the changing expectations of modern readers. The Guide provide tale-by-tale information on textual variations and sources, together with a readable commentary on thematic issues, structure, style, generic affiliations, and the contribution of each tale to the work as a whole. It concludes with a survey of the many imitations of the tales down to the early seventeenth century. This new edition also takes account of the latest scholarship, theory, and criticism and new interpretations of the tales, including such matters as gender identity, consent, and racial and religious difference. The book is the most comprehensive single-volume guide to the Tales yet produced, bringing together a wide range of disparate material and providing a readable commentary on all aspects of the work. It combines the comprehensive coverage of a reference book with the clarity and coherence of a critical account. Since its first publication in 1989, the Guide has established itself as an indispensable aid for any reader looking to develop their understanding of The Canterbury Tales.

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9780198878780

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Reviews

Review from previous edition 'marked by wit, learning, intelligence, and that rarest of critical virtues, good judgement...a genuine guide whose abundant information and good sense make it a sure foundation for series work on The Canterbury Tales. Although especially useful for those, on any level, studying Chaucer for the first time, experienced Chaucerians will find it a helpful companion to The Riverside Chaucer. For teaching or research this is now the first book on The Canterbury Tales to consult after reading the text itself.' * Studies in the Age of Chaucer * 'Cooper's guide is a more powerful book than any previous aid or introduction to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. It presents the lively generous mind of a serious scholar and a sensitive reader.' * Notes & Queries * 'This is a major book with many virtues...a book with much to offer its reader.' * Review of English Studies * 'a well-written and reliable guide through a mass of material that largely transcends the limitations of its form to offer critical analysis of lasting value.' * Archiv für das Stadium der neueren Sprachan und Literaturen *

Author Information

Helen Cooper is Professor Emeritus of Medieval and Renaissance English at the University of Cambridge. After a Research Fellowship at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, she was appointed to a tutorial fellowship at University College, Oxford, in medieval and early modern English in 1978, as their first woman fellow (and was later made an Honorary Fellow). She then moved to the Chair in Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge in 2004, at Magdalene College (Emeritus Professor and Life Fellow from 2014). She was a co-editor of Medium Ævum 1989-2002 and is a Fellow of the British Academy.

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