"Since the beginning of time, men have been subject to the whims of Fortune." In the summer of 1348, as the plague ravaged their city, ten young Florentines sought refuge in the countryside. To entertain themselves, they told a story each day during their ten-day stay—a total of one hundred tales of love, adventure, and unexpected twists. The stories focus less on abstract concepts of morality or religion and more on earthly values. They range from the bawdy Peronella, who hides her lover in a barrel, to Ser Cepperallo, who is canonized despite his blasphemous behavior. The result is a monumental work of European literature and a masterpiece of imaginative prose. This is the second edition of G.H. McWilliam's acclaimed translation of the Decameron. In his introduction, Professor McWilliam illuminates the world of Boccaccio and his narrators, presenting Boccaccio as a master of vivid and compelling fiction.