Chaucer: An Introduction

Originally published in 1981, this second edition built on the success of the first which had established itself as a standard introduction to the poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer. It shows Chaucer not only in the context of his own age, but, more important, as a writer and a man who is still vivid to us so many years later. As well as examining the early poems, Troilus and Criseyde, and The Canterbury Tales the author gives a thorough account of Chaucer's background. He examines the traditions in which he wrote, his audience, and his position among his contemporaries. The second edition was updated throughout and included a number of revisions and additions, in particular on the second part of the Roman de la Rose and on The Knight's Tale.

Reviews of the original first edition:

"This is a book to inspire and encourage sixth-formers and undergraduates bewildered by the maze of dialectal variations and the pitfalls of Middle English." The Times Educational Supplement

"S.S. Hussey?s sound and readable introduction to Chaucer?s poetry contains also much general information on medieval literature and literary conventions." The Modern Language Review