The success of the "novella," a literary genre related to the short story and narrative, began in the 14th century with Boccaccio's "Decameron."

Following the formulas of this prototype, many writers of the Renaissance in Italy, France, England, and Spain (e.g., Anton Francesco Grazzini, Matteo Bandello, Marguerite de Navarre, Cervantes, and others) made the...