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Florence Stories
This stunning hardcover collection brings alive the magnificent Italian city of Florence through the eyes of literary greats from Dante to Salman Rushdie.
Florence's world-famous Renaissance is represented here by its most illustrious chroniclers, beginning with Dante's vision of an Inferno teeming with his Florentine contemporaries, Boccaccio's bawdy tales of young Florentine nobles in The Decameron, and the artist Cellini's swashbuckling adventures. The city's long tradition of attracting foreign visitors is celebrated by selections from Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad , E. M. Forster's A Room with a View , and the rapturous impressions of Stendhal (who gave his name to Stendhal syndrome). Mary McCarthy provides a vivid depiction of a twentieth-century market town; Penelope Fitzgerald weaves a gentle comedy of manners among Florence's fading aristocracy; Vasco Pratolini, one of the city's most renowned modern authors, tells a tender tale of brotherly love among the urban poor under 1930s fascism; and Salman Rushdie dazzles with the magical realism of The Enchantress of Florence . George Eliot, Rainer Maria Rilke, Henry James, D. H. Lawrence, Somerset Maugham, Cuzio Malaparte, and Iris Origo are among the other brilliant writers whose stories illuminate facets of this fascinating city.
Everyman's Library pursues the highest production standards, printing on acid-free cream-colored paper, with full-cloth cases with two-color foil stamping, decorative endpapers, silk ribbon markers, European-style half-round spines, and a full-color illustrated jacket.
Florence's world-famous Renaissance is represented here by its most illustrious chroniclers, beginning with Dante's vision of an Inferno teeming with his Florentine contemporaries, Boccaccio's bawdy tales of young Florentine nobles in The Decameron, and the artist Cellini's swashbuckling adventures. The city's long tradition of attracting foreign visitors is celebrated by selections from Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad , E. M. Forster's A Room with a View , and the rapturous impressions of Stendhal (who gave his name to Stendhal syndrome). Mary McCarthy provides a vivid depiction of a twentieth-century market town; Penelope Fitzgerald weaves a gentle comedy of manners among Florence's fading aristocracy; Vasco Pratolini, one of the city's most renowned modern authors, tells a tender tale of brotherly love among the urban poor under 1930s fascism; and Salman Rushdie dazzles with the magical realism of The Enchantress of Florence . George Eliot, Rainer Maria Rilke, Henry James, D. H. Lawrence, Somerset Maugham, Cuzio Malaparte, and Iris Origo are among the other brilliant writers whose stories illuminate facets of this fascinating city.
Everyman's Library pursues the highest production standards, printing on acid-free cream-colored paper, with full-cloth cases with two-color foil stamping, decorative endpapers, silk ribbon markers, European-style half-round spines, and a full-color illustrated jacket.
448 pages, Hardcover
Published April 20, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 18, 2023
The collection houses some intriguing and beautiful texts presented chronologically. The only drawback is that it includes a lot of excerpts and makes you yearn for the complete tale. Still, a perfectly enjoyable and informative read, especially if you've already visited Florence.
July 3, 2024
As I planned my trip to Florence, I found this group of stories really fun in helping me to understand the history of the city and gave me a glimpse of other viewpoints over the years. I love these little books with excerpts from various authors, which can also help you decide if you want to read deeper in those works.
March 7, 2026
Just charming!
April 18, 2026
Snapshots of Florence through the centuries
When my daughter Eleanor visited Italy last year, it prompted a few, long monologues about places I loved about Italy, even though I have never personally visited. Having studied Roman history for a number of years, there were many locales which had attracted my attention, a seemingly common thing as all my favorite travel and culinary hosts seem to find their way to this magnificent and historic nation.
Florence has always been of particular interest to me, particularly the history of the Medicis and their profound influence on the art and architecture that has made Florence one of the major destinations for travellers to Italy. This book, Florence Stories, is a collection of short stories and novel extracts beginning with Dante's Inferno, a favorite son of Florence, written between 1305-1321, all the way through Salman Rushdie's Enchantress of Florence from 2008.
For future travelers to Florence or for those fascinated with the beautiful Tuscan countryside, this is a wonderful excursion and exploration of a magnificent part of Italy.
When my daughter Eleanor visited Italy last year, it prompted a few, long monologues about places I loved about Italy, even though I have never personally visited. Having studied Roman history for a number of years, there were many locales which had attracted my attention, a seemingly common thing as all my favorite travel and culinary hosts seem to find their way to this magnificent and historic nation.
Florence has always been of particular interest to me, particularly the history of the Medicis and their profound influence on the art and architecture that has made Florence one of the major destinations for travellers to Italy. This book, Florence Stories, is a collection of short stories and novel extracts beginning with Dante's Inferno, a favorite son of Florence, written between 1305-1321, all the way through Salman Rushdie's Enchantress of Florence from 2008.
For future travelers to Florence or for those fascinated with the beautiful Tuscan countryside, this is a wonderful excursion and exploration of a magnificent part of Italy.
September 23, 2025
I've been an admitted Florence hater, but this is a very minority opinion, and I figured this collection may change my mind. Did it? I'm not sure.
As with all books of this type, some of the stories were better than others. Pick and choose, and don't be afraid to move on to the next if the one you're currently on doesn't strike your fancy.
As with all books of this type, some of the stories were better than others. Pick and choose, and don't be afraid to move on to the next if the one you're currently on doesn't strike your fancy.
October 6, 2023
I loved this book! I bought it while I’m Florence so it was in my mind. What a beautiful and amazing city it is. This is a good book for anyone that loves Florence and it’s easy to pick up and read a little and then put down.
January 14, 2024
A lire si vous connaissez Florence. Mes préférés:
- Decameron: Petrarch
- The fat woodworker: Manetti
- Rome, Naples, Florence: Stendhal
- Romola: Eliot
- Diary of a man of fifty: Henry James
- Up at the villa: Maugham
- The enchantress of Florence: Rushdie
- Decameron: Petrarch
- The fat woodworker: Manetti
- Rome, Naples, Florence: Stendhal
- Romola: Eliot
- Diary of a man of fifty: Henry James
- Up at the villa: Maugham
- The enchantress of Florence: Rushdie
June 29, 2023
A collection of beautiful stories that will make one reminisce the sights and people of Florence, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews