What Is the Decameron?
The Decameron is a collection of one hundred novellas (short prose tales) written by the Florentine author Giovanni Boccaccio, composed roughly between 1348 and 1353. The word "Decameron" comes from the Greek for "ten days" — the fictional span over which the stories are told. It is one of the foundational works of Italian and European literature, an ancestor of the modern short story, and a remarkable window into medieval life and thought.
If you're approaching it for the first time, this guide will help you understand its structure, navigate its length, and get the most from the experience.
Understanding the Frame Story
Before you read any of the hundred tales, you need to understand the cornice — the frame narrative. Seven young women and three young men flee plague-stricken Florence to a series of country villas. To pass the time gracefully, they agree to tell stories: each person tells one story per day, for ten days. This gives you ten days × ten storytellers = one hundred tales.
The frame is not just a device — it's an argument. The organized, civilized storytelling of these ten young people is explicitly contrasted with the chaos and moral collapse happening in the city below. Pay attention to the brief narrative passages between tales: they reveal character, debate, and authorial commentary.
The Structure at a Glance
- Days 1–10: Each day has a theme (except Day 1, which is open, and Days when Dioneo tells freely)
- Day 2: Fortune — those who achieve happiness through hardship
- Day 3: Ingenuity — getting what you want through cleverness
- Day 4: Tragic love stories
- Day 5: Love stories with happy endings
- Day 6: Wit — saving the day with a well-chosen remark
- Day 7: Tricks played on husbands by their wives
- Day 10: Generosity and magnificence
Which Translation Should I Read?
Translation matters enormously with the Decameron. Here are the major English options and their characteristics:
| Translator | Style | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| G.H. McWilliam (Penguin) | Flowing, readable modern English | Most general readers |
| Wayne Rebhorn (Norton) | Scholarly, with extensive notes | Students and close readers |
| J.M. Rigg (1903) | Archaic, Victorian-inflected | Those who enjoy older English |
| Mark Musa & Peter Bondanella | Clear, accessible | Classroom use |
Do You Need to Read All One Hundred Tales?
Honestly — not necessarily, at least on a first read. Many scholars and enthusiasts recommend reading selectively the first time through, then returning to fill in the rest. A practical starter list:
- The Introduction (plague description) — essential
- Day 1, Novella 1 — Ser Ciappelletto, a masterpiece of irony
- Day 2, Novella 5 — Andreuccio of Perugia, an adventure story
- Day 4, Novella 1 — Tancredi and Ghismonda, the most moving tragedy
- Day 5, Novella 9 — Federigo's falcon, a perfect little story
- Day 6, all ten novellas — short, sharp, and quintessentially Boccaccio
- Day 10, Novella 10 — Griselda, the controversial finale
What to Watch For as You Read
Keep these questions in mind as you move through the tales:
- Who tells each story, and does their personality shape how the story is told?
- How does Boccaccio treat the Church and religious figures?
- Which characters are punished, and which escape punishment? What does that suggest?
- How are women portrayed — as agents, victims, or something more complicated?
The Decameron rewards attentive readers who treat it not just as entertainment but as a sustained literary and moral argument about human nature.