A review by dlbvenice
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

5.0

A long and bawdy collection of tales, these stories are a fascinating window into the Middle Ages and the mind of Giovanni Boccaccio. Aided by an excellent translation and footnotes by Wayne Rebhorn, we are given a trip through tales involving four principal themes: Intelligence (usually exhibited as cleverness or cunning, particularly verbally), Fortune (or fate), desire (particularly as it pertains to carnal or romantic love), and magnanimity or generosity of spirit. The mores of Boccaccio's times are clearly not those of this century - with the treatment of women and the separation of the classes being the most evident. Yet people are still people, possessing the range of human cruelty, anger, empathy, kindness, love, and hatred we see today. If you're so inclined, it's well worth taking the time to read.