Product Description
This Norton Critical Edition of Chaucer’s masterpiece is based on Stephen Barney’s acclaimed text and is accompanied by a translation of its major source, Boccaccio’s Filostrato.The editor’s lucid introduction, marginal glosses, and explanatory annotations make Troilus and Criseyde easily accessible to students with no prior knowledge of Chaucer or Middle English. Also included is Robert Henryson’s Testament of Cresseid, the poignant "sequel" to Troilus and Criseyde from fifteenth-century Scotland.

"Criticism" includes ten essays by a diverse group of distinguished Chaucerians, among them C. S. Lewis, E. Talbot Donaldson, Karla Taylor, Lee Patterson, and Jill Mann, that illuminate the major scholarly issues raised by this complex and challenging poem.

A Glossary and Selected Bibliography are also included ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Approaching Troilus and Criseyde


There are a few things I am curious about this work.The first distinction is that it exists as a whole text.Compared to the Canterbury Tales, the story is concerned with a solitary narrative arc, instead of a frame story with smaller tales interspersed (much like the Reinhardt / Renard / Reynard stories.)As such, I feel more comfortable approaching the work in a critical manner.Through the introduction, I have already learned the plot of the tale.What leaves me uncertain about approaching the text is how the story is has been constructed through time.The narrative comes from late antiquity and on through Shakespeare, so how do we consider Chaucer's role as a re-visionary of the tale?

In the intro, it speaks much of how this tale comes from the Boccaccio's Il Filostrato, where "[Chaucer] often matched the Italian text stanza for stanza" (xxiii).This is so much emphasized that there are places where this is drawn attention to, and included in a chart in the text.Thinking in terms of my paper, I am weary about making a claim about authorial intent before I know the context that this should be taken in.As such, it is with reservations that I bring this assertion into the text: the character of Pandarus, which Chaucer created, seems like an analogue within the poem for the poet's own narrative voice.From the reading considered so far, this character is a go-between and facilitator for the love that will perhaps develop between the two main characters.If this character is a Chaucerian invention and not coming from the source texts this is one place where we can speak of the edifice of the poet's creativity.That this Pandarus is friend of Troilus and the uncle of Criseyde places him within a level of intimacy with the characters that only a writer knows.

Although Troilus and Criseyde has areas of direct transcription, there are places where he veers from the source text.The most notable one at this reading is Troilus's song in part one.Again, I know nothing other sources of the text, but this song has been presented as the first use of the Petrarchan sonnet in English poetry.This is not pure invention, as the poem is more an adaptation (362) of the original sonnet from Petrarch, and not a new one all together.This is textually interesting to see how Chaucer is writing a poem in vulgar English, but he is taking source material from two different contemporary Italian sources and making something that while not entirely original, is something that is entirely Chaucer's.What makes me curious is this notion of invention as part of how a modern reader hails an author.If we are able to maintain Chaucer in the canon, why do modern readers know Camus, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy, and not the unfortunate forgotten who translated them.

It is again a rhetorical leap to claim that Chaucer was nothing but a translator, but it is an interesting subject to me.I have this notion that the ideas of authorship, ideas of genre, and the divide between written and performed where much more fluid than they is now.Modern readers have build walls around ideas.I can remember reading somewhere where the prize-winning novel The Life of Pi was under criticism because its author wrote a story about a tiger and a little boy and a raft.This represents how modern society puts not the craft of versification, but the ideas behind them in primacy.
A final consideration is the fact that I have been raised to recognize what genre a work fits in, and that is the beginning of a description:

"What are you reading?"
"Oh, this, it's a play by Tom Stoppard."

Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde is not so easily classifiable.There is a narrative arc, creating what might be considered fiction.There's versification, metered lines, and stanza breaks with a regular rhyme pattern within the stanzas.And lastly there is a lot of talking.From what I've read, I can see why Shakespeare made this into a play.He might only have needed to modernize some of the lines and place in stage directions.The fun thing is that it seems Chaucer is self conscious about these ambiguities.Instead of the classic epic invocation to the muse, there is an invocation to a fury.Instead of a love triangle with a jilted lover, there is just the two of them, both free to do as they choose.These subversions show something about Chaucer's own enjoyment of the work he was creating.

Perhaps this poem is also about interpretation and ambiguity.My mind returns to the image of Chaucer at some sort of pulpit or lectern: is he reading, performing, or both?

A Great Edition of This Classic
I'll take it for granted that Chaucer's writings (Troilus and Criseyde one of the best among them) have secured their place in classic literature; no review of Chaucer is necessary here. I will focus my review on this particular edition of the work: Penguin Classics (original spelling edition) edited by Barry Windeatt.

This edition presents Troilus and Criseyde in Chaucer's original English which, though difficult at first, offers delights far surpassing any modern translation. (By the way, it's technically "Middle English" not "Old English" as the title incorrectly indicates).

You get plenty of help in the footnote glosses of Chaucer's English. The text itself is clear of distractions and easy to read; you can utilize the notes as much or as little as you need. Often, the footnotes define words whose meaning is really obvious, and sometimes no different than modern English. Once you get accustomed to the language you can ignore the notes altogether. I think this edition is better than the Norton in this respect because the Norton editions of Chaucer put the glosses in the margin which, for me, distracts from Chaucer's text, especially when you don't need the glosses anymore.

