The Heptameron (Penguin Classics)
Although its authorship has never been conclusively proven,The Heptameronis generally accepted as the work of Marguerite de Navarre, Queen of Navarre and the sister of Francois I.The Heptameron, which has parallels to both Chaucer'sCanterbury Talesand Boccaccio'sDecameron, presents a collection of some seventy very short stories told by five gentleman and five lady travellers who find themselves stranded in an abbey. Proposed as an edifying method of passing time, the story-telling - as well as the conversations that follow each one - rapidly (d)evolves into an all-out verbal battle between the sexes. Most often the tales concern lovers, romantic conquests, and women's virtue - an object of intense pride and considerable power, or a prize of questionable/infinite value, depending upon the point of view. The stories include intimate details of adultery, flattery, betrayal, rape, and war; their very boldness and honesty may surprise many twentieth-century readers. The author declares that these stories actually were told by a group at the court of Francois I; the tellers testify to the veracity of their individual tales, and scholars have substantiated the claims for as many as twenty of the stories. Fictional or true,The Heptameronprovides a rare and fascinating glimpse into the sixteenth century. Alternately bawdy, violent, chaste, funny, scatological, and sad, The Heptameron is a book to delight, offend, and educate twentieth-century readers.-- For great reviews of books for girls, check outLet's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. --From500 Great Books by Women; review by Erica Bauermeister