"Offers a welcome vade mecum to the Chaucer reader, whether a student or teacher. Impressively interweaving a lifetime of teaching Chaucer with a deep knowledge of his texts, Pugh compresses into one elegantly written, slim handbook the essential Chaucer. A college course in a book! And not a dull moment in it."—Jane Chance, author of
The Literary Subversions of Medieval Women
"Focusing on genre theory and contemporary cultural connections, Pugh has produced a fresh and stimulating introduction to Chaucer’s oeuvre."—Kathleen Forni, author of
The Chaucerian Apocrypha
“A tight, bright manual for new students of Middle English as well as an excellent review text for all confirmed lovers of Chaucer.”—William A. Quinn, author of
Chaucer’s Rehersynges
"Always engaging and lucid,
An Introduction to Geoffrey Chaucer
will help even beginners understand and appreciate the poet's writing."—David Raybin, coeditor of
Chaucer: Contemporary Approaches
Geoffrey Chaucer is widely considered the father of English literature. This introduction begins with a review of his life and the cultural milieu of fourteenth-century England and then expands into analyses of such major works as
The Parliament of Fowls, Troilus and Criseyde
, and, of course, the
Canterbury Tales
, examining them alongside a selection of lesser known verses.
One of the early hurdles faced by students of Chaucer is achieving ease and fluency with Middle English, but Tison Pugh provides a clear and concise pronunciation guide and a glossary to help novice readers navigate Chaucer's literature in its original language. Additional critical apparatus, including a survey of the writer's sources and brief summaries of major plot lines, make
an indispensable resource for students, teachers, and anyone who has ever wanted to learn more about this crucial figure of English literature.