Books that Matter: The Decameron
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Narrated by:
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Kristina Olson
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By:
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Kristina Olson
About this listen
A deadly plague ravages the land; so, a small band of people flee to the country. There, in relative seclusion and safety, they entertain one another with vivid stories that reimagine life and its possible and impossible outcomes. Sounds like a story from today? Think again. It was actually written more than 600 years ago, in a time and place so different - yet so similar - to ours.
A classic of medieval Italian literature, Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron still matters for us today. And Boccaccio scholar Kristina Olson reveals why in the 10 lectures of Books that Matter: The Decameron. Here, you’ll listen between the lines of stories that range from hopeful and spiritual to cynical and bawdy. You’ll hear words turn a sinner into a saint, brutes made noble through the power of love, and riches rediscovered on the open seas. You’ll find love in disguise, greed transformed into generosity, and danger staved off with wit. You’ll meet women who rewrite the laws of pleasure and tyrants who suffer in silence.
True, the times in which we live are vastly different from Boccaccio’s. Yet by connecting our own experiences with the stories told by this medieval band, you’ll learn why the Decameron is proof positive that, by listening to the past, we can give voice to the present.
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Clark Griswold was onto something...at least with his annual holiday meltdown. And since the last three weeks of my life have been riddled with humbug—another breakup, a broken toe, an office promotion I deserved and didn’t get—I’m not at all in the mood to celebrate nor have the happ, happ, happiest Christmas EVER.
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Gaslighting and games
- By FMC on 12-22-22
By: Kate Stewart
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He's Gone
- By: Rebecca Collomosse
- Narrated by: Victoria Blunt, Cicely Whitehead, Joe Eyre
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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My fiancé brought me tea and scrambled eggs in bed that morning, and we snuggled together, talking about buying our rings, and about our perfect wedding next year. Then we headed into town. He held my hand and gazed at the ring I liked best, a smile spreading slowly over his face. Then a glass of bubbly to celebrate. I felt flushed, excited and ready for the rest of my life with the man I loved. We race to get on the train home. It screams to a halt and I run towards its open doors. Made it. I think he’s right behind me — but when I turn around, he’s gone.
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Disappointing plot
- By TerriSweeta on 12-04-24
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The Answer Is No
- A Short Story
- By: Fredrik Backman, Elizabeth DeNoma - translator
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone? Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.
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Narrator doesn’t get Backman’s satire or rhythm
- By joey1603 on 12-01-24
By: Fredrik Backman, and others
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Starship Troopers
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids. Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job.
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The definitive version!
- By Kristopher G. Hesson on 10-03-24
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Dead Med
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso, Scott Merriman
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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When Heather McKinley dreamed of becoming a doctor, she imagined curing sick kids and sporting pink stethoscopes. She never anticipated the sleepless nights, grueling exams, and endless labs. And she certainly never knew that her medical school earned the nickname Dead Med thanks to the tragic history of students overdosing on illegal drugs. But Heather would never consider doing anything like that. That is, until her longtime boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself failing anatomy, and her world starts to crumble.
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Hmm
- By Morgan Meaux on 08-22-24
By: Freida McFadden
What listeners say about Books that Matter: The Decameron
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Christina
- 05-04-21
Great summary of themes and inquiries
Olson’s work is perceptive and relevant, exposing so much more of the meat on the bones of this seminal piece. I’ve studied The Decameron in college and have always enjoyed the depth of storytelling it offers, but because it’s steeped in a time and cultural so different from our own modernity, it is full of themes commenting on society that is left still a mystery to its true intention and meaning. Olson shows us the deep roots that gender, sexuality, and concepts of fortune and worthiness that help us understand the common fibers of where society was then, and the implications they have on our current and future world.
I appreciated that Olson unveiled theory of meaning alongside the open questions that will always remain. She both summarized the majority of the stories, the frame narrative, and helped to show the common threads leading to the deeper meaning. Her lively voice is engaging, and the ways she recalls previous themes is done with skill and amusement. I was thoroughly entertained and has kept me thinking days after.
One improvement would be having Olson read the full story as well. I would have loved reading it from her after this book.
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8 people found this helpful
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- JON VAN DE GRIFT
- 12-07-21
An Informative and entertaining introduction to a classic
This is an informative and entertaining guide to a classic which finds new relevance in the Covid era. The balance between detail and overview is perfect for a wide audience and provides many insights into the historical context of Boccaccio’s masterpiece and the universal appeal of these ageless stories on the human condition. Congratulations on bringing the diverse tapestry of the Fourteenth century to vivid life. We look forward to many more offerings in the Books That Matter series and from this author.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Bessie Mae
- 06-02-21
Very Enjoyable
I appreciated this introduction to The Decameron by an expert. She kept it accessible and lively. I especially liked the moments where the author drew connections and contrasts to our current pandemic conditions.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Alida Reyes
- 05-23-23
Incredible and rich
Love the connections this lecture makes broadly and in relation to the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sue G.
- 10-01-21
Surprisingly interesting
When I started listening I had never heard of the Decameron. I was brought in by the title “Books that matter” and once I started listening and learned it was just about one specific book I considered quitting. I am glad I kept listening because the analysis was interesting and the narrator provided engaging summaries of the tales. If you enjoy literary analysis and learning about classic literature I would recommend listening to this.
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1 person found this helpful
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- bookishmama
- 08-05-21
Absolutely brilliant
I read The Decameron at the beginning of 2020 quarantine and loved it. This series elevated that important reading experience to the next level for me. The tone is accessible and entertaining, but her deep knowledge of the book, historical context, and original language is evident throughout. Insightful connections to the COVID pandemic. Mind blown.
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1 person found this helpful