Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
molto drama, molto divertente
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
jokes that are funny in 1350 🤝 jokes that are funny in 2025
Though I haven't read this book cover to cover, I picked it up many times over what is now years. During some of the worst times of the pandemic, I never thought I would find solace and connection to people who lived through similar experiences centuries ago. Realizing that people have always been like we are today, afraid and also bored and horny, truly changed my life and that's why this is a 5 star book for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Oooh that was one big book! It's pretty tiring to read it cover to cover, but I'm glad I did it. Now I can cross it of my to-read list.
I'm not yet sure what I think of this book from a feminist point of view. On the one hand, there's a lot of less feminist material in this book, but on the other hand it's also full of strong independent women who know what they want. Best thing about it might be that female sexuality isn't seen as a bad thing, which I didn't expect because of the period it was written in. All the characters are just really diverse, and that's a good thing :)
I'm not yet sure what I think of this book from a feminist point of view. On the one hand, there's a lot of less feminist material in this book, but on the other hand it's also full of strong independent women who know what they want. Best thing about it might be that female sexuality isn't seen as a bad thing, which I didn't expect because of the period it was written in. All the characters are just really diverse, and that's a good thing :)
I read the Norton edition translated by Wayne A. Rebhorn, which uses modern American English and is incredibly accessible. I strongly recommend this edition, as both the forward and endnotes are excellent and provide a good deal of additional historical context.
While I didn’t read the Decameron for pleasure, I was pleasantly surprised by how genuinely enjoyable I found many of the stories. A few even made me laugh out loud, albeit often in a slightly horrified way (shoutouts to most of days 3 & 4). But some were a real slog (8.7’s horrible incel revenge fantasy and literally every Calandrino story, for example) and I had to force my way through them. (Yes, I did feel personally called out by the bit in the Author’s Conclusion where Boccaccio tells me I should have just skipped the ones that did not promise delight).
A good deal of the stories are predicated on misogynistic beliefs that were de rigueur for the time period - there’s literally a passage about how beating your wife is the correct, moral thing to do. But there are also many stories that subvert popular beliefs about women (both late-medieval and occasionally modern) in interesting ways. The women in these stories are often well-developed, intelligent and complex (and very, very horny). I decided to read these stories because I’m interested in historical attitudes towards gender and sexuality, and thus found it fascinating. If you have similar interests (and can stomach it), the Decameron is an illuminating work and well worth your time.
While I didn’t read the Decameron for pleasure, I was pleasantly surprised by how genuinely enjoyable I found many of the stories. A few even made me laugh out loud, albeit often in a slightly horrified way (shoutouts to most of days 3 & 4). But some were a real slog (8.7’s horrible incel revenge fantasy and literally every Calandrino story, for example) and I had to force my way through them. (Yes, I did feel personally called out by the bit in the Author’s Conclusion where Boccaccio tells me I should have just skipped the ones that did not promise delight).
A good deal of the stories are predicated on misogynistic beliefs that were de rigueur for the time period - there’s literally a passage about how beating your wife is the correct, moral thing to do. But there are also many stories that subvert popular beliefs about women (both late-medieval and occasionally modern) in interesting ways. The women in these stories are often well-developed, intelligent and complex (and very, very horny). I decided to read these stories because I’m interested in historical attitudes towards gender and sexuality, and thus found it fascinating. If you have similar interests (and can stomach it), the Decameron is an illuminating work and well worth your time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Gaslighting
Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Classism
funny
slow-paced