A Story of Ravenna (Unabridged) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Medieval Italian Tale of Courtly Love, Rejected Desire, and Supernatural JudgmentBy Giovanni Boccaccio
Length2h 1m
About this audiobook
A Story of Ravenna (Unabridged) presents one of Giovanni Boccaccio's most haunting narratives of love, cruelty, and moral spectacle, set amid the aristocratic spaces and pinewoods of Ravenna. In lucid, economical prose, Boccaccio blends courtly romance with supernatural exemplum: rejected desire, social negotiation, and visionary punishment become part of a tale at once entertaining and ethically unsettling. Its style reflects the Decameron's larger literary context, where medieval didactic traditions meet the emerging realism, irony, and psychological curiosity of early Italian humanism. Boccaccio (1313–1375), Florentine by culture though born into a mercantile world, wrote from intimate knowledge of urban society, courtly manners, and classical literature. His experiences in Naples, his engagement with vernacular storytelling, and his friendship with Petrarch shaped a writer attentive to both human passion and literary form. Such influences help explain the tale's fusion of learned structure, worldly observation, and dramatic narrative design. This unabridged story is recommended to readers interested in medieval literature, Gothic atmosphere before the Gothic, and the origins of modern short fiction. It offers a compact but powerful example of Boccaccio's art: elegant, disturbing, socially perceptive, and enduringly readable.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics, Romance
Length2 hrs 1 min
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 29, 2013
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
6A Story of Ravenna (Unabridged)
2Introduction
7Analysis
3Synopsis
8Reflection
4Historical Context
9Memorable Quotes
5Author Biography
More from Giovanni Boccaccio
The Earliest Lives of DanteGiovanni Boccaccio, Leonardo Bruni, Filippo Villani3h 9m$1 · $0.00
The Decameron (Day 6 to Day 10)Giovanni Boccaccio16h$2 · $0.00
The Decameron: The Original English Translation by John FlorioGiovanni Boccaccio38h 32m$1 · $0.00
La FiammettaGiovanni Boccaccio1h 23m$2 · $0.00
Traicté tresplaisant et recreatif de l'amour parfaicte de Guisgardus et SigismundeGiovanni Boccaccio1h 3m$1 · $0.00
The Decameron: Collector's Edition: 3 Different Translations by John Payne, John Florio & J.M. RiggGiovanni Boccaccio97h 3m$1 · $0.00
The Decameron (Day 6 to Day 10)Giovanni Boccaccio14h 43m$1 · $0.00
The Decameron of Giovanni BoccaccioGiovanni Boccaccio23h 29m$1 · $0.00
THE DECAMERONGiovanni Boccaccio31h 31m$1 · $0.00
The Decameron: Collector's Edition: 3 Different Translations by John Payne, John Florio & J.M. RiggGiovanni Boccaccio97h 4m$1 · $0.00
The Decameron: The Popular Translation of J.M. RiggGiovanni Boccaccio29h 44m$2 · $0.00
THE DECAMERONGiovanni Boccaccio33h 2m$1 · $0.00
The DecameronGiovanni Boccaccio37h 4m$1 · $0.00
Das DekameronGiovanni Boccaccio8h 52m$2 · $0.00
DekameronGiovanni Boccaccio1h 19m$14 · $0.00
Giovanni Boccaccio: Erotische MeisterwerkeGiovanni Boccaccio5h 7m$18 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Novels, Short Stories and Autobiographical WritingsFyodor Dostoyevsky270h 59m$2 · $0.00
The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America (Annotated)Howard Irving Chapelle, Tappan Adney13h 10m$2 · $0.00
Charles Dickens: Complete Works (Annotated)Charles Dickens819h 4m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Jane Austen & Brontë Sisters (Annotated)Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë203h 52m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works: Charlotte, Emily, Anne, Patrick & Branwell BrontëCharlotte Brontë, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë138h 12m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare108h 44m$1.80 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Annotated)Oscar Wilde126h 19m$2 · $0.00
