This massive tome, 1327 pages in length, was the text used in my college Chaucer class, and provides a wonderful introduction to the works of this brilliant, but frequently under-appreciated poet. It contains all of Chaucer's major works, presented in their original Middle English; and includes the famous n  The Canterbury Talesn, n  The Book of the Duchessn, n  The Parliament of Fowlsn, n  Troilus and Criseyden, and many other short pieces. The introduction and appendices provide some very useful background material, whether of a biographical or literary nature. The texts themselves are presented with explanatory vocabulary footnotes, fleshed out further by the scholarly notes and glossary at the conclusion of the volume.

I have loved The Canterbury Tales since first reading them in high school, and feel quite passionately that they are best appreciated in their original form. You have not really read Chaucer until you have read him in the Middle English, and The Riverside Chaucer provides the reader with a relatively pain-free way of doing just that. Full of unexpected humor, sly innuendo, and a witty wordplay that doesn't always translate in modern "updates," Chaucer's language is not so different from our own that it cannot be approached by the novice. I certainly had no experience reading Middle English before picking up this book, and somehow managed, with the help of the notes and vocabulary, to enjoy the experience.

One final note: although this book is similar in name and scope to the more ubiquitous n  The Riverside Shakespearen it is worth noting that it can boast of far better production values, being attractively bound on the outside, and printed upon good quality paper, that does not have the feel of newsprint. All in all, a beautiful volume, well worth owning.

Everyone goes gooey for the Tales (not without reason). But Troilus and Criseyde is the connoisseur's Chaucer. Shorter texts are great too. Most interesting thing about the Tales is how the proto-bourgeois Hoost directs the entire thing to his own advantage.

Hoost's greatest hits include:

But by the croys which that Seint Eleyne fond,
I wolde I hadde thy coillons in myn hond
In stide of relikes or of seintuarie.
Lat kutte hem of, I wol thee helpe hem carie;
They shul be shryned in an hogges toord.

(Pardoner's Tale at 665-69).

how friggin' great is that?

More:

"Namoore of this, for Goddes dignitee,"
Quod oure Hooste, "for thou makest me
So wery of thy verray lewednesse,
That also wisly God my soule blesse,
Min eres aken of thy drasty speche.
Now swich a rym the devel I biteche!
This may wel be rym dogerel," quod he.
"Why so?" quod I, "why wiltow lette me
Moore of my tale than another man
Syn that it is the beste tale I kan?"
"By God," quod he, "for pleynly at a word
Thy drasty rymyng is nat worth a toord,
Thou doost noght elles but despendest tyme.
Sir, at o word thou shalt no lenger ryme.
Lat se wher thou kanst tellen aught in geeste,
Or telle in prose somwhat, at the leeste,
In which ther be som murthe or som doctryne."

(Tale of Sir Tophas, 239-245).

Yes yes!

The Franklin's Tale is the last of the thematically linked "Marriage Group" and apparently some critics think it is meant to be Chaucer's view on the subject; marital success comes from understanding, forgiveness and hard work. It's a "rash promise" story where-in some-one instead of making an outright refusal, instead promises something in case of meeting an apparently impossible set of conditions. This is always a mistake, since a magician or some such always comes along and achieves said goal. So, never promise to love some-one if they can make all the rocks of the Brittany coast disappear...

I liked this Tale better than most I've read, but the Knight's Miller's and Wif of Bath's Tales are better.

The Physician's Tale: short, based on the Romance of the Rose, has a weird digression on parental responsibility. Widely considered by Chaucer critics to be "a bit naff" apparently.

The Pardoner's Tale
An amusing morality tale in which greed is the undoing of a trio of gamblers who go in search of Death, who is stalking the land during an outbreak of plague. They find a man who claims he cannot die who points them toward their destination...

The Shipman's Tale
Short, bawdy and full of deceit and trickery, this is a lightweight but typically Chaucerian tale.

The Prioress's Tale
A short and simple story that fits into the Lives of Martyrs and Miracle of the Virgin genres. Hits just about every negative stereotype about Jewish people in less than four pages, using Jews as boogeymen in similar fashion to the way Islam/Muslims often are in Romances of the period.

