It looked hilariously funny, based on the preview.

And sometimes, it is. The Decameron, based on a mid-14th century Italian book of the same name, is a ridiculously funny Netflix miniseries that, at times, turns deadly serious.

The book, by Giovanni Boccaccio, collects 100 tales supposedly told by 10 people who find themselves sheltering in a villa near Florence as the bubonic plague ravages the city. To pass the time, they tell each other stories. (It influenced Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, which was written later that same century.)

The series, created by Kathleen Jordan, is loosely based on the framing story that ties the book together. (I haven't read the book, but I understand that loosely is the key word there.)

So, let's meet our 10 main characters, most of whom have come on an invitation from Leonardo, the owner of Villa Santa, where most of the action takes place.

They are Pampinea (Zosia Mamet), a conceited noblewoman who was betrothed, sight unseen, to Leonardo, who, unbeknownst to her, has recently succumbed to the plague; Misia (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Pampinea's loyal-unto-death servant; Filomena (Jessica Plummer), a selfish noblewoman who seeks to flee the pestilence and save herself at any cost; Licisca (Tanya Reynolds), Filomena's much put-upon servant; Tindaro (Douggie McMeekin), a self-centered nobleman with an inflated sense of his importance; Dioneo (Amar Chadha-Patel), Tindaro's philandering physician; and the rakish Panfilo and pious Neifile (Karan Gill and Lou Gala), a married couple who have fallen on hard times. Rounding out the party are the villa's steward Sirisco (Tony Hale) and cook Stratilia (Leila Farzad), the only remaining villa staff who haven't perished or fled.

Some of them are more likable than others, although none of them are endearing to the core. I won't give away further spoilers, but I'll warn you that not all of them survive to the end.

But their stories are markedly different. Perhaps Licisca and Tindaro (the latter of whom is by far the most annoying character at the story's start) see the most character growth through the series, while Dioneo and Pampinea (the latter of whom runs a close race for the title of most annoying character) probably see the least. Panfilo and Neifile, who have a loving but passionless marriage, seem at the onset to be the dullest of the company, but their story turns out to be the sweetest -- and the saddest.

Besides the internal politics that bind some members of the 10 main characters together (and tear others apart), they must also contend with external factors, such as a gruff and commanding cousin who seeks, with the aid of his brigand friends and a bevy of whores, to seize control of the villa; a gang of mercenaries led by a fallen clergyman who seeks to seize the villa's wealth; and a loose collective of friendly but starving village people who live nearby. Otherwise, the party passes the time mostly with wine, sex and arguments.

The Decameron is goofy, and its characters are ludicrous. But the story is also at times poignant, or horrifying, or simply sad. A strong cast, aided by fantastic sets and costumes and a delightfully anachronistic soundtrack, makes this series an overall enjoyable viewing experience. I wonder if there will be a second season...?