Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
", an inexhaustibly rich late-medieval feast of narrative cunning, bawdy humor, and sly wit, is a celebration of the sheer pleasure of being alive...With gusto and energy, Wayne Rebhorn has risen to the daunting task of translating this great work into lively, contemporary, American-inflected English." Stephen Greenblatt, Harvard University, author of The Swerve
Review
"Wayne A. Rebhorn deserves our gratitude for an eminently persuasive translation of Boccaccio's collection of tales...I celebrate his accomplishment." Edith Grossman, translator of Don Quixote
Review
"A lively, readable translation of the greatest short story collection of all time. The laugh-out-loud quality of Boccaccio's delicious vernacular is admirably preserved." Leonard Barkan, Princeton University
Review
"This superb, powerful, beautifully crafted, and indeed definitive translation of introduces readers anew to the sparkling and colorful writing of a pre-Renaissance Italian master." Valeria Finucci, Duke University
Review
"Ser Cepparello, Andreuccio, and Calandrino have never come across so well in English--Wayne Rebhorn's vibrant new translation makes Boccaccio's scoundrels and victims alike come back to life." Jane Tylus, New York University
Review
"Fluent and elegant . . . the achievement genuinely honours its original." Telegraph
Review
"A thoughtful piece of work... . This is the version [of ] I would recommend." Joan Acocella
Synopsis
"Rebhorn deserves our gratitude for an eminently persuasive translation. . . . I celebrate his accomplishment."--Edith Grossman
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. He lives in Austin, Texas.