<DIV>Beyond its importance as a cultural touchstone and literary work of unvarnished genius, Chaucer’s unfinished epic poem is also one of the most beloved works in the English language?and for good reason: It is lively, absorbing, perceptive, and outrageously funny?an undisputed classic that has held a special appeal for generations of readers. Chaucer has gathered twenty-nine of literature’s most indelible archetypes?from the exalted Knight to the bawdy Wife to the besotted Miller to the humble Plowman?in a vivid group portrait that captures the full spectrum of late-medieval English society and both informs and expands our discourse on the human condition.</div>