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The Decameron
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The Decameron
$3199
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
“Rebhorn deserves our gratitude for an eminently persuasive translation...I celebrate his accomplishment.”—Edith Grossman
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
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. 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, described by one critic as "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) while retaining the distinctly medieval flavour 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.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio is lauded as a vibrant and rich depiction of life in the late medieval period, described as a celebration of the joy of living. Its new translation by Rebhorn receives praise for its fluidity and elegance, with the introduction and notes being highly commended for honouring the work's original essence.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780393350265
Publisher: WW Norton & Co
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 25 January 2015
Country: United States
Imprint: WW Norton & Co
Contributors:
- Translated by Wayne A. Rebhorn
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 43.0mm
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 208.0mm
Weight: 745g
Pages: 1024
About the Author
Wayne A. Rebhorn is the Celanese Centennial Professor of English at the University of Texas, where he teaches English, Italian, and comparative literature. His translation of Boccaccio’s Decameron won the 2014 PEN Center USA’s Literary Award for Translation.
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