This fourth volume of The Heptameron continues the collection of lively and engaging tales told by a group of stranded travelers. As with the previous volumes, the stories are filled with humor, intrigue, and moral lessons. The characters are well-developed and their interactions are both entertaining and thought-provoking.

One of the standout features of this volume is the diversity of the stories, which cover a wide range of themes and settings. From tales of forbidden love and betrayal to humorous anecdotes and clever riddles, each story adds a new layer of depth to the overall narrative. Additionally, the commentary and insights provided by the characters after each story help to further illuminate the underlying message of each tale.

Marguerite of Navarre's writing is both elegant and engaging, drawing readers in with her vivid descriptions and vivid characterizations. Her clever use of dialogue and narrative structure keeps the reader intrigued, eager to discover what twists and turns each tale will take next.

Overall, Volume 4 of The Heptameron is a fantastic addition to the collection, showcasing Marguerite of Navarre's talent for storytelling and her keen understanding of human nature. Fans of classic literature and medieval tales will not be disappointed with this volume.

Book Description:
THE HEPTAMERON (here Volume 4 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…"