Netflix's new period drama, The Decameron, arrived on Thursday and while many viewers have praised the fun comedy, which is described as "like Love Island but back in the day", others took issue with one aspect of the show.
The series, which is loosely inspired by the iconic short story collection by Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio, transports viewers back to 14th-century Italy, where a group of nobles and their servants take shelter in a grand villa outside of Florence while the Black Death ravages the city.
Taking to social media, some viewers took issue with the adaptation and said it isn't faithful to the original source material. One person penned: "So, they just completely…butchered Boccaccio? It's like asking for a grapefruit and only being given the rind," while another said the show lacks "the main point" of Boccaccio's work, which is "the wonderful stories" the nobles tell each other to pass the time in the villa.
© NetflixA third viewer penned in a post translated from Italian: "Boccaccio spent years of his life writing a literary work of immense value for you to see it ruined in a series that only has the title of the Decameron (I don't think I want to continue beyond the 1st episode)."
In the show's defence, it never claims to be a faithful adaptation of Boccaccio's work. According to Netflix, the original 14th-century novel provides a "loose framework" for the show. While creator Kathleen Jordan pulled character names from Bocaccio for the series, the series "became its own thing" during the writing process.
© Giulia Parmigiani/NetflixNot all viewers were bothered by the show's take on Boccaccio's iconic short story collection, however. Many praised the "hilarious" and "unhinged" series.
One person penned: "I usually don't even like comedy series but #thedecameron on Netflix is hilarious," while another added: "Really didn't know what to expect from #TheDecameron on @NetflixUK but really enjoyed it. I went from being baffled to snorting with laughter to shedding a little tear."
© NetflixA third viewer remarked: "#TheDecameron on #Netflix is a GREAT comedy all my period drama fans should check out!" while another wrote: "The Decameron is the silliest little period series on Netflix. I love it."
The Decameron is available to watch on Netflix.
