4 out of 4 stars
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The Canterbury Hall Tales by Bert Johnston is a collection of fifteen short stories written in traditional verse. It was inspired by William Chaucer’s classic, The Canterbury Tales. The book can be categorized in General Fiction. Although the stories are set in present day, they are written in the style of the fourteenth century. At Canterbury Hall, a group of elderly residents sit around a table on Sunday evenings and tell each other one tale per week. These gatherings are known as “Sunday Night Table.” In the process of telling these tales, the storytellers often reveal information about themselves.
I thoroughly enjoyed this creatively written book. When I read the Amazon summary, I wondered if the language in the tales would be difficult to understand. Fortunately, the author does a wonderful job of crafting contemporary, easy to understand stories while keeping the flavor of the language from the 14th century. The overall effect is a group of engrossing, character-driven tales that are a unique blend of Old English style and present-day characters and situations.
Each story centers on a character (or characters) in a specific situation. “The Accountant’s Tale” is about a man who attends his class reunion, intent on revenge. In “The Parson’s Wife: Siblings,” three brothers and a sister take various paths in life, including Alan whose dreams are put on hold due to family circumstances. One of the elderly storytellers, “The Peddler,” used to be a successful travelling salesman before retiring and chasing the ladies at Canterbury Hall. Although the other residents revile him, Pete still appears at “Sunday Night Table” to spin a yarn about a drunken college man’s experience. Although all of the tales are absorbing, my favorite is “The Accountant’s Wife’s Tale: The Cosmetic Queen.” Maxine and her husband Mort are very relatable and the plot contains a few interesting twists.
The characters are vividly described and I felt like I was right there in the middle of the action. I found this an amazing accomplishment by the author, considering he also adhered to a consistent rhyme structure and 14th century writing style. While the tales appear effortlessly told, I am absolutely sure there was painstaking work involved to achieve this result. There are two typos in the latter part of the book; these errors are surprising since the rest of the book appears to be professionally edited.
I give this book the highest rating, 4 out of 4 stars. The tales are something to savor while curling up on the sofa with a hot cup of tea. I would recommend this collection to readers who love Chaucer, character-driven stories, and really anyone who appreciates excellent writing.
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The Canterbury Hall Tales
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