The Miller's Prologue and Tale

By Geoffrey Chaucer

Book Overview

Six-hundred-year-old tales with modern relevance. This stunning full-colour edition from the bestselling Cambridge School Chaucer series explores the complete text of The Miller's Prologue and Tale through a wide range of classroom-tested activities and illustrated information, including a map of the Canterbury pilgrimage, a running synopsis of the action, an explanation of unfamiliar words and suggestions for study. Cambridge School Chaucer makes medieval life and language more accessible, helping students appreciate Chaucer's brilliant characters, his wit, sense of irony and love of controversy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1316615499
• ISBN13: 9781316615492
• Release Date: July 2016
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A new voice

For years I've been searching for an update to CD technology of something comparable to Caedmon's spoken word LPs and cassettes. I wore out my cassettes, but I surmise the company no longer exists, no CDs available anywhere. But now Cambridge University Press has started releasing Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in Middle English. I miss good old Jess Bessinger's voice and verve and facility for pronounciation, but A. C. Spearing's performance of this gem of the Caunterbury Tales is well worth the price of purchase. A. C. Spearing "reads" the Miller's description from the General Prologue and the connecting links between the Knight's Tale and the Miller's Tale. I say "reads," but this CD thankfully avoids the classic blunder of many online sound files read by professional academics (and I say this as one myself) that correct pronounciation is great, but too reverential an attitude toward the work can lead to a boring and godawful monotone. Spearing has fun with this. I may miss Bessinger's delight behind his delight behind his tale-telling, but Spearing never forgets to enjoy one of the funniest stories ever set down writing. His adds his own attitude behind the words (different from Bessinger's but no less arch) and that makes for a good listen. I think he equals or even bests Bessinger with his vocal characterizations of Hende Nicholas, "yonge wyfe" Alisoun, squeamish and amorous Absolon, and especially old carpenter John which are gems of comic performance. These are the real strengths of Spearing's version. Along with Cambridge's Wife of Bath CD, these are a very welcome addition to scholars, students, and Chaucerians everywhere. It's been long overdue. Thank you Cambridge and A. C. Spearing. Let's have more.