I am delighted that the Biblioteca Italiana has made this book available in English. Five Cantos is Ariosto's relatively unknown sequel to his fabulous Orlando Furioso. Like in the Furioso, we follow Charlemagne's paladins through exciting adventures as they traverse the world looking for chances to demonstrate their chivalry and show off their knightly skills. In this book, most of the action takes place in Lombardy, Saxony, and Bohemia. Some of it even occurs in the belly of a whale. These are different settings from the previous epic and make the story interesting. All of the familiar characters are present (Orlando, Rinaldo, Astolfo, etc.), but a few new ones have been added. Five Cantos is a very dark work and a lot of the subtle irony and humor of Furioso is lacking. Many of the chivalric ideals have deteriorated and the characters appear much more deceptive. There is almost no mention of love and Five Cantos is mainly concerned with war. Although the book is only five cantos (chapters) and seems unfinished, it is still a very entertaining work and a worthwhile purchase.

This edition is in verse and includes both the original Italian and the English translation side by side. The introduction spans forty-five pages and gives a good background to the story. It is very insightful and contains a bibliography for further reading. Annotations that help illuminate difficult passages in each canto are present too. Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially for those who have read Furioso.