The Heptameron
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
In the early 1500s five men and five women find themselves trapped by floods and compelled to take refuge in an abbey high in the Pyrenees. When told they must wait days for a bridge to be repaired, they are inspired - by recalling Boccaccio's Decameron - to pass the time in a cultured manner by each telling a story every day. The stories, however, soon degenerate into a verbal battle between the sexes, as the characters weave tales of corrupt friars, adulterous noblemen and deceitful wives. From the cynical Saffredent to the young idealist Dagoucin or the moderate Parlamente - believed to express De Navarre's own views - The Heptameron provides a fascinating insight into the minds and passions of the nobility of sixteenth century France. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:014044355X
ISBN13:9780140443554
Release Date:June 1984
Publisher:Penguin Classics
Length:544 Pages
Weight:0.79 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 5.1" x 7.7"
Age Range:18 years and up
Grade Range:Postsecondary and higher
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
A Window on the 16th Century - and History in General
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Marguerite de Navarre's Heptameron is a collection of seventy amusing stories which constitute a revealing "window" on the literate minority of the 16th century. Their principal focus is how men and women treat each other, not only then but perhaps always. The stories also provide other kinds of insights: e.g., the idea of predestined salvation or damnation was "in the air" intellectually before John Calvin's "Institutes." So it was formulated most effectively, but not originated, by Calvin. This fits a pattern of Western history: attributing developments to individuals, sort of a Most Valuable Player, individualistic version of history. For example, Gutenberg is said to have single-handedly "invented" moveable type, and Darwin to have discovered evolution, when these developments were hardly unique to them. As for Marguerite - or the storytellers for whom she is given credit of authorship - the stories are mainly fun.
Decameron Lite
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
This is an amusing "companion" to the Decameron - though shorter. While I have read both, if you only read one, I would recommend the Decameron. It has more depth and is better written. If you like it and want more that's in a similar vein, then read this. Neither are heavy reads and both have an interesting group of participants (they aren't really characters) who tell stories for their own daily amusement. This is another book I read in installments while reading other more plot driven books.
70-odd stories fashioned after Boccaccio's Decameron
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Anyone interested in gender studies, especially wishing to understand the sexual relationships between spouses and lovers, the perceptions of what is acceptable, what is "masculine" or "feminine," would not only enjoy the reading, but gain some insight on Renaissance French culture. Along with the Decameron, Faerie Queene, Shakespeare's plays, and Orlando Furioso, this text is a necessary one for understanding the society at court during the Renaissance in Europe.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
