Queen of Navarre Margaret

Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. I Queen of Navarre Margaret

The Heptameron (generally accepted to be the work of Marguerite de Navarre, Queen of Navarre and the sister of Francois I), like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Boccaccio's Decameron, is a collection of tales told by characters -- in this case, five gentlemen and five ladies stranded in abbey. The storytelling soon devolves into a verbal battle between the sexes, as the tales concern lovers, romantic conquests, and women's virtue -- objects of pride and power. The Heptameron is a book to delight, offend, and educate twentieth-century readers. Highly recommended.