The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling by Peter Ackroyd

"A romp for the ages" (_Vanity Fair_)-now with a graphic cover and deluxe packaging

Renowned novelist, historian, and biographer Peter Ackroyd takes on what is arguably the greatest poem in the English language and presents it in a prose vernacular that makes it accessible to readers while preserving the spirit of the original. A mirror for medieval society, The Canterbury Tales concerns a motley group of pilgrims who meet in a London inn on their way to Canterbury and agree to take part in a storytelling competition. Ackroyd's contemporary prose emphasizes the humanity of these characters-as well as explicitly rendering their bawdy humor-yet still masterfully evokes the euphonies and harmonies of Chaucer's verse.

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier, and diplomat. Sometimes called the father of English literature, Chaucer wrote many works but is best known for The Canterbury Tales.
Peter Ackroyd is a bestselling writer and historian. He is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including biographies of Chaucer, Blake, and Dickens, and the histories London: The Biography and Thames: the Biography. He lives in London.
Ted Stearn draws comics and works as a storyboard artist for various shows such as King of the Hill, Drawn Together, and Squirrel Boy. His collection Fuzz and Pluck was published in 1999.