Saturday, September 13, 2008

Geoffrey Chaucer, "The Canterbury Tales"

I picked "The Canterbury Tales" up without having any idea of what to expect. Reading through, I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud over some of the scenes presented within the tales. This book rammed a lightning bolt through the area of my brain which housed preconceived notions. The first notion that was shot to hell was that anything that is over 500 years old wouldn't be funny. Another notion that was put to an end while reading this book was that the art of poetry has evolved over time.

My first laugh came so unexpected that I practically choked. It was a scene where a guy thought he was going to kiss a gal, but got the husbands rear end instead. He'd had his eyes closed and fell for it hook line and sinker. The rhyme schemes of "The Canterbury Tales" are such that one can remember the tales and then re-tell them with ease.

It's been a long while since I've read any of "The Canterbury Tales," but I do know that it is an ingenius piece of work. It is a collection of tales told among a group of travelers during a long journey. This is a must-read. It's funny, creative, and a great way to learn to break down those preconcieved notions.

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