Decameron

Author: Boccaccio
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: World Classic Literature Series. In 1348, Italy was struck by a terrible plague, resulting in corpses scattered everywhere and ten out of every ten households being empty. Seven young ladies and three young gentlemen, fortunate enough to escape the ravages of the disease, made a pact to flee to a villa in the countryside for refuge. They stayed there for ten days, with each person telling a story every day, totaling one hundred stories, hence the name "Decameron." The Decameron is written with sharp wit and humorous satire. It raises the banner of opposition to asceticism, employing bold and spicy spirit and the techniques of ridicule and scorn, vividly depicting the struggles of young men and women in pursuit of love, exposing the sins of the Church and the hypocrisy of the feudal society, and affirming the value of real life.