The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio : complete and unexpurgated
by Richard Aldington, Rockwell Kent
Narrated by Terry Jones, John Finnemore, Samuel Barnett, Colin McFarlane, Tim McInnerny, Neil Pearson, Louise Brealey, Paul Ritter, Tameka Empson, Full Cast
Why Listen to This Audiobook?
When Terry Jones and Tim McInnerny show up to narrate a medieval plague comedy, Boccaccio stops feeling like homework.
- Great if you want: wickedly funny medieval tales with a Monty Python energy
- Listening experience: brisk and theatrical — sketchy fun, not a slow sit
- Narration: ensemble cast leans hard into the bawdy, comedic register
- Skip if: you want scholarly depth — 2h 22m covers 100 tales fast
Listen to The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio : complete and unexpurgated on Audible →
About This Audiobook
Seven young women and three men flee plague-ravaged Florence in 1348, seeking refuge in a countryside villa where they pass ten days telling stories to entertain themselves during humanity's darkest hour. Giovanni Boccaccio's medieval masterpiece unfolds through one hundred tales that range from ribald comedies to tragic romances, sharp-witted satires to moral allegories. These characters from all walks of life navigate love, deception, fortune, and folly in stories that reveal both the basest and most noble aspects of human nature. The frame narrative creates an intimate theater where each storyteller brings their own perspective to themes of survival, desire, and the eternal struggle between virtue and vice.
The stellar ensemble cast breathes distinct life into each tale, with Terry Jones, John Finnemore, and their accomplished colleagues delivering performances that highlight both the humor and pathos embedded in Boccaccio's prose. The varied voices create a genuine sense of the storytelling circle, allowing listeners to distinguish between the frame narrators and the countless characters within their tales. Each performer captures the wit, sensuality, and moral complexity that makes this 14th-century collection timelessly engaging, while the audio format emphasizes the oral tradition from which these stories emerged, making the experience feel authentically communal and immediate.