Boccaccio

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 73K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Boccaccio by Hermann HesseAuthor: ,Language: German, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Feb 26, 2013

Editor's review

This German-language text titled Boccaccio, attributed to Hermann Hesse, comes from Project Gutenberg's public-domain e-book collection. It is not a translation of Boccaccio's works, nor a comprehensive biography of the author, but rather closer to Hesse's critical commentary on Boccaccio the man and his works, marked by clear literary appreciation and personal reading interests. For readers who have already read the Decameron and wish to understand how the German-speaking world received Boccaccio, this material offers a short but well-angled entry point; for those studying Hesse's essays and critical writing, it also reveals his side as a reader and critic. The original is in German and limited in length; it is best used as supplementary material for focused reading rather than a foundational work for Boccaccio studies. When reading, one should distinguish Hesse's commentary from Boccaccio's text itself.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have already read the Decameron and wish to learn how later writers commented on Boccaccio
German-reading readers studying Hesse's essays and literary criticism who wish to supplement his critical writings
Readers interested in the reception history of German literature and the spread of Italian literature in the German-speaking world
Literary enthusiasts who can read German and enjoy short critical essays on writers

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a Chinese translation of Boccaccio's works or a guide to the Decameron
Researchers needing systematic, detailed biographical material on Boccaccio
General readers without German reading ability and without a parallel translation

Reading tips

Read several selections from the Decameron first, then read Hesse's commentary and compare differences in focus.
Read the text as Hesse's reading essay, noting his standards of appreciation and diction.
While reading, jot down Hesse's specific judgments on Boccaccio and test them against other criticism.
If studying Hesse, place it alongside his other critical writings to observe his consistent literary tastes.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a biography of Boccaccio or a collection of his works?

Neither. It is a German-language critical text attributed to Hermann Hesse, discussing Boccaccio the man and his works, and it is limited in length. It does not provide a complete chronological biography, nor does it include translations of Boccaccio's works; readers should not use it as a biography or an anthology.

Can I read this book without knowing German?

The original is in German, and direct reading requires German ability. Without German, one may first read Chinese translations of Boccaccio's works and of Hesse's works to grasp the basic background; this book is better suited as supplementary material for German-reading readers or researchers than as an introductory text.

Do I need to read the Decameron before reading this book?

It is advisable to read some selections from the Decameron first. Hesse's commentary takes Boccaccio's works as its object; without any knowledge of the original, the specific judgments and points of appreciation in the commentary are hard to grasp. Reading the original first and then the commentary makes Hesse's angles of attention and choices clearer.

Comments

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