The Heptameron (generally accepted to be the work of Marguerite de Navarre, Queen of Navarre and the sister of Francois I), like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Boccaccio's Decameron, is a collection of tales told by characters -- in this case, five gentlemen and five ladies stranded in abbey. The storytelling soon devolves into a verbal battle between the sexes, as the tales concern lovers, romantic conquests, and women's virtue -- objects of pride and power. The Heptameron is a book to delight, offend, and educate twentieth-century readers. Highly recommended.