What I'm Reading Now

 I just finished the Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio this morning, a pretty hefty read of some 900 pages, so I thought I would share what I am reading right now.

Apart from a couple of excessively long and turgid stories, this is more entertaining and an easier read than one would think. For me it plugs a rather large gap in my reading as (apart from Dante) I have read virtually nothing from the 14th century. I wish I had read it when I was twenty as it would have been quite helpful.

I purchased this a few years ago, but never got around to reading it. Now I am doing so with great pleasure and learning things like the difference between the madrigal style of Ferrara and Mantua. The late 16th century madrigal is one of the great repertories of the world and should be better known. Alongside the book I am enjoying listening my way through this fifteen CD collection:

Excellent performances with all-male singers and extensive use of instruments.

This novel by Thomas Mann, while lengthy, is a fairly easy read and a profound exploration of the fortunes of a German family in the 19th century. The Everyman printing, manufactured in Germany, is of superb quality.

I just started this one this morning and again, the quality of the printing, binding and editorial matter is excellent.

I started this serious reading project a couple of years ago in an effort to substitute quality reading for the junk one finds on the internet every morning. In the beginning I sought out challenging recent experimental fiction, critical commentary on the arts and poetry. But now I find I have gravitated to longstanding literary classics.