The Decameron of Boccaccio

Not Stated: Privately Published , c1922. Leather. Very Good. 8" by 5.5". None. A bright, clean privately printed edition of The Decameron by Boccaccio. Bound in half leather and marbled paper-covered boards, with gilt lettering and spine decoration. It is possible that this edition is from the text of the 1922 Navarre Society edition, that was originally in two volumes. This edition was translated by James McMullen Rigg. The Decameron is a collection of 100 novellas, probably begun in 1350 and finished in 1353. It is a medieval allegorical work best known for its bawdy tales of love, appearing in all its possibilities from the erotic to the tragic. Some believe many parts of the tales are indebted to the influence of The Book of Good Love. Many notable writers such as Chaucer are said to have drawn inspiration from The Decameron. Giovanni Boccaccio, 1313 – 1375, was an Italian author and poet, a friend, student, and correspondent of Petrarch, an important Renaissance humanist and the author of a number of notable works including the Decameron, On Famous Women, and his poetry in the Italian vernacular. Boccaccio is particularly notable for his dialogue, of which it has been said that it surpasses in verisimilitude that of just about all of his contemporaries, since they were medieval writers and often followed formulaic models for character and plot. Bound in half leather and marbled paper-covered boards, with gilt lettering and spine decoration. There is slight wear to the extremities, including slight discolouration. The binding is tight and firm. Internally the pages are generally clean and bright. Very Good