The Tale of Sir Thopas
As told by Chaucer himself! A burlesque on popular romances of the time about knights and chivalry and three headed giants - rapidly cut off by the Host who says they don't want to hear such rubbish, do you have any alliterative verse or maybe a story in prose that's better? Seems like not just a satire on the quality of the popular tales of the day but also a little self-mockery, having chosen to put the "worst" story into his own mouth - or is he saying, "Look, I'm really way better than this popular rubbish?"

Personally, I like tales of knights and chivalry and three headed giants - but I do like them better in alliterative verse than in rhyme...

The Tale of Melibee
Despite the valient defense in the Introduction, I found this pretty naff - it's a moral debate about revenge, justice and mercy that's predictable in general and boring in execution. Lobbing Biblical and Classical quotes at one-another just isn't that exciting to a modern audience.

The Monk's Tale
A collection of short biographies of famous people of high estate, intended to show that they will be brought low eventually - thankfully interrupted by the Knight and the Host! The whole thing seems to be a bit of a joke.

The Nun's Priest's Tale

How does a nun get her own priest, anyway?

As to the tale of Chantecleer the cockerel, it's an incredibly simple thing, plotwise. Chantecleer has a nasty dream and thinks it might be prophetic; his wife thinks otherwise. They throw Authority Bombs at each other, then they go out in the yard...what happens next might tell us which side of the ferocious Mediaeval debate about whether dreams could ever be prophetic or not. It's better than the interminable Tragic Lives the Monk was telling, though, so good job, Knight and Host for shutting the Monk up!

The Second Nun's Tale

...is mercifully short. It's a "saintly life" telling the story of the martyrdom of St. Cecilia. As pointed out in the Introduction, this genre is radically out of fashion and whilst this example is considered excellent, it just doesn't appeal to me. There is an alternative style of saintly life that merges with the Mediaeval Romance genre and has all sorts of preposterous coincidences, miracles and general goings on - that's way more fun to me. This one is dully straightforward and not in the least fantastical.

The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
A random stranger rides up and tells the pilgrims more than they could ever want to know about alchemy - but including three ways con-men trick the avaricious and gullible into parting with their valuables. Which made me think about con-artists. They have to play on some character flaw to succeed e.g. greed, ego, power-seeking, or else some desperate need for something emotional or physical; love, parenthood, freedom, even basic needs like food or shelter. Scepticism and self-knowledge are the best defenses.

The Manciple's Tale
How the crow got its croak and black feathers or, don't tell tales or, don't piss off a god.

The Parson's Tale
Not really a story of any kind - instead a prose treatise on penance unlikely to appeal to many without an interest in Mediaeval Christianity.

The Book of the Duchess
An elegy commisioned from Chaucer by John of Gaunt for his wife, Blanche. It's really dull except for the part where the narrator enters a mysterious forest in a dream and gets lost, meeting a Black Knight. Once said Knight starts telling his tale of woe - snooze.

The House of Fame
Frustratingly unfinished! Don't trust reputation or rumour - it may be completely false - but said in a very pretty way with fun imagery and references to The Aenied and The Divine Comedy. Perhaps my favourite part is when the dreamer is carried by the eagle to the House of Fame, high in the sky and he has the good sense to be terrified.

Anelida and Arcite
A "lover's complaint" that is superficial as a narrative and boring as a theme. Next!

The Parliament of Fowles
Another dream vision but at least this one is finished, unlike the previous two. The dreamer ends up in a temple with murals on the walls - which is rather familiar from The House of Fame - but this temple isn't deserted: Nature personified and all the birds of Spring are there. An amusing attempt to decide who should marry the female eagle ensues. Is there some allegory at work here? Anyway, it's more fun than most poems about Love and suited to it's role as a Valentine's Day celebration - apparently the first such poem ever.

