Written in the aftermath of the Black Death, Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron is one of the foundational works of Western fiction. Ten young Florentines sheltering from plague in a country villa tell one hundred tales over ten days — stories of love and lust, cleverness and foolishness, tragedy and broad comedy.
Boccaccio’s influence on Chaucer, Shakespeare, and the entire tradition of European narrative is immeasurable. Download the free EPUB and read the work that helped invent the short story.