Synopses & Reviews
Since its first publication in 1989, Helen Cooper's guide to The Canterbury Tales has established itself as the standard work on the poem. This second edition continues to offer the most comprehensive scrutiny of the Tales both as a whole and individually. In addition, Cooper incorporates the most significant recent scholarship and criticism, reflecting current research in the areas of Chaucer's historical and social context and developments in the interpretation of Chaucer's presentation of women.
Review
Praise for the first edition: "Marked by wit, learning, intelligence, and that rarest of critical virtues, good judgement...this is now the first book on The Canterbury Tales to consult after reading the text itself."--Studies in the Age of Chaucer.
"Cooper's guide is a more powerful book than any previous aid or introduction to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. It presents the lively and generous mind of a serious scholar and a sensitive reader."--Notes and Queries.
"A substantial work...with something of the proportions and production quality of a reference volume....This is a major book with many virtues...[and] much to offer its reader"--Review of English Studies.
About the Author
Helen Cooper is Fellow in English at University College, Oxford.