Books › Decamerone
Decamerone
First published 1906 · 7964 pages
A vibrant, bawdy celebration of human wit and desire told as a lush escape from the shadow of death.
What it feels like
Reading this collection feels like stepping into a sunlit, secluded garden while a storm rages outside. The atmosphere is deeply escapist, anchored by a leisurely, episodic rhythm that invites you to linger over each tale. Despite the grim shadow of the plague that frames the narrative, the emotional texture is overwhelmingly life-affirming, festive, and unapologetically bawdy. The prose is elegant and classically structured, yet it crackles with earthy wit, sharp satire, and a cynical appreciation for human folly. It delights in the triumph of cleverness over piety and passion over propriety. This is a feast for readers who love rich, interconnected storytelling and want to lose themselves in a timeless, vibrant tapestry of romance, trickery, and survival.
- Mood
- sun-drenched
- festive
- escapist
- shadowed by mortality
- Tone
- bawdy
- witty
- playful
- cynical
- romantic
- Pace
- leisurely
- Themes
- the triumph of human wit · fickleness of fortune · hypocrisy of authority · storytelling as survival · the power of desire
- The writing
- Elegant and rhythmically structured, the writing balances classical rhetorical flourishes with sharp, earthy vernacular.
- The arc
- The journey shifts from the grim despair of societal collapse into a vibrant, life-affirming celebration of pleasure, wit, and resilience.
- Who it's for
- Lovers of classic literature and interconnected tales who appreciate a mix of high romance, sharp satire, and unapologetic bawdiness.
Content notes
- sexual content
- infidelity
- religious satire
- plague and illness
- period-typical bigotry
About the book
Decameron, collection of tales by Giovanni Boccaccio, probably composed between 1349 and 1353. The work is regarded as a masterpiece of classical Italian prose. While romantic in tone and form, it breaks from medieval sensibility in its insistence on the human ability to overcome, even exploit, fortune.
The Decameron comprises a group of stories united by a frame story. As the frame narrative opens, 10 young people (seven women and three men) flee plague-stricken Florence to a delightful villa in nearby Fiesole. Each member of the party rules for a day and sets stipulations for the daily tales to be told by all participants, resulting in a collection of 100 pieces. This storytelling occupies 10 days of a fortnight (the rest being set aside for personal adornment or for religious devotions); hence, the title of the book, Decameron, or “Ten Days’ Work.” Each day ends with a canzone (song), some of which represent Boccaccio’s finest poetry. –Britannica
Description from Open Library.
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