'Eisner's book is a welcome addition to studies on the self‐authorizing project of the Italian poets at a key moment in the rise of European vernaculars. It is also a particularly fine specimen of the 'material' turn in medieval literary studies. A reliable guide to this intricate web of interconnectedness, Eisner shows how productive the combination of philology and interpretation can be, tracing convincingly the impact of paleographical features on reception, the significance of making a book, the significance of page layout, of juxtaposition, of inclusion and exclusion, of editorial choices, of contamination in transcription - and Boccaccio's unique role in all of this.' Alison Cornish, Modern Philology