Boece
A translation of Boethius' (Boece's) "Consolation of Philosophy," which would more accurately titled, Consolation of Christianity. Boethius takes a fall from riches, privilege and power due to political exile, reminded me of Dante.) In response, like Dante, he writes a book. Unlike Dante, it's not a thinly disguised revenge fantasy, but instead a dialogue with Philosophy personified, where-in Boethius argues that he should accept his change of status with good grace, as it will be good for his soul and works through such old saws as, how can God be omniscient if free will exists? It's epically dull, except for a couple of short excursions into Greek mythic territory.

Despite the similarity (a long discussion of Christian theology), more difficult dialect and long arguments largely in Latin, Piers Plowman is vastly more fun because of its heavy use of allegorical and entertaining story-telling. If you're interested in what Boethius had to say, a modern translation of the Latin would be much more accessible. This is probably for Chaucer scholars and amateur extreme enthusiasts only.

This book was the backbone to a Chaucer course I have recently completed. This collection contains all you'll need from Chaucer's poetry, to the ever-famous Canterbury Tales, and more. I found that although I loved the tales, Chaucer's poetry claimed a special place in my heart. His work is noble and honest. Critiquing of humanity and it's pitfalls, and it's beauty as well. He started something in his lifetime. As an educated and nobleman who was in relation with the aristocracy, he deliberately chose to write in the Middle English language. I found that to be quite the political statement, but I leave that for you to decide. This work is entirely in Middle English, and requires much detangling, but is so very worth it. This has to have been one the most literarily-rich courses I've ever taken in terms of subject matter, context, and delivery. Chaucer was a master penman. His work will leave your world-view a little broader, and your hope for humanity, a little stronger.

I read this behemoth for my Chaucer and His Age class. It was extremely useful and I would recommend it to anyone. Also, my professor said that all English majors need to have a copy of this on their bookshelf.

The Riverside Chaucer is a great copy of Chaucer's works for anyone reading Chaucer, no matter if it's your first time reading Chaucer or if you're already familiar with his works. This edition not only features Chaucers works with glossary footnotes, it includes extensive explanatory notes by the editor at the back of the book. These notes help first time readers understand the texts better, and can offer new information or insights to anyone who is reading Chaucer's works for the second or third time.

I haven't spent nearly enough time with this edition, but could I ever?

Chaucer speaks for himself. His versatility is on display in a collection like this. The scope of his imagination printed between two covers. If you have the patience, going through this thing reveals his mastery of the mottled language, demonstrating everything that linguists love to discuss, from dialectical variation to code switching, and his grasp of human nature is revealed through the sheer multitude of people walking under his pen.

The format and the critical apparatus are very much to my liking. I love big books. Heavy hardcovers, thick pages, beautiful print. Flipping through this one is so much fun. Great production.

I read this entire thing in Middle English over the course of a semester. The first few weeks were devoted to vocab but after that I found the stories to be pretty enjoyable and sometimes even a bit raunchy. Perhaps the first work of literature to popularize toilet humor.

Chaucer is my love. Middle English is ridiculously hard for us Modern English-ers to read, but Chaucer is oh so worth it. I bought this for my Chaucer seminar, which focused on everything but the Canterbury Tales. Can I just say that everyone should read Troilus and Criseyde? No one knows about it but extreme English dorks (like myself :P ), but most scholars think it his greatest work. It's wonderful, and the characters will make you SO ANGRY! The men are so awful!
So, my conclusion. Read Chaucer, please!

I have come to enjoy Chaucer almost as much as Shakespeare. Almost. He's a funny guy. He's also very eloquent and wise. I haven't even gotten to Canterbury Tales! If you can read Middle English with little to no translation, it's excellent, but for the average consumer of literature-I suggest a translation. For me, it's Middle English. I like reading it to myself. I feel very medieval.

This is the edition to grab for anyone interested in studying Chaucer’s works. It contains his original pieces and his translations in Middle English. There’s a brief introduction before each work, and the more difficult words and phrases are explained at the bottom of each page and in a glossary at the back. Additional front and back notes make this the Chaucer of choice.

My three stars have nothing to do with the quality of Chaucer's work or the editorial efforts made to ensure an accurate edition of "The Canterbury Tales" and the rest. This edition only gets three stars because of the omission of "Chaucers Wordes Unto Adam His Owne Scriveyn" which is frickin hilarious. That is all.