Don't let the fancy title fool you—this is a storytelling marathon. The book's frame is simple: to cheer up a melancholy princess, ten women gather for five days and tell fifty tales. This structure gives the whole collection the feel of a lively, sometimes competitive, conversation.

The Story

There isn't one plot, but a cascade of them. You'll find early, rougher versions of classics like 'Cinderella' (here, she's called 'The Cat Cinderella') and 'Sleeping Beauty' ('Sun, Moon, and Talia'). But you'll also discover stories that never made it to the modern nursery: like 'The Flea,' where a king promises his daughter to whoever can guess what tiny creature he raised, or 'The Goose,' a tale of loyalty and clever magic. The through-line is a world where magic is common, justice is often poetic (and harsh), and characters are rarely purely good or evil.

Why You Should Read It

I loved this book because it has teeth. The humor is bawdy, the lessons are stark, and the magic feels woven into the dirt and struggle of everyday life. Basile's language (beautifully preserved in translation) is rich and playful. These aren't sanitized moral fables; they're vibrant, strange, and deeply human stories about survival, trickery, love, and revenge. Reading them feels like discovering a secret, older layer of our collective imagination.

Final Verdict

Perfect for fairy tale nerds, fantasy writers looking for fresh inspiration, or anyone who thinks folklore is just for children. It's a fascinating, essential read for understanding where our most beloved stories come from, and a reminder that fairy tales were once told for everyone. Be prepared for a style that's ornate and a content that's occasionally dark—but utterly rewarding.