The Decameron
Book - 2003
In the summer of 1348, as the Black Death ravages their city, ten young Florentines take refuge in the countryside...
Taken from the Greek, meaning 'ten-day event', Boccaccio's Decameron sees his characters amuse themselves by each telling a story a day, for the ten days of their confinement - a hundred stories of love and adventure, life and death, and surprising twists of fate. Less preoccupied with abstract concepts of morality or religion than earthly values, the tales range from the bawdy Peronella, hiding her lover in a tub, to Ser Cepperallo, who, despite his unholy effrontery, becomes a Saint. The result is a towering monument of European literature and a masterpiece of imaginative narrative that has inspired writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare .
Translated with an introduction by G.H. McWilliam
'McWilliam's finest work, his translation of Boccaccio's Decameron remains one of the most successful and lauded books in the series'
The Times
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Add a Comment14th century classic by the Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio. Like "The Canterbury Tales" and "1001 Nights," it's a compendium of tales and uses a frame narrative. It's interesting to read now, as it's set during a plague. 10 people flee to the country and then pass the time by telling stories. Many are about love and deception. Some are quite racy! The controversial Italian director Pasolini made a very explicit film based on it. The recent film "Little Hours," was also inspired by the stories.
The Decameron is a classic. If you like reading good, old stories, you may like this book. Some of the stories are very, very interesting. Some may be boring to some people. This book is divided into 10 days with 10 stories each day. The story was originally written in Italian. So, be reminded that this book is an English translation. The translation was done pretty well. If you like reading old, short stories, this book is a good read.