Another great thing about this edition are the end notes. Almost half of the pages of this book (about 200) are detailed notes that compile the history of scholarly research on Chaucer. These notes present detailed information on the history and literature of the Middle Ages, on classical history and literature that influenced Chaucer's writing of the story, and numerous other things. Unless you're a Chaucer expert, these notes are all you will ever need to fully understand and appreciate this work.

This is an outstanding edition of Troilus and Criseyde and I highly recommend it.

Broken File
I have downloaded this thing a dozen times. There is nothing here but a few lines of the table of contents and that is in Latin. There is something wrong with the file.

Ridiculously misleading!
I purchased this expecting the original text, as the page stated, but received the translated version. Do not buy this if you want the original!

funniest tales censored by omission
the miller's and reeve's tales are missing from this edition, probably because of the coarse nature of cuckoldry, etc. consequently, this edition is severely lacking in humor compared to unabridged editions.
... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1892 edition by Longmans, Green, and Co., London. ... Read more

Product Description
The book may have numerous typos or missing text. It is not illustrated or indexed. However, purchasers can download a free copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website. You can also preview the book there.Purchasers are also entitled to a trial membership in the publisher's book club where they can select from more than a million books for free.Publisher: Longmans, Green Publication date: 1892Subjects: Great Britain; England; Anarchism; History / Europe / Great Britain; History / Medieval; Political Science / Political Ideologies / Anarchism ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Still the best study available of the Great Earl
Round, one of the more astute (and contentious) genealogical scholars for two decades on either side of the beginning of the 20th century, undertook this study of the period of aristocratic civil war following the death of Henry I in the light of the large number of charters granted or attested by Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex. Until his sudden death at the hands of an enemy bowman in 1144, Geoffrey was one of the major players during the Anarchy; to many historians, he typifies the period. Round, in fact, calls him "the most perfect and typical presentment of the feudal and anarchic spirit."
Actually, his principal goal seems to have been to recover the lands seized from his father by Henry I, which he accomplished by playing each side in the struggle against the other. Of special interest, though, is Round's habit of adding appendices to his books on whatever topics interested him, however tenuous their connection to the subject at hand. This volume includes twenty-eight brief essays on such notables as Gervase de Cornhill, Miles of Gloucester, William of Arques, Roger de Ramis, and the connection between the Mandevilles and the De Veres. There is also an extended essay on "The Creation of the Earldom of Gloucester." Round's scholarship is always finely honed, though certain of his interpretations and conclusions are now out of fashion. And be warned that he follows the Victorian gentleman's assumption that any educated person can handle Latin texts, so he never bothers to translate his frequent excerpts from medieval charters and historians. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The phenomenon of fire in the Australian landscape traverses many interests and disciplines. At a national level, there is an urgent need for the integration of both the natural and social sciences in the formulation of public policy.

With contributions from 30 leading experts, Australia Burning draws together these issues, under the themes:

Ecology and the environment
Fire behaviour and fire regime science
People and property
Policy, institutional arrangements and the legal framework
Indigenous land and fire management

The book examines some of the key questions that relate to the ecology, prediction and management of fire, urban planning, law, insurance, and community issues, including indigenous and non-indigenous concerns. It looks at what we need to know to inform public policy, given the present risks and uncertainty, and explores the avenues for closer integration between science, policy and the community. ... Read more

Product Description
'Managing Visitor Attractions' is a unique text that provides a cutting edge insight into the issues, principles and practices of visitor attractions today and into the future.

Divided into five parts, the book tackles the following topics:

· the role and nature of visitor attractions
· the development of visitor attraction provision
· the management of visitor attractions
· the marketing of visitor attractions
· future issues and trends


With contributions from around the world, the book is illustrated with up-to-date, international case studies from the UK, USA, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, China, Denmark and Canada. It is an essential text for undergraduate and postgraduate students of visitor attraction management, written by subject specialists with a wealth of experience in this field.


Provides a cutting insight into the issues, principles and practices of visitor attractions
Well-renowned contributors with a wealth of experience in the field
Up-to-date international case studies from the UK, USA, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Greece and Canada ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Boston GinnPublication date: 1880Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Back in Print
Is modernism fundamentally hostile to nature? How have the radical transformations of the 19th and 20th centuries affected our attitude toward nature and impacted the landscape, as seen in the relationship of modern building to the land, and in the parks and gardens of this past century? Proceeding from the premise that how we shape our physical environment is a fundamental reflection of our culture, this compendium of essays on landscape in the 20th century evolved from a symposium of distinguished historians, scholars, architects, landscape architects, and artists organized by The Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1988. Presented in a historical perspective, the discussion focuses on the problems and solutions of the 20th century and addresses the issues that carry over into the 21st.Architectects Include: Galen Cranz, Vincent Scully, Robert Rosenblum, Leo Marx, Caroline Constant, Stephen Krog, John Beardsley, Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, Kenneth Frampton, Stuart Wrede, John B. Jackson, Paul Groth, William Howard Adams, Marc Treib, and John Dixon Hunt, amomgst others.

Edited by Stuart Wrede and William Howard Adams.
Essays by Vincent Scully, John Dixon Hunt, Robert Rosenblum, Kenneth Frampton, Leo Marx, Caroline Constant, Stephen Krog, Marc Treib, John Beardsley, Galen Cranz, Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, John B. Jackson and Paul Groth.

Paperback , 8.5 x 9.75 in., 144 pages, 175 b/w illustrations ... Read more