The Heptameron of the Tales of Margaret, Queen of Navarre, Volume 3


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THE HEPTAMERON (here Volume 3 of 5), first published posthumously in 1558, is divided into seven complete days containing 10 stories each, and an eighth day containing only 2 stories. The stories, many of which deal with love and infidelity, resulted in "accusations of looseness" by critics of the day. The author, Margaret of Navarre (also known as Margaret of Angoulême) became an influential woman in the intellectual and cultural circles of the French Renaissance.

From an 1892 essay by the translator George Saintsbury: "In so large a number of stories with so great a variety of subjects, it naturally cannot but be the case that there is a considerable diversity of tone. But that peculiarity at which we have glanced more than once, the combination of voluptuous passion with passionate regret and a mystical devotion, is seldom absent for long together...The question, What is the special virtue of the Heptameron? I have myself little hesitation in answering. There is no book, in prose and of so early a date, which shows to me the characteristic of the time as it influenced the two great literary nations of Europe so distinctly as this book of Margaret of Angoulême…" - Summary by Summary adapted from Wikipedia and excerpted from the text by lubee930) (3 hr 58 min)

Chapters

Second Day, Tale XIX 19:12 Read by Mary J
Second Day, Tale XX 9:54 Read by Lynne T
Third Day, Tale XXI, Part 1 19:31 Read by Mary J
Third Day, Tale XXI, Part 2 16:32 Read by Mary J
Third Day, Tale XXII 20:49 Read by Mary J
Third Day, Tale XXIII 14:03 Read by Mary J
Third Day, Tale XXIV 19:04 Read by KHand
Third Day, Tale XXV 10:01 Read by KHand
Third Day, Tale XXVI, Part 1 18:20 Read by Leonard Wilson (1930-2024)
Third Day, Tale XXVI, Part 2 24:48 Read by Leonard Wilson (1930-2024)
Third Day, Tale XXVII 4:06 Read by Mary J
Third Day, Tale XXVIII 7:19 Read by Anna Simon
Third Day, Tale XXIX 4:35 Read by KHand
Third Day, Tale XXX 18:45 Read by Leonard Wilson (1930-2024)
Appendix A 6:11 Read by Lynne T
Appendix B 13:44 Read by Lynne T
Appendix C 4:39 Read by Lynne T
Appendix D 6:31 Read by Lynne T