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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Wow. What can I say but wow. This was my first pass through the work and there is just to much to discuss. I can happily and proudly say I understand about 25 - 35% of the entire thing, enough to understand the direction and some intricacies but not quite enough to be able to link the story together in a sequence. There is a HEAVY italian focus and my italian history is even worse then my poetry. Alas, the book was fantastic, challenging, terrifying and unbelievably wretched in its use of imagery to conjure up sites saw in the worst of all imaginable places.
The only negative I found in this book was the disappointing ending. The last cave they encountered with the "boss" himself was rushed, felt not well thought out and generally disappointing. I could wager a few guesses as to why this was the case, but ultimately, it was rushed.
I don't want to spoil the book for you, just go read it. It's worth the short amount of time you need to invest and it will enthral you as you begin to realize that almost all modern religious culture in regards to damnation and hell is built on the premises established in this text.
The only negative I found in this book was the disappointing ending. The last cave they encountered with the "boss" himself was rushed, felt not well thought out and generally disappointing. I could wager a few guesses as to why this was the case, but ultimately, it was rushed.
I don't want to spoil the book for you, just go read it. It's worth the short amount of time you need to invest and it will enthral you as you begin to realize that almost all modern religious culture in regards to damnation and hell is built on the premises established in this text.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
I bought this book, because I was enticed by the artwork, and it turns out that is the only real reason to read it. Birk's Dante's Inferno is a modern refashioning of the Inferno with detailed illustrations translating the Dante's Hell into a decaying, commercially saturated, urban wasteland reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. The cover painting and the engravings inside are beautiful (in that way that Hell and abandoned freeway underpasses can be) and a fun re-interpretation of Gustave Dore's 19th century illustrations. The text, on the other hand, is just lame. With awkward insertions of contemporary figures, such as Bill Clinton, Thabo Mbeki, and Dionne Warwick, and such glowing sentences from Dante's mouth as "I was bummed for him," Birk's modern translation is an insult to the original. I think this book would have been better if he had just left the text as is. I would not have minded the incongruency between illustration and text as much as I did the mediocre word-smithery. Skim the book for the pictures, but read a more traditional tradition for the Dante.
dark
reflective
slow-paced
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
this is what hozier's new album does to a girl
What a scary book.
I was not expecting this much.
It was interesting, but really disturbing.
Reminded me of the mural I saw at The Duomo - really horrifying.
4.0/5
I was not expecting this much.
It was interesting, but really disturbing.
Reminded me of the mural I saw at The Duomo - really horrifying.
4.0/5
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No