The Decameron (circa 1351) was written in the aftermath of the plague, a devastating epidemic that shook the self-assured entrepreneurial society of Florence to its core. In a country villa outside the city, ten young nobles who have escaped the disease decide to tell each other stories. Boccaccio's talent as a dramatist is masterfully showcased in this virtuoso presentation of one hundred tales, vibrant portraits of people from all walks of life, with actions that revel in a bewildering variety of human responses. Themes are playfully reinterpreted from one story to another within an elegant and sophisticated framework. One of the richest sources for Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Boccaccio's work artfully combines the essential ingredients of storytelling: fate and desire, crises and quick thinking. This new translation by Guido Waldman captures the exuberance, diversity, and tone of Boccaccio's masterpiece. About the series: For over 100 years, Oxford World's Classics has offered the largest selection of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarly rigor and provides the most accurate text along with a wealth of additional valuable features, including expert introductions by leading scholars, helpful notes for clarifying the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.