Listen free for 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Decameron cover art

The Decameron

Written by: Giovanni Boccaccio
Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Gunnar Cauthery, Alison Pettitt, Daisy Badger, Carly Bawden, Lucy Briggs-Owen, full cast
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $52.62

Buy Now for $52.62

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

The Decameron is one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages. Ten young people have fled the terrible effects of the Black Death in Florence and, in an idyllic setting, tell a series of brilliant stories, by turns humorous, bawdy, tragic and provocative. This celebration of physical and sexual vitality is Boccaccio's answer to the sublime other-worldliness of Dante's Divine Comedy.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2008 Oxford University Press (Translation) (P)2017 Naxos AudioBooks

What listeners say about The Decameron

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Jen
  • 2021-04-15

I love this book. Seriously recommend.

I listen to this book all the time. I love all the lil bits because I can come and go from my speaker and catch up quickly.
And the stories!!!!
So funny, sad, raunchy.... just great. Love this book. Very well acted out. I ffwd the singing, but that's just me lol. I'd rather they 'read' that part like a poem, but eh...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Short story paradise

Here are 100 stories beautifully read by a fine cast. They are particularly apropos in this time of coronavirus.

The sharp divide between classes (beautiful princesses, handsome princes, oafish working classes) can be jarring. The glory of Christianity as opposed to other religions can also jar, although the Grand Poohbahs of Christianity, from the pope on down, get a good lambasting. Some of the morality is questionable too, with clever lovers lauded for outwitting their thick spouses. But, hey, it’s plague time — make hay while the sun shines.

Seven beautiful women and three handsome dudes from the upper classes manage to snag a couple of top-notch mansions outside of Florence, fully furnished with servants, food, wine, etc. Thousands of people are dying of the plague in Florence, but these twenty-somethings get to wine, dine and play music at their leisure against a pastoral background. And, oh yes, they each tell a story a day. That’s 100 stories over two weeks with time off on the weekend. It’s fun and the stories are not long. They are perfect listening for (say) a half-hour trip to work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!