Based on Machiavelli's own first-hand experience as an emissary of the Florentine Republic to the courts of Europe, 'The Prince' analyses the usually violent ways by which men seize, retain and lose political power.
Peter Bondanella Books
Peter Bondanella was a distinguished professor specializing in Italian literature, comparative literature, and film studies. His work delved into a profound understanding of Italian culture and arts, with a particular emphasis on cinema. He left a significant legacy in academia.
This book offers an in-depth exploration of Umberto Eco's theories and literary works, providing the first extensive analysis in English. It delves into Eco's unique blend of semiotics, philosophy, and narrative techniques, highlighting his contributions to literature and cultural criticism. Through a detailed examination, readers will gain insights into Eco's intellectual legacy and the intricate connections between his theoretical ideas and fictional narratives.
A biography of Federico Fellini that shows how his exuberant imagination has been shaped by popular culture, literature, and his encounter with the ideas of C G Jung, especially Jungian dream interpretation. It links his mature accomplishments to his first employment as a cartoonist, gagman, and sketch-artist during the Fascist era.
The Decameron
- 698 pages
- 25 hours of reading
The Decameron (c.1351) was written in the wake of the Black Death, a shattering epidemic which had shaken Florence's confident entrepreneurial society to its core. n a country villa outside the city, ten young noble men and women who have escaped the plague decide to tell each other stories. Boccaccio's skill as a dramatist is masterfully displayed in this virtuoso performance of one hundred tales, vivid portraits of people from all stations in life, with plots which revel in a bewildering variety of human reactions. Themes are playfully restated from one story to another within an elegant and refined framework. One of Chaucer's most fruitful sources for the Canterbury Tales, Boccaccio's work artfully combines the essential ingredients of narrative: fate and desire, crises and quick-thinking. This new translation by Guido Waldman captures the exuberance and variety and tone of Boccaccio's masterpiece.
