Status Updates From The Canterbury Tales (Black...

The Nun Priest's Tale: pleasant and memorable fable channeling Aesop.

The Physician's Tale: gives Lucretia vibes. Typically the heroine must die due to the lust of the wayward male character. Short and pithy, and certainly not cheerful.

The Monk's Tale: a collection of Biblical figures and historical people who were once powerful and strong and yet have been humbled. Noticeably, the one woman featured, Zenobia, has the most written about her. The tale of Samson has a number of other morals of the story, each one far better than the one featured here.

The Shipman's Tale: what???

The Prioress's Tale: rather soppy... I didn't appreciate the constant references to praising the Virgin Mary rather than Jesus.

Chaucer's Tale(s): Sir Topaz was quite pleasant, I thought; I couldn't help but feel righteous indignation to the host for cutting him off in the middle of it. Melibee was different from all the others before, to say the least. It didn't last long.

The Man of Law's Tale: the change in poetry is interesting, but otherwise I found this a very preachy and confusing story (and rather boring, too).

The Miller's Tale: the act of kissing bottoms is far too coarse for me to find it amusing

The Reeve's Tale: how to get your own back on someone who's offended you by telling a vulgar story

The Cook's Tale: too short to make much comment, but at least it starts cheerfully enough.

On 11 November Anno Domini, I realized Dr. Lightsey, my Chaucer professor, was actually serious about the chicken-husband and chicken-wife.

Incredible line in the footnotes “He was a very learned poet, but carried his learning lightly.”