Canterbury Tales DVD Series, The

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Having thoroughly enjoyed Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (in the original Middle English, mind you) during my halcyon academic days, I was a little nervous as to how faithful this two-part HBO-aired animated series would be to the 14th century classic of storytelling wayfarers embarked on a holy pilgrimage to Canterbury. However, the nicely pitched tenor fart that ripped through my speakers three minutes in, followed by a prodigious belch (which lifted my subwoofer six inches off the carpet) barely two minutes later, convinced me that my fears were groundless. Combining rich model animation together with traditional sketch work, this Emmy award-winning modern adaptation presents six of the twenty-four tales (three on each video), ranging from the Nun Priest's Tale of Chauntecleer the rooster and his misadventures with a sly fox, to the Merchant's Tale of the elder cuckold January's vain attempts to corral his young wife (including, I believe, literature's first recorded instance of sex in a pear tree). Spanning a wide range of themes--including avarice, betrayal, lust, love, and pride--Canterbury Tales I & II serves as a solid introduction to England's most celebrated medieval poet, retaining Chaucer's bawdiness (though omitting lusty gems such as "The Miller's Tale") within the larger scope of his acute, and often amusing, insights into the human condition. Highly recommended. [Due to the mature nature of the material, though tastefully and artfully presented, we recommend this for high school and up.] Also available from the same producers: Beowulf, Don Quixote and Moby Dick.

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Gr 9 & Up - These animated videos introduce Chaucer's classic literary work. Claymation-type characters depict the travelers to Canterbury. As various travelers tell their tales, they are shown with traditionally animated sequences. Artwork for both the tales and the travelers is superb. Like Jim Henson's muppets, these claymation figures physically describe each characters' personality. Actors from the Royal Shakespeare company provide the voices. The bawdy times of merry old England are truthfully, yet tastefully, portrayed. The first video presents "The Nun's Priest's Tale," "The Knight's Tale," and "The Wife of Bath's Tale." Volume II includes "The Merchant's Tale," "The Pardoner's Tale," and "The Franklin's Tale." These presentations will serve as an excellent means to introduce or conclude a unit on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal. Used with permission.

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