Scan barcode
alena_esp's review against another edition
1.0
bible selfinsert
————————————-
Releí esto pare entender mejor el nuevo album de Hozier pero le termine bajando el puntaje, en inglés me daba menos vergüenza ajena leer sobre Dante fantaseando de conocer a sus poetas favoritos y a la chica a la que le tenía ganas
————————————-
Releí esto pare entender mejor el nuevo album de Hozier pero le termine bajando el puntaje, en inglés me daba menos vergüenza ajena leer sobre Dante fantaseando de conocer a sus poetas favoritos y a la chica a la que le tenía ganas
rainseeker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bhall237's review against another edition
4.0
Inferno
“Lost are we, and are only so far punished,
That without hope we live on in desire.”
Purgatorio
“The lady chid me: “Why dost thou burn only
So with affection for the living lights,
And dost not look at what comes after them?””
Paradiso
“Thy city, which an offshoot is of him
Who first upon his Maker turned his back,
And whose ambition is so sorely wept,
Brings forth and scatters the accursed flower
Which both the sheep and lambs hath led astray,
Since it has turned the shepherd to a wolf.”
The Divine Comedy is one of those pieces of classic literature that is such a staple in the collective conscious not just avid readers, but in society as a whole universally that It’s hard to say anything that has an already been said about it. It is so universally known and understood what it is that describing it is a moot point and to analyze would test your own personal intelligence. With that in mind, this will more or less be my own personal feelings rather than a review or analysis of the work as a whole.
I loved Inferno, I really liked Purgatorio, and I thought Paradiso was slow compared to the previous two books. I’ve had this issue with other works in classic literature, but some of the writing just didn’t click visually in my brain so I had a hard time comprehending some of it, to a point where I had a dictionary next to me to understand a bit of the language of these books. Now, while this may seem extra to some people, I think being able to fully grasp and understand on a base level what Dante was conveying builds this overarching and ever-building experience to a crescendo.
I’m not entirely sure that I would recommend this to everyone I know and I’m not entirely sure who the audience is for in the modern day, but I know I gained a whole collection of knowledge from reading these books, and I will likely revisit these books in the future with a better translation of the vernacular. Overall, incredibly satisfying and challenging read that really pushes you to create a journey in relation to yourself as a person.
A note on the specific version of The Divine Comedy, the drawings included were absolutely breathtaking and some of the most spectacular works of art I have seen in relation to a work of literature.
“Lost are we, and are only so far punished,
That without hope we live on in desire.”
Purgatorio
“The lady chid me: “Why dost thou burn only
So with affection for the living lights,
And dost not look at what comes after them?””
Paradiso
“Thy city, which an offshoot is of him
Who first upon his Maker turned his back,
And whose ambition is so sorely wept,
Brings forth and scatters the accursed flower
Which both the sheep and lambs hath led astray,
Since it has turned the shepherd to a wolf.”
The Divine Comedy is one of those pieces of classic literature that is such a staple in the collective conscious not just avid readers, but in society as a whole universally that It’s hard to say anything that has an already been said about it. It is so universally known and understood what it is that describing it is a moot point and to analyze would test your own personal intelligence. With that in mind, this will more or less be my own personal feelings rather than a review or analysis of the work as a whole.
I loved Inferno, I really liked Purgatorio, and I thought Paradiso was slow compared to the previous two books. I’ve had this issue with other works in classic literature, but some of the writing just didn’t click visually in my brain so I had a hard time comprehending some of it, to a point where I had a dictionary next to me to understand a bit of the language of these books. Now, while this may seem extra to some people, I think being able to fully grasp and understand on a base level what Dante was conveying builds this overarching and ever-building experience to a crescendo.
I’m not entirely sure that I would recommend this to everyone I know and I’m not entirely sure who the audience is for in the modern day, but I know I gained a whole collection of knowledge from reading these books, and I will likely revisit these books in the future with a better translation of the vernacular. Overall, incredibly satisfying and challenging read that really pushes you to create a journey in relation to yourself as a person.
A note on the specific version of The Divine Comedy, the drawings included were absolutely breathtaking and some of the most spectacular works of art I have seen in relation to a work of literature.
christinahill's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
unrealpunk's review against another edition
I started out reading an old public domain translation, and was so underwhelmed that I nearly gave up, but fortunately I found the Mandelbaum translation, available for free at Columbia University's Digital Dante website, which I HIGHLY recommend. In Mandelbaum's translation I was able to appreciate the poem as a work of art truly worthy of its eminence. The only comparison that seems appropriate is to the frescoes of Michelangelo. Dante seems to have had a high opinion of the poem himself; he may condemn the figures of Classical mythology and history to the Inferno for their paganism, but they would have undoubtedly condemned him for his hubris. And Dante's pro-Crusade politics are pretty abhorrent, but you may as well deny Homer's Odyssey or Shakespeare's Hamlet as deny the Divine Comedy.
The Digital Dante resource also includes commentary by Teodolinda Barolini, which was especially helpful for understanding Dante's more obscure references. Readers interested in Dante's craft as a poet will also find it instructive, although it does get a bit repetitive in some places.
The Digital Dante resource also includes commentary by Teodolinda Barolini, which was especially helpful for understanding Dante's more obscure references. Readers interested in Dante's craft as a poet will also find it instructive, although it does get a bit repetitive in some places.
ed_moore's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The second instalment of Dante’s Divine Comedy ‘Purgatorio’ follows Dante and Virgil’s pilgrimage to the summit of Mount Purgatory and through the Garden of Eden after surfacing from Hell. In comparison to ‘Inferno’, Purgatorio has many more poets as figures doing penance, as oppose to political figures and mythological figures in Inferno, though each of these categories of sinners are still present just in a lesser volume. It also has much more emphasis on sharing moral religious lessons and an attention to detail on hymns being sung, so naturally the more religious focus was more present in ‘Purgatorio’ and less to my enjoyment than depictions of sin in ‘Inferno’ (what did I expect in a religious allegorical poem though.) There are also many intentional similarities and callbacks to Inferno which were exciting, and less intentional similarities such as the continued obsession with Virgil, and the presence of even more classical poets creating a somehow greater impression of Dante writing a self-insert fan fiction where he is praised by all his favourite poets. ‘Purgatorio’ also addresses the reader much more which was an unusual change in tone I noted, perhaps this being related to the greater emphasis on teaching conversations and moral lessons being discussed as Mount Purgatory is climbed. I also cannot fail to mention that Canto 32 is perhaps one of the most batshit things ever written and I had to really process how and why all the random occurrences during such just - happened. I suppose it perfectly summarises the nature of the Divine Comedy though. Overall ‘Purgatorio’ wasn’t as good as ‘Inferno’, yet despite this still holds a lot of merit.