In the heart of plague-ravaged Florence, ten young people flee the city to take refuge in a lush countryside villa. To stave off boredom and despair, they tell each other stories. Thus begins The Decameron, a collection of one hundred tales where love, cunning, fortune, and wit intertwine, offering a fascinating mirror of human morals and passions. Through these narratives, Boccaccio paints a vibrant portrait of humanity , oscillating between tragedy and comedy, morality and satire. An ageless masterpiece , this text, though several centuries old, remains surprisingly relevant in its exploration of human behavior, emotions, and social interactions, still resonating powerfully with today's readers. This unabridged and annotated edition features the translation by John Payne, widely recognized as one of the most faithful to the original Italian text. Through his meticulous and respectful work, English-speaking readers can discover the full subtlety and linguistic richness of Boccaccio's text as it was written in the 14th century. Dive into this entertaining universe where each story is an invitation to reflect, smile, and marvel at the infinite nuances of the human condition. Extract: "A kindly thing it is to have compassion of the afflicted and albeit it well beseemeth every one, yet of those is it more particularly required who have erst had need of comfort and have found it in any, amongst whom, if ever any had need thereof or held it dear or took pleasure therein aforetimes, certes, I am one of these." "The Decameron is the masterpiece of Boccaccio." - John Addington Symonds, Renaissance in Italy: Italian Literature, London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1877, p. 319. "Boccaccio's work is, in a manner, the earliest specimen of the modern novel." - Henry James, "Boccaccio," The Nation, Vol. 16, No. 405, April 10, 1873, p. 247. "The Decameron is the first great realistic work in modern European literature." - Edward Hutton, Giovanni Boccaccio: A Biographical Study, London: John Lane, The Bodley Head, 1910, p. 156.