Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London in about 1342. He was valued highly by Edward III, who paid part of his ransom when he was captured fighting in France in 1360. He rose in royal employment, becoming a Justice of the Peace and was buried in 1400 in Westminster Abbey. Nevill Coghill's translation of Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde into modern English is also published by Penguin Classics.
A delight . . . [Raffel s translation] provides more opportunities to savor the counterpoint of Chaucer s earthy humor against passages of piercingly beautiful lyric poetry. Kirkus Reviews Masterly . . . This new translation beckons us to make our own pilgrimage back to the very wellsprings of literature in our language. Billy Collins The Canterbury Tales has remained popular for seven centuries. It is the most approachable masterpiece of the medieval world, and Mr. Raffel s translation makes the stories even more inviting. Wall Street Journal A delight . . . [Raffel's translation] provides more opportunities to savor the counterpoint of Chaucer's earthy humor against passages of piercingly beautiful lyric poetry. -- Kirkus Reviews Masterly . . . This new translation beckons us to make our own pilgrimage back to the very wellsprings of literature in our language. --Billy Collins The Canterbury Tales has remained popular for seven centuries. It is the most approachable masterpiece of the medieval world, and Mr. Raffel's translation makes the stories even more inviting. --Wall Street Journal