Decameron

Author: Wang Lin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Reading The Decameron is like appreciating a "River Scene at Clearing Morning" of urban life during the Italian Renaissance, brimming with the rich atmosphere of civilian life. The main theme of the novel is to criticize asceticism, celebrate love, and affirm human natural desires. Its material not only comes from the urban society of Italy but also includes legends from the Middle Ages and certain stories from Eastern literature as sources for Boccaccio's storytelling. The characters in the story almost encompass all walks of life from the society at that time, truly a stage where one performs after another, enacting a series of delightful and engaging dramas, both joyful and sorrowful.