Product Description

This first, and some would say greatest, poet of the English language stands before the gateway of the early modern age. He lived at a time when the elite languages of former conquerors, French and Latin, were both giving way to English - no longer just the vernacular of the common people, but increasingly the language of the court, the law, and of literature. Richard West weaves a fascinating picture of this extraordinary man, whose character has puzzled lovers of his comic masterpiece, "The Canterbury Tales". How did he remain so apparently cheerful and serene, through one of the cruellest eras of history? As a child he survived the Black Death, later he fought in France during the Hundred Years War, served as a diplomat in Italy, and became an MP at the angry beginnings of the Protestant Reformation, the Peasants' Revolt and the overthrow of Richard II.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1268276 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
'West has written a genuinely fascinating book, the best kind of popular history...' - Literary Review * 'What Richard West does, in this lively and entertaining volume... is to tell a series of stories about Chaucer, his age, and his works.... West provides examples of the text in both its original and modernised form, tempting his readers to enjoy the experience of meeting Chaucer face to face.' - BBC History Magazine

About the Author
Richard West is a journalist and writer who contributes regularly to The Times Literary Supplement and the Spectator. He has written many books, including a much-admired biography of Daniel Defoe, and is married to the writer Mary Kenny.

Customer Reviews

Whan Aprile with her shures soote...................
I was introduced to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales more than 30 years ago as part of my GCE in English Literature and such was the impact made on me that to this day I can stil recite the opening stanza in the original Old English.

Mr West's book showed great promise. The dust jacket proudly points out that its publication is a fitting tribute to mark the 600th anniversary of the death of the first English Poet.

Such was the love for literature engendered in the tender croppes of my soul by Chaucer's work that to this day I have an unwritten agreement with myself that as a mark of respect to the author who toils long and hard to bring us his opus, that I will always finish a book once I start it.

Well I have to tell you that at page 101 I finally admitted defeat with Mr West's ponderous, unintelligeable and largely irrelevant meanderings on all subjects other than the central character. Indeed we have to wait until Chapter 6 [p94] before we even begin to learn of Chaucer's childhood. Before that we learn of the history of the Romain conquest of Britain, Edward III, the Rise of the English Merchant and the Black Death (which the author goes to some lengths to show had little impact on Chaucer's attitude or works!)

Mr West goes to great lengths to impress on his gentle reader how far and widely he has researched his subject. In fact many of his chapters are little more than a tedious collection of references and opinions of other writers. So, why not read the other writers instead?

... On several ocaisions he reproduces French quotations to illustrate a point with absolutely no translation into English. After all, we must all be able to read French to understand Chaucer, mais-non?...

My advice, if you want to learn more about Chaucer, find any book other than this one - I doubt you will have to wade through 94 pages before you begin to engage your subject!