The Canterbury Tales

Author(s): Geoffrey Chaucer

Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Poetry

Narrators: Gesine, Chip, Thomas Hoover, Ted Delorme, Gord Mackenzie, Alex Foster, Kristin LeMoine, Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023), Cynthia Lyons (1946-2011), Joshua Young, Fox In The Stars, David Barnes, Gwen, Jim Mowatt, Kirsten Ferreri, Andy Minter (1934-2017), Graham Williams, Alys AtteWater, Robert Foster

Number of Chapters: 29

Length: 19 hours and 23 minutes

Language: English

The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century (two of them in prose, the rest in verse). The tales, some of which are originals and others not, are contained inside a frame tale and told by a group of pilgrims on their way from Southwark to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

The themes of the tales vary, and include topics such as courtly love, treachery, and avarice. The genres also vary, and include romance, Breton lai, sermon, beast fable, and fabliau. The characters, introduced in the General Prologue of the book, tell tales of great cultural relevance.
The version read here was edited by D. Laing Purves (1838-1873) “for popular perusal” and the language is mostly updated.
(Summary by Wikipedia/Gesine)