Canterbury Tales (Short Story) - Volume III, The

Canterbury Tales (Short Story) - Volume III, The

The Friar's Tale
The Summoner's Tale
The Lawyer's Tale
The Seaman's Tale
The Prioress's Tale
The Manciple's Tale
The Physician's Tale

Seven more Tales presented here in unabridged modern verse - an ideal way to appreciate the genuinely funny and droll talent of England's early master storyteller. The group continues its pilgrimage to Canterbury, talking with each other, their interaction mediated (sometimes) by the affable Host - Chaucer himself. Eight leading British actors bring the medieval world into the 21st century, and at least in terms of character, not much seems to have changed!

The Canterbury Tales, written near the end of Chaucer's life and hence towards the close of the fourteenth century, Is perhaps the greatest English literary work of the Middle Ages: yet it speaks to us today with almost undimmed clarity and relevance.

Chaucer imagines a group of twenty-nine pilgrims who meet in the Tabard Inn in Southwark, intent on making the traditional journey to the martyr's shrine of St Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. Harry Bailly landlord of the Tabard, proposes that the company should entertain themselves on the road with a storytelling competition. The teller of the best tale will be rewarded with a supper at the others' expense when the travellers return to London. Chaucer never completed this elaborate scheme - each pilgrim was supposed to tell four tales, but in fact we only have twenty-four altogether - yet, with the pieces of linking narrative and the prologues to each tale, the work as a whole constitutes a marvellously varied evocation of the medieval world which also goes beyond its period to penetrate (humorously, gravely tolerantly) human nature itself.

Chaucer, as a member of this company of pilgrims, presents himself with mock innocence as the admiring observer of his fellows, depicted in the General Prologue. Many of these are clearly rogues - the coarse, cheating Miller, the repulsive yet compelling Pardoner - yet in each of them Chaucer finds something human, often a sheer vitality or love of life which is irresistible: the Monk may prefer hunting to prayer, but he is after all a manly man, to be an abbot able. Perhaps only the unassuming, devoted Parson and his humbly labouring brother the Ploughman rise entirely above Chaucer's teasing irony; certainly the Parson's fellow clergy and religious officers belong to a Church riddled with gross corruption. Everyone, it seems, is on the make, in a world still recovering from the ravages of the Black Death.

Publisher: NAXOS
Author: Geoffrey Chaucer
Narrator: Full Cast Performance
ISBN: 9 62634 304 4 More about this Short Story

WordTheatre presents The Wild West Performed Live at The Met Theatre in Hollywood, Produced and Directed by Darrell Larson and Cedering Fox

The Wild West offers an introduction to WordTheatre's comprehensive survey of the literature inspired by the West. This vital genre has, for the past 150 years, shown us who we are by reflecting the struggles of individuals facing a lawless frontier.

We begin our journey with "Deadwood Dick: At the Met," a rambunctious example of the notorious dime novels. Amy Madigan (Pollock, Carnivale) gives a rip-roaring reading of Edward Wheeler's 1887 account of one night inside Deadwood's wildest saloon, featuring a cameo appearance by Calamity Jane.

Next, Sheila Kelley (The Sopranos, Dancing at the Blue Iguana) offers a heartbreaking performance of Dorothy M. Johnson's short story, "Journey to the Fort," a psychologically acute rendering of one woman's path back to civilization.

Gary Dourdan (C.S.I., Alien Resurrection) smoothly inhabits "The Naked Gun," a powerful fable of fate working through innocent hands from John Jakes's Western story collection, The Bold Frontier.

WordTheatre brings people together to share stories in a unique way. Through this collective experience, we aim to deepen our sense of community as we celebrate the oral storytelling tradition. We welcome you to join world-class writers and actors at our literary salons in Los Angeles, New York and London for live readings and book signings. For more information on WordTheatre please visit www.wordtheatre.com

Publisher: Harper Collins US
Author: Various
Narrator: Various
ISBN: 0061120421 More about this Short Story

Love can be a scary thing - especially when there are ghosts involved! These ain't like any love stories you ever heard. Let The Moonlit Road take you on a journey to the spooky, sinister and astonishing depths of the heart.
Publisher: The Moonlit Road.com
Author: Not Known
Narrator: Full Cast Production
ISBN: More about this Short Story

This unique combination of historical and new recordings celebrates Dylan Thomas as poet, writer and performer. Here are some of his greatest poems, stories and broadcasts: readings given by Thomas himself in the 1940s and 1950s as well as new recordings by leading Welsh actors of our own time. Under Milk Wood is Thomas's undisputed masterpiece, an unforgettable, affectionate portrait of a small Welsh town. Written for radio, its intimate blend of poetry and drama made it an instant classic; and so it remains in this unmatched recording with a perfect cast led by Richard Burton. But here, also, are two fascinating earlier radio programmes, Return Journey to Swansea and Quite Early One Morning, written and performed by Thomas, which show the past that led to Under Milk Wood.

The last two CDs contain new recordings of a selection of stories (including Memories of Christmas and A Visit to Grandpa's) and poems in which contemporary performance offers an interesting contrast to the 'authentic' voice of Thomas himself.
Publisher: NAXOS
Author: Dylan Thomas
Narrator: Full Cast Performance
ISBN: 9 62634 343 5 More about this Short Story