The DecameronThe Decameron
Score Classic
What it's about
Written in the wake of the Black Death around 1351, The Decameron collects one hundred stories told by ten young nobles who have fled plague-stricken Florence for a country villa. Bawdy, funny and wise, they portray people from every walk of life.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben World Library list of the 100 greatest books. It's one of the founding works of European prose fiction.
You'll love it if you liked
The Canterbury Tales
Don Quixote
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy GentlemanGood to know
The stories are short and can be read in any order. Choose a modern translation.
By the numbers
- Readers19 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller19 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #152 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #612 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2136 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
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Quick answers
Is The Decameron worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben World Library list of the 100 greatest books. It ranks #2,136 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Decameron about?
Written in the wake of the Black Death around 1351, The Decameron collects one hundred stories told by ten young nobles who have fled plague-stricken Florence for a country villa. Bawdy, funny and wise, they portray people from every walk of life.
How long does it take to read The Decameron?
About 38 hours (1503 pages), or about 11 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Decameron?
If you liked it, try The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes or The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy Gentleman by Laurence Sterne.