Pilgrim Chaucer: Center Stage

Library Journal

This book-length study of "The Tale of Sir Thopas" is the second of a proposed three-volume explication of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Cullen's (Chaucer's Host) method of explication is conventional--she looks for the true meaning of the story hidden allegorically in the text. But some critics would consider the precise meanings she finds unconventional. Reading "Sir Thopas" line by line, she interprets it as a bawdy poem--a tale about Sir Thopas's sexual exploits, his infection with venereal disease, and his subsequent cure. Additional chapters explain how "Sir Thopas" relates to the rest of the Canterbury Tales. Overall, though, Cullen's approach is scholarly and her interpretations supported by extensive notes. Recommended for academic libraries supporting studies in medieval literature.--Shana C. Fair, Ohio Univ. Lib., Zanesville Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.