The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer

I have read a few of the tales in the original Middle English, but to get through the whole lot I opted for the tried and trusted Coghill translation. It was a fun and easy read, if a bit long-winded when the Manciple and one or two others take their turns.

The sparkiest moments were mainly from stories I had read years ago, notably the oleaginous Pardoner and the spunky Wife of Bath. Reading the whole (albeit fragmentary) sequence also brings out the best from the Host himself and the interplay between the various pilgrims. I laughed aloud at his exasperated response to the masterpiece of hopeless poetry that comprises the first tale from Chaucer's own persona.