Chaucer

In the first in a new series of brief biographies, bestselling author Peter Ackroyd brilliantly evokes the medieval world of England and provides an incomparable introduction to the great poet s works Geoffrey Chaucer, who died in 1400, lived a surprisingly eventful life He served with the Duke of Clarence and with Edward III, and in 1359 was taken prisoner in France and ransomed Through his wife, Philippa, he gained the patronage of John of Gaunt, which helped him carve out a career at Court His posts included Controller of Customs at the Port of London, Knight of the Shire for Kent, and King s Forester He went on numerous adventurous diplomatic missions to France and Italy Yet he was also indicted for rape, sued for debt, and captured in battle.He began to write in the 1360s, and is now known as the father of English poetry His Troilus and Criseyde is the first example of modern English literature, and his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, the forerunner of the English novel, dominated the last part of his life In his lively style, Peter Ackroyd, one of the most acclaimed biographers and novelists writing today, brings us an eye opening portrait, rich in drama and colorful historical detail, of a prolific, multifaceted genius. Free Download [ Chaucer ] Author [ Peter Ackroyd ] For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr Every time I spy a Peter Ackroyd book on the library shelf I pick it out to read His books on London The Biography Thames Sacred River are splendid works I ve also read his Poe A Life Cut Short in this Brief Lives series Chaucer , published in 2004, is another little gem.In just over one hundred and sixty pages it is certainly short and sweet Ackroyd writes with assured authority and brings life to Geoffrey Chaucer, his fourteenth century courtly world and his poetic achievement Every time I spy a Peter Ackroyd book on the library shelf I pick it out to re...A decent, short biography combined with a bit of history, short descriptions of medieval life in the period, literary influences on Chaucer, Chaucer s literary influences on others, all gathered together in a coherent, readable story.Quickly and energetically surveys the times that Chaucer lived in and the works he produced Chaucer was an insider That is not a popular term in 2016, but in 1380, it allowed Chaucer to make a living and to see the behaviors and characters that would populate his fiction and poetry Other than these connections, he seemed to have a lot in common surprisingly with Shakespeare His marriage may have possibly been an unhappy one as they spent several years apart He was involved in multiple lawsu Quickly and energetically surveys the times that Chaucer lived in and the works he produced Chaucer was an insider That is not a popular term in 2016, but in 1380, it allowed Chaucer to make a living and to see the behaviors and characters that would populate his fiction and poetry Other than these connections, he seemed to have a lot in common surprisingly with Shakespeare His marriage may have possibly been an unhappy one as they spent several years apart He was involved in multiple lawsuits He was acknowledged in his time as a literary star Credible romantic entanglements outside of marriage are possible though ultimately unproveable Nevertheless, many of the details are irrecoverable.Ackroyd nails it in this short biography where he covers a fair amount of ground I learned a lot of things I did not know He hits all of the poetical works and get right to the core of what makes them w...Peter Ackroyd s history is the best history, brisk, personable, and plausible This is a convincing interpretation of the thin documented record on Chaucer, a character as intriguing as any of his Canterbury pilgrims Ackroyd does a wonderful job charti...Currently rereading Peter Ackroyd s great little bio of Chaucer the man how seems to have done everything in his life and in his works Ackroyd s book brings you right into the heart of London in the 14th centu...3.5 starsInteresting It will make certain aspects of The Canterbury Talesunderstandable and does offer some thoughtful insights that were new to me Will definitely be worth rereading at a later date after I have read Ackroyd s translation of The Canterbury Tales.A quick and enjoyable read there s not a whole lot of extant detail to build a life of Chaucer around, but Ackroyd does a nice job mixing history, literary criticism, biography, and some conjecture in a highly engaging prose style I ll look for others in this Brief Lives series.A fascinating account of Chaucer s privileged and acclaimed life The book is best when Ackroyd paints details of a bustling, medieval London It strying with his analysis of Chaucer s verse Excerpts From the age of fourteen to the end of his life he remained in royal service and acted as a royal servant for three kings and two princes The urban parades and religious processions upon London s streets, as well as the stridently colorful dress of the citizens testify to a cul A fascinating account of Chaucer s privileged and acclaimed life The book is best when Ackroyd paints details of a bustling, medieval London It strying with his analysis of Chaucer s verse Excerpts From the age of fourteen to the end of his life he remained in royal service and acted as a royal servant for three kings and two princes The urban parades and religious processions upon London s streets, as we...Although the book is brief, 163 pages, it covers Chaucer s life, inspirations and writing style well The problem with Chaucer is, his life would appear to be intensely interesting, especially the private and secret missions he undertook for the Crown, but so little is actually known, that one has to just speculate on what he was actually doing Auckroyd avoids making said speculation and just allows you to know that there wasto Geffrey s life than we will ever know Given the paupacy of k Although the book is brief, ...Very interesting regarding the history of the times Nice illustrations But so little is known about the man himself, only the bare bones of his life, that it doesn t make a substantial read While this isn t Peter Ackroyd s fault, I felt I couldn t rate the experience of reading itthan okay.

• English
• 07 September 2017
Peter Ackroyd
• Hardcover
• 208 pages
• 0385507976
• Peter Ackroyd
• Chaucer