The Heptameron and Its Sources

About the Book

No artist creates in a vacuum, and Marguerite is no exception. Drawing inspiration from two Italian works—Boccaccio’s Decameron and Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier—Marguerite nevertheless produces a compelling and original text, examined here from both the point of view of content and style.

About the Author

The author, whose specialty is early French Literature, has devoted much of his writing to this important sixteenth-century writer. The literary biography, “Marguerite de Navarre: Mother of the Renaissance” (Columbia University Press, 2006) has received enthusiastic reviews, variously called “gripping. . . well-written. . . engrossing. . . and a welcome addition.” See too as companion pieces: “Marguerite de Navarre: Selected Writings (2008),” and “Marguerite de Navarre: A Literary Queen” (2016).