In the summer of 1348, as the Black Death ravages their city, ten young Florentines take refuge in the countryside... Taken from the Greek, meaning 'ten-day event', Boccaccio's Decameron sees his characters amuse themselves by each telling a story a day, for the ten days of their confinement - a hundred stories of love and adventure, life and death, and surprising twists of fate. Less preoccupied with abstract concepts of morality or religion than earthly values, the tales range from the bawdy Peronella, hiding her lover in a tub, to Ser Cepperallo, who, despite his unholy effrontery, becomes a Saint. The result is a towering monument of European literature and a masterpiece of imaginative narrative that has inspired writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare . Translated with an introduction by G.H. McWilliam 'McWilliam's finest work, his translation of Boccaccio's Decameron remains one of the most successful and lauded books in the series' The Times

'Vita Nuova' is the first of Dante's major writings. It is a supreme work of love; the 31 poems are linked by a lyrical prose narrative poem celebrating and debating the subject of love. This is a new translation of his most profound creation.

Italy possesses one of the richest and most influential literatures of Europe, stretching back to the thirteenth century. This substantial history of Italian literature provides a comprehensive survey of Italian writing since its earliest origins. Leading scholars describe and assess the work of writers who have contributed to the Italian literary tradition, including Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio, the Renaissance humanists, Machiavelli, Ariosto and Tasso, pioneers and practitioners of commedia dell'arte and opera, and the contemporary novelists Calvino and Eco. The Cambridge History of Italian Literature sets out to be accessible to the general reader as well as to students and scholars: translations are provided, along with a map, chronological chart and substantial bibliographies.

Durling's edition of Petrarch's poems has become the standard. Readers have praised the translation of the authoritative text as graceful and accurate, conveying a real understanding of what this difficult poet is saying. The literalness of the prose translation makes this book especially useful to students who lack a full command of Italian.

Exciting tale about the naughty puppet that turns into a loving and obedient little boy after a series of harrowing experiences. 30 new illustrations. Abridged.

Heartfelt, affecting, and wise, the essay collection The Road to San Giovanni offers Italo Calvino's reflections on his own life and work in five elegant memory exercises.

A groundbreaking work of intellectual history, The Lost Italian Renaissance uncovers a priceless intellectual legacy suggests provocative new avenues of research.

This book, first published in 1996, is a translation of a fascinating work by one of the world's great poets.

Pasolini was a controversial film-maker, poet and essayist, best known for his films narrating myths, such as Oedipus Rex, Medea, Theorem, The Canterbury Tales, The Decameron and A Thousand and One Arabian Knights. This book is a personal account of Pier Paolo Pasolini's cinema and literature, written by the author of Antonioni and Rocco and his Brothers.