The Canterbury Tales

At position number 9, we have Chaucer's famed stories of medieval disasters, "The Canterbury Tales." Only twelve copies of the initial issue of this English classic novel remain in existence today, having been produced in 1477.

Chaucer's lengthy poem chronicles the trip of a bunch of pilgrims, 31 of whom include Chaucer himself. They travel from Southwark to the shrine of St Thomas in Canterbury Cathedral. The innkeeper proposes that each of the pilgrims tell two stories on the journey out and another two on the journey back home to pass the time on the trip. The best narrator is to be awarded upon their return with a complimentary meal.

In 1988, one of these surviving unique versions of "The Canterbury Tales" was auctioned, inspiring the late British millionaire John Paul Getty Jr. to spend an astounding $7.5 million to acquire it. As of today, this exceedingly rare edition is the ninth most pricey book ever sold.

_

Price at launch: $7.5 million

Author: Geoffrey Chaucer