Join the Northaven Classics Book Club for The Canterbury Tales
- Northaven Senior Living
- Mar 5
- 2 min read
The Northaven Classics Book Club will meet on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the NH Library. All are welcome — even if you have not read the book. These discussions are always fun, engaging, and full of interesting insight.
This month’s selection is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, one of the most enduring works in classic literature. Readers are encouraged to use the No Fear The Canterbury Tales edition, published by Spark Publishing Company, a division of Barnes & Noble. This edition places Chaucer’s original language alongside a modern English translation, making it much easier to follow. Since Chaucer’s English can be challenging, this version helps readers understand what is happening, who is speaking, and why.
The Canterbury Tales follows a group of pilgrims traveling together to Canterbury Cathedral in England. After staying at the same inn, they decide to continue the journey as a group. To make the trip more interesting, the Host suggests that each traveler tell a story, with the best one winning a free dinner. Chaucer himself is part of the journey, serving as narrator and even telling a few stories of his own.
The tales cover a wide range of themes, including faith, romance, gender, wealth, and human nature. Although the book was written centuries ago, many of its characters and observations still feel surprisingly familiar. Readers will find that people, with all their flaws and strengths, are not so different from the people of today.
A quick note: some of the humor can be a bit vulgar or mischievous, but that is part of what has helped keep this classic lively and memorable for generations.
For longtime classics reader Jeffey K., this is a favorite: a book filled with humor, unforgettable characters, and a wonderful connection to the past. In his words, it is “an entire universe of stars” — a must-read, and a true classic for the ages.
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