The Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury Tales
Score Classic
What it's about
Twenty-nine pilgrims, from a knight and a nun to a miller and the Wife of Bath, travel to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, telling each other stories along the way: romances, fables, sermons and bawdy jokes. Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century masterpiece portrays an entire medieval society.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben World Library list of the 100 greatest books. It's one of the foundations of English literature.
You'll love it if you liked
The Decameron
Don Quixote
The OdysseyGood to know
Read it in a modern English translation unless you know Middle English. The tales can be read separately.
By the numbers
- Readers35 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller8 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Moving
If you like this, read next
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
The Color Purple
1984
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of TimeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Canterbury Tales worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben World Library list of the 100 greatest books. It ranks #1,797 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Canterbury Tales about?
Twenty-nine pilgrims, from a knight and a nun to a miller and the Wife of Bath, travel to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, telling each other stories along the way: romances, fables, sermons and bawdy jokes. Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century masterpiece portrays an entire medieval society.
How long does it take to read The Canterbury Tales?
About 6 hours (222 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Canterbury Tales?
If you liked it, try The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes or The Odyssey by Homer.