Welcome to Litsy!

I haven‘t been super festive the last couple of days for #wintergames because grad school reading has been dragging me away, but I have finally finished going through this long Italian poem in parallel translation for my paper! It‘s a lot of readathon hours for sure, and super relevant for my essay, so I can‘t complain too much.

#snowangels

Recent acquisitions:

📖 Chaucer: Sources and Backgrounds edited by Robert P. Miller
📖 Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, edited by Sarah E. Maier [ I collect editions of Tess - this is my 27th ]

#UniteAgainstBookBans #fREADom

This is a weird thing, but the scholars like it. One chapter on the European world of Boccaccio (which is great fun). One chapter on his life. Then one chapter on every work, most of which don‘t have decent translations. He summarizes the work, then provides commentary. These chapters are just barely readable, but also really helpful to get a sense of the extent and variety of very original (but mostly not very good) stuff Boccaccio wrote.

#OnThisDay in 1497 supporters of Dominican friar Girolamo Savonorola held the Bonfire of the Vanities in Florence. Thousands of objects were burned including cosmetics, art, sheet music, and books. Because, of course, culture and ideas are dangerous. Especially secular ones. Books by Renaissance humanist Boccaccio (The Decameron) were among the objects thrown to the fire. #HistoryGetsLIT

Ok, seriously, that‘s your author photo?

Also in this book are two light random references to Nazi Germany. How one historical figure is the subject of Hitler‘s favorite opera (by Wagner!); and he uses the term “Drang nach Westen” - which a play on a German nationalist term. So am I reading a quiet angry nazi? Chapter 1 is entertaining, if dated. It‘s a summary of the 14th century. Also there aren‘t many options on the life of Boccaccio.

Image is from a 1414 illustrated manuscript.

A random library find, and curiosity. This is a translation of a 1335-ish epic poem, considered Chaucer‘s main source of his Troilus and Criseyde. The poetry is translated as prose, which is odd, but made for quick reading. It has its moments, and a vivid sex scene, but felt a little plot heavy and slow, with extended bits on really really desperate love/lust pangs and tears.

Ok, when was the Toyota Cressida considered a luxury car? (This introduction is from 1986)

My first library book since Covid. And it‘s entertaining so far. (My pup isn‘t impressed, though.)

Well...that March to July of the following year timeline is looking eerily familiar...😳😱 First part of the Decameron explaining life during the bubonic plague in Florence.

This seemed fitting for the current times. Wish I could be stuck in the Italian countryside telling stories with my friends