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According to the Squire, an envoy to Genghis Khan spoke so well,
Speaking of which tale, a commentator explained why an episode early in book IV of The Faerie Qveene felt like it was missing some backstory: it was, becase Spenser wrote a continuation of the Squire's Tale. (This may have been glossed, but if so it didn't stick. Because Spenser credits Chaucer, I came away thinking it was an adaptation from one of the unfinished works.) I suppose it makes sense that, given the Squire's Tale is pioneer of what would become Ariosto's genre, that Spenser (and Milton) would admire it. But ... still. As a storyteller, the Squire sucks Spenser's limp carrots.
Ninja Replacement Scores of Canterbury Tales, final report:
Franklin's Tale: The Franklin just may be the wisest of the pilgrims, and his tale has just the right balance of romantic (in the old sense) and serious. Not in an Ovidian way, despite Dorigen's monologue, but I don't think a Breton lay could handle the Ovidian treatment. Not unless it's about Melusine. (Mmm -- Melusine.) NRS = 0.
Physician's Tale: Dude, when your powerful enemy gets control of your virginal daughter by condemning her to become his lackey's slave, you don't cut HER head off -- you go ninja on HIS ass. Idjit. NRS = 1.
Pardoner's Tale: Death is the ultimate ninja. NRS = 0.
Second Nun's Tale: Is it bad of me to want Christian martyrs to turn ninja on their persecutors? NRS = 1.
Canon's Yeoman's Tale: I almost wrote that ninjas ∉ caper stories, but then I realized ninjas are in their way all about the capers, if not as con men. One doesn't belong in this story, though. NRS = 0.
Manciple's Tale: The raven was a ninja, and look how well it served him. NRS = 0.
Parson's "Tale": There's no characters to replace. Unfortunately. NRS = 0.
Knight's Yeoman's, Haberdasher's, Carpenter's, Weaver's, Dyer's, Tapicer's, and Plowman's Tales: Apparently ninjas got these guys before they could tell their tales, which is a Bad Thing. We need to replace the ninjas with less harmful sorts. NRS = −7.
(Previous reports: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.)
Total NRS = 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 14 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 1 − 7 = 20. Which a pretty good score for an anthology this large, I say.
And in conclusion: Just as there are genres not amenable to New-Criticism–style close readings, so are there genres not readily evaluated by ninja replacement.
* I suppose it's no weirder than the Merchant turning Pluto and Prosepina into the king and queen of the fairies. And yet.
---L.
That Gawain, with his old courtesy,To which I say -- Wait, Gawain departed into Faerie? Where's THAT story? Hel-LO-o?*
If he were come again out of Fairye,
He could not improve upon a single word.
Speaking of which tale, a commentator explained why an episode early in book IV of The Faerie Qveene felt like it was missing some backstory: it was, becase Spenser wrote a continuation of the Squire's Tale. (This may have been glossed, but if so it didn't stick. Because Spenser credits Chaucer, I came away thinking it was an adaptation from one of the unfinished works.) I suppose it makes sense that, given the Squire's Tale is pioneer of what would become Ariosto's genre, that Spenser (and Milton) would admire it. But ... still. As a storyteller, the Squire sucks Spenser's limp carrots.
Ninja Replacement Scores of Canterbury Tales, final report:
Franklin's Tale: The Franklin just may be the wisest of the pilgrims, and his tale has just the right balance of romantic (in the old sense) and serious. Not in an Ovidian way, despite Dorigen's monologue, but I don't think a Breton lay could handle the Ovidian treatment. Not unless it's about Melusine. (Mmm -- Melusine.) NRS = 0.
Physician's Tale: Dude, when your powerful enemy gets control of your virginal daughter by condemning her to become his lackey's slave, you don't cut HER head off -- you go ninja on HIS ass. Idjit. NRS = 1.
Pardoner's Tale: Death is the ultimate ninja. NRS = 0.
Second Nun's Tale: Is it bad of me to want Christian martyrs to turn ninja on their persecutors? NRS = 1.
Canon's Yeoman's Tale: I almost wrote that ninjas ∉ caper stories, but then I realized ninjas are in their way all about the capers, if not as con men. One doesn't belong in this story, though. NRS = 0.
Manciple's Tale: The raven was a ninja, and look how well it served him. NRS = 0.
Parson's "Tale": There's no characters to replace. Unfortunately. NRS = 0.
Knight's Yeoman's, Haberdasher's, Carpenter's, Weaver's, Dyer's, Tapicer's, and Plowman's Tales: Apparently ninjas got these guys before they could tell their tales, which is a Bad Thing. We need to replace the ninjas with less harmful sorts. NRS = −7.
(Previous reports: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.)
Total NRS = 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 14 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 1 − 7 = 20. Which a pretty good score for an anthology this large, I say.
And in conclusion: Just as there are genres not amenable to New-Criticism–style close readings, so are there genres not readily evaluated by ninja replacement.
* I suppose it's no weirder than the Merchant turning Pluto and Prosepina into the king and queen of the fairies. And yet.
---L.