2007-07-19 03:58:36 · 4 answers · asked by Girlie 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Chaucer wrote in Middle English, NOT "Olde" English.
The best edition I have ever seen is by a man named E.T. Donaldson. He did NOT translate the Middle English, but he did regularize the spelling so that once you learn a word, it is spelled the same throughout the text. That helps enormously. He also put copious notes about new words and historical background at the bottom of each page, but he did not use footnote numbers, so you are not tempted to look down to see what a number is all about even if you understand. But if there is something that puzzles you, it is usually at the bottom of the page.
This edition first appeared many years ago, so I don't know if it is still in print, but it is well worth finding a copy if you can. At the moment Amazon has it at http://www.amazon.com/Chaucers-Poetry-Anthology-Modern-Reader/dp/0826027814/ref=sr_1_24/103-7689431-7159867?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184858251&sr=1-24 It completely opened up Chaucer to me, and I have loved Chaucer ever since. Translations lose the flavor, and a completely unaltered and unannotated version is very hard to read. Donaldson struck the right balance. I heard him read once -- he was magnificant.
PS I have not seen the Riverside edition, but it costs about ten times more than Donaldson. I can't imagine that it is any better, as the Donaldson book is superb. I would never read Chaucer any other way, as it preserves the poetry of the Middle English and yet comes close to the readability of a translation. And, no, I'm not selling one on Amazon -- I would never part with mine!
2007-07-19 04:27:33 · answer #1 · answered by Maple 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
the riverside chaucer...available at: http://www.amazon.com/Riverside-Chaucer-Geoffrey/dp/0395290317/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-9779149-8052133?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184859518&sr=8-2
2007-07-19 11:39:01 · answer #2 · answered by jcresnick 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Read it in Olde English, then in Modern English, when you go back to the Olde English it will start to make sense and you will see the lyrical poetry to it.
2007-07-19 11:02:23 · answer #3 · answered by momatad 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The one with the words printed on the pages. Its so much easier to read when its published in that format.LOL.
2007-07-19 11:43:16 · answer #4 · answered by Vandat 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