L. M. Montgomery – Premium Collection: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry & MemoirsLucy Maud Montgomery155h 1m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of the Brontë Family Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë140h 13m$2 · $0.00
MARK TWAIN: 12 Novels, 195 Short Stories, Autobiography, 10 Travel Books, 160+ Essays & Speeches (Illustrated)Mark Twain415h 9m5 (2)$2 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m$18 · $0.00
All NovelsGeorge Orwell53h 48m$10 · $0.00
The Complete Works of TolstoyLeo Tolstoy412h 44m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Louisa May Alcott (Annotated)Louisa May Alcott226h 24m$2 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes series - completeArthur Conan54h 8m$3.50 · $0.00
The Fire Next TimeJames Baldwin2h 25m$15
The Count of Monte Cristo (With Original Illustrations)Alexandre Dumas54h$1 · $0.00
H. P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft50h 45m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Books of F. Scott Fitzgerald (all his 5 novels + all 4 short story collections published during his lifetime)F. Scott Fitzgerald87h 43m$1 · $0.00
Breath of HeavenDeborah Raney9h 11m$23
Desperate MeasuresBrenda Jackson8h 59m5 (1)$28 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged) (Annotated)Jane Austen90h 24m$2 · $0.00
Searching For ThanksgivingS.E. Smith4h 24m$20
The InheritanceBlair Howard6h 40m$23
The Dance with Me TrilogyShelley Shepard Gray21h 44m$35
The Search (Annotated)Grace Livingston Hill7h 29m$2 · $0.00
The Captivating WarriorCami Checketts, Daniel Banner4h 8m$15
Sniffing Out JusticeCarol J. Post6h 28m$12 · $0.00
TimberTate James15h 36m$23
The ReunionJana Deleon6h 31m$26 · $0.00
Long LostLexi Blake13h 12m$23
The Vineyard BrideKatie Winters5h 5m$15
Something Like LoveBeverly Jenkins10h 21m5 (1)$29 · $0.00
Wishes from the HeartSophie Mays4h 9m$15 · $0.00
Blizzard ShowdownShirlee McCoy5h 16m5 (1)$12 · $0.00
The Heart of CourageLynne Basham Tagawa10h 57m$20
Love Inspired Suspense October 2025 - Box Set 2 of 2Laura Scott, Carrie Stuart Parks, Jennifer Pierce17h 34m$35 · $0.00
Talia Hibbert's Brown Sisters Book SetTalia Hibbert31h 7m$53 · $0.00
To Hold and ProtectSandra Owens7h 59m$8 · $0.00
You may also like
The Greatest Works of Edith Wharton - 31 Books in One EditionEdith Wharton183h 32m$1 · $0.00
The White Witch of Rosehall (Summarized Edition)Herbert G. de Lisser3h 24m$2
The Love Affairs of Lord ByronFrancis Henry Gribble7h 52m$1 · $0.00
DomitiaS. Baring-Gould11h 9m$2 · $0.00
The power of sympathy: or, The triumph of nature. Founded in truthWilliam Hill Brown4h 49m$2 · $0.00
Weir of HermistonRobert Louis Stevenson5h 1m$2.30
The Scarlet LetterNathaniel Hawthorne9h 10m$3.50 · $0.00
Japanese GothicKylie Lee Baker10h 20m4.2 (4)$29 · $0.00
Ivan Greet's MasterpieceGrant Allen11h 28m$2 · $0.00
CamilleAlexandre Dumas fils8h 36m$2 · $0.00
Wuthering HeightsEmily Brontë7h 41m$23
AthalieRobert W. Chambers7h 56m$2 · $0.00
Johnny Ludlow, Fourth SeriesHenry Mrs. Wood14h 42m$2 · $0.00
Tess of the D’UrbervillesThomas Hardy14h 15m$23
Antonina: Or, The Fall of RomeWilkie Collins18h 33m$2.30
Plain Tales from the HillsRudyard Kipling7h 41m$2.30
GOTHIC HORRORS - Bowen's Greatest Occult & Supernatural Tales (Annotated)Marjorie Bowen21h 12m$2 · $0.00
Jennie GerhardtTheodore Dreiser13h 19m$20
BelshazzarH. Rider Haggard10h 31m$2.30
Wuthering HeightsEmily Brontë10h 38m$6 · $0.00