The Decameron
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio is a reprint edition published by National Geographic Books on December 9, 2014. This substantial volume spans 1,024 pages and is presented in English. Set against the backdrop of the Black Death in 1348, the narrative follows ten young Florentines—seven women and three men—who retreat to the countryside to escape the plague. Over ten days, they share a collection of one hundred stories that encompass a variety of themes, including romance, tragedy, and comedy, reflecting the complexities of medieval life.
Readers will find that The Decameron offers a rich tapestry of narratives that blend humor and earthy irreverence, serving as both entertainment and a commentary on the human experience during challenging times. This edition features a new translation by Wayne A. Rebhorn, which aims to make Boccaccio’s work accessible to contemporary audiences while preserving its medieval essence. An extensive introduction provides context about Boccaccio’s historical and cultural background, enhancing the reader’s understanding of this significant work in the realm of fiction and classics.
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“Rebhorn deserves our gratitude for an eminently persuasive translation. . . . I celebrate his accomplishment.”—Edith Grossman
The year is 1348. The Black Death has begun to ravage Europe. Ten young Florentines—seven women and three men—escape the plague-infested city and retreat to the countryside around Fiesole. At their leisure in this isolated and bucolic setting, they spend ten days telling each other stories—tales of romance, tragedy, comedy, and farce—one hundred in all. The result, called by one critic “the greatest short story collection of all time” (Leonard Barkan, Princeton University) is a rich and entertaining celebration of the medley of medieval life.
Witty, earthy, and filled with bawdy irreverence, the one hundred stories of The Decameron offer more than simple escapism; they are also a life-affirming balm for trying times. The Decameron is a joyously comic book that has earned its place in world literature not just because it makes us laugh, but more importantly because it shows us how essential laughter is to the human condition.
Published on the 700th anniversary of Boccaccio’s birth, Wayne A. Rebhorn’s new translation of The Decameron introduces a generation of readers to this “rich late-medieval feast” in a “lively, contemporary, American-inflected English” (Stephen Greenblatt, Harvard University) even as it retains the distinctly medieval flavor of Boccaccio’s rhetorically expressive prose.
An extensive introduction provides useful details about Boccaccio’s historical and cultural milieu, the themes and particularities of the text, and the lines of influence flowing into and out of this towering monument of world literature.
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