Who's Afraid of Middle English: A Book of Lystes

by Dolores L. Cullen

Chaucer scholar Dolores L. Cullen wants the world (the English-speaking world) to know that Middle English is fun, and that it's not hard to read. Here are lots of lists of words and phrases that most... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1564744019
• ISBN13: 9781564744012
• Release Date: February 2015
• Publisher: Daniel & Daniel Publishers
• Length: 100 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A demonstration of olde Englysh that can be understood and appreciated

Like many people, I was exposed to the writings of Chaucer in high school. I must admit it takes some getting used to, but considered in the context of the dynamic qualities of language, it is interesting. In the modern world of dictionaries, universal education, spell checkers and poor marks for misspelling, everyone writes a word the same way. This was not the case a few hundred years ago, in the history of the written word, dictionaries are a recent resource. Before dictionaries people were generally free to spell words any way they wanted to. Reading middle English requires you to slow down a bit, as the words are not as quickly determined as those in standard English. Yet, it is possible to read and understand the phrases. The chapter titles are: *) Diverse recreaciouns *) Succincte thoughtes *) Variousnesse of musyk *) Wordez & musique of singulartee *) New games with oold wordes *) Foode: the centre of eche day *) The twenti thyrde psalm While I enjoyed reading this book and with time, was able to decipher every phrase, it was hard to write this using a word processor. I had to turn off the self-correcting features in order to be able to accurately render the chapter titles.

Fear Not Lest Ye Miss the Fun!

Wasn't it Socrates who said that learning is the greatest pleasure? This little treasure packs a lot of fun into a small space, but be warned: learning Middle English can be addictive! As it says in the book, "A thing of beautee is a joie for ever." Its uses are myriad, and it makes a unique gift for people who love to play with words, people who have trouble spelling (which hasn't changed much since the 15th century, though the pronunciation has), or for people who think they have everything. Two people with copies could have a great time writing messages no one else could read-or could they? With its bright red cover it also makes a great "Cristmasse" gift, too: I bought four and have lost one already to a friend who was there when I opened the package!Dolores Cullen, whose heart of hearts, like this book, is dedicated to Chaucer, has written three astounding but highly readable books on The Canterbury Tales. Her theory, that the characters are an allegory for the zodiac and a dangerous critique of the society and church of his day as well, constitutes a powerfully fresh and intelligent take on this well-known work of one of the greatest and often neglected writers of English literature. Cullen's work here hints at the endless hours she has lovingly devoted to making the Middle English of some 500 years ago accessible to 21st century readers.