About this item
Acclaimed for centuries as the "Father of English Literature," Geoffrey Chaucer enjoys widespread and effusive praise for his classic Canterbury Tales - and rightfully so. Still, even the greatest of authors cannot claim perfection, and so Bad Chaucer: The Great Poet's Greatest Mistakes in the Canterbury Tales analyzes his various missteps, missed opportunities, and other blunders in this peerless masterpiece. From a vexing catalog of trees in the Knight's Tale to the flirtations with blasphemy in the Parson's Tale, this volume progresses through the Canterbury Tales story by story, tale by tale, pondering the most egregious failing of each in turn. Viewed collectively, Chaucer's troubles stem from clashing genres that disrupt interpretive clarity, themeless themes that undermine any message a tale might convey, mischaracterized characters who act without clear motivation, purposeful and otherwise pleasureful badness that show Chaucer's appreciation for the humor of bad literature, and outmoded perspectives that threaten to alienate modern readers.
About the Author
Tison Pugh is Pegasus Professor of English at the University of Central Florida. His research interests include Chaucer, medieval studies, medievalists, children's literature, ludology, pedagogy, and queer studies.
