The Decameron
Giovanni Boccaccio
📚 Genre
Classic Literature, Short Story Collection, Renaissance Humanism
🏢 Publisher
Franklin Library (The Greatest Books of the World Library)
📅 Publication Year
1979
🔢 ISBN
9781199341815 (associated with Franklin Library sets of this era)
About This Book
A 14th-century framing tale where ten young people fleeing the Black Death in Florence tell one hundred stories over ten days. The cover is a faux-leather or bonded leather dark brown binding featuring elaborate 22kt gold stamping in a diamond/harlequin trellis pattern with a central arabesque ornament. It features hubbed spines and silk moiré endpapers typical of Franklin Library's archival quality releases.
Book Details
Language
English (translated from the original Italian)
Pages
Approximately 700-800 pages
Edition
Limited Edition / Collector's Edition, Hardcover
Series
Part of 'The Greatest Books of the World' subscription series by Franklin Library
Target Audience
Adult, Literary Scholars, Book Collectors
Collector Information
Condition
Very Good to Like New. The gold gilding on the front board is crisp with no visible rubbing or loss. The leather grain appears matte and well-preserved.
Estimated Value
$25-$45
Rarity
Common. While these were marketed as 'limited' editions, they were mass-produced in the 1970s and 80s for a large subscriber base. They are widely available on the secondary market.
Historical Significance
One of the most important works of the Renaissance, it shifted literature toward humanism and realism. It served as a primary source for Shakespeare and Chaucer.
Collector Notes
Collectibility depends on the 'pristine' nature of the gilding. Buyers should check for 'foxing' on the page edges and ensure the silk ribbon hasn't bled onto the pages. Franklin Library closed in 2000, so these volumes are fixed in supply, but they generally hold steady value rather than appreciating significantly.
Similar Books
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Heptameron by Marguerite de Navarre, Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais
Notable Features
Gilded edges, 22kt gold accents, satin ribbon marker, acid-neutral paper, archival binding, and hubbed spine.