In this Very Short Introduction to Italian Literature, Peter Hainsworth and David Robey examine Italian literature from the Middle Ages up to the present day, looking at themes and issues which have recurred throughout its history and continue to be of importance today.
Bawdy tales of pimps, cuckolds, lovers and clever women from the fourteenth-century Florentine masterpiece The Decameron.
The book features forty-five illustrations by John Dickson Batten, showcasing his remarkable artistic talent in depicting scenes from Dante's Inferno. Commissioned in the 1890s for George Musgrave's unique translation, these illustrations were largely forgotten until now. This volume celebrates the 700th anniversary of Dante's death, aiming to reintroduce Batten's imaginative work to a wider audience, allowing readers to appreciate the striking visual interpretations of Dante's epic poem that were once displayed in Oxford's Lady Margaret Hall.
This Very Short Introduction examines all the major aspects of Dante's work, emphasizing the features that have made him such an important point of reference for modern writers and their readers. Exploring and explaining The Divine Comedy, they also discuss his life and poetry as well as issues of truth, humanity, politics, and religion.