Overview

The Decameron is a hundred-story collection set outside Florence during the plague of 1348. Seven women and three men leave the city, make a small world of their own, and take turns telling tales. The result is funny, sharp, restless, and much less solemn than its famous opening suggests.

Each day gives the stories a loose theme, but the book’s real pleasure is its range. You get merchants, tricksters, stubborn lovers, bad priests, lucky fools, and people who talk their way out of trouble. A tale can turn on one quick lie, one risky plan, or one piece of bad luck.

The size and the older translation can make it feel demanding. John Payne’s version has rich but Victorian prose, and some stories are openly adult. Read it in small runs rather than racing straight through. The frame makes every return to the villa feel like a breath between adventures.

Is This Book for You?

Yes, if...

You like linked story collections with a lively cast and a strong frame around them.
You want medieval Italy with sharp jokes, bad bargains, and sudden reversals.
You can enjoy a long book by reading a few tales at a time.

No, if...

You want one hero and one plot that keeps moving in a straight line.
You prefer a book with mild content and few adult situations.
You need modern, plainspoken prose with no notes or translation choices to weigh.

Summary

The book opens during the plague in Florence in 1348. Seven women and three men leave the city for a country villa. They choose a ruler for each day, then tell stories on a set theme. Over ten days, the group produces one hundred tales.

The tales move through tricks, lucky escapes, bargains, foolish pride, love, trade, and religious hypocrisy. Most stand alone. Andreuccio learns hard lessons in Naples, Federigo gives up what matters most for love, and many clever people win by speaking or acting fast.

On the last day, the company hears the story of Griselda, whose husband tests her obedience with shocking cruelty before restoring her place. When the tenth day ends, the group returns to Florence. Boccaccio then closes by addressing women readers and argues that they can choose what suits them from the collection.

Notable Quotables

“Do as we say and not as we do” — translation: John Payne

“God and the truth will take up arms for me.” — translation: John Payne

“Bear it with patience, for that which could not be to-night shall be another time.” — translation: John Payne

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