The Wife of Bath: A Biography

"When it comes to books, medieval women have been getting lots of attention recently; what’s unusual about The Wife of Bath is that it’s about a fictional character, Alison of Bath. The book is by Marion Turner, a professor of English literature at Oxford, whose excellent biography of Chaucer was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize . Alison, as you may know, is a character in Geoffrey Chaucer ’s The Canterbury Tales. She famously introduces herself in the prologue by saying she’s been married five times (the first time at age 12). If you haven’t read The Canterbury Tales you may find this book quite hard to follow and it’s probably worth reading The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale quickly first. (It’s short, entertaining and available in modern English ). The first half of The Wife of Bath: A Biography uses Chaucer’s text to explore various aspects of the lives of/attitudes to medieval women. The second half looks at Alison’s afterlife, from the early scribes who responded to her story as they copied it out to Zadie Smith’s 2021 play. The book is very focused on the text, so it’s probably going to appeal more to people who enjoy literary analysis. If you’re looking for a historian’s approach to the lives of medieval women, Femina by Janina Ramirez is another good option. Part of our best books of 2023 series"