I can now say I've read The Canterbury Tales and that some of the stories were more interesting than others. That last one, though, oh man, was that hard to get through. So preachy! This should have come as no surprise given the era in which the Tales were written, not to mention that these folks were on a religious pilgrimage. Giving the last word to a Parson allowed him to address all the sins that were so fully on display in the stories preceding his sermon.

My modern little heart rails against the dogma of organized religion and believes it to be one of the driving forces behind so much of the violence and hatred in the world. I had a hard time listening to The Last Tale because, as I listened, I couldn't help but think it's no wonder the world is in such a sad state. There has been so much shame instilled into mankind by the Church. Men and women have been taught to feel shame for being human, for having bodily needs or desires. That shame has turned into the harsh judgment of self and others. And this is when my little brain went into the psychology of shame and all the damage it can cause, which is a digression from the book review I was trying to write.

Overall, this was an entertaining read and I'm glad I've finally crossed it off my list of classics to read in this lifetime.