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jubbygestalt's review against another edition
4.0
This was an absolutely fascinating translation project. I would not suggest reading this if it is your first attempt at Dante's Inferno, despite its attempt to be more accessible to modern American audiences.
readingwithsab's review against another edition
4.0
it’s been some time since a book has made me feel dumb
matheamae's review against another edition
5.0
First time reading Dante! I enjoyed it, and especially glad I picked up this copy for the beautiful illustrations
haldols's review against another edition
5.0
imagine being forced to read this as a suicidal 14 year old catholic school student and being terrified for months afterward that if you kill yourself you’ll be turned into a tree
jettstream's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Dante Alighieri was actually insane. His descriptions of every crevice of Hell were harrowing, namely the methods of torture that the souls receive through their damnation. Each layer of hell is given it’s own “fitting” torture method, and the work of Dante’s imagination is something that has haunted several centuries of readers’ minds. If nothing else, Dante is creative in his own right.
I learned lots about ancient Rome, Medieval Italy, Greco-Roman mythology, Medieval Christianity, etc. through reading a newly translated and annotated version of the Divine Comedy (Steve Ellis translation), which really pulled me through the trenches of Dante’s meanings that flew way over my head, as I’m not a 14th Century Italian. Some parts where Dante is talking to fellow Florentines had me scratching my head, as I had no clue what he was referencing, so I did get incredibly bored near the end of the book. However, that’s mostly all I have to complain about.
Thanks to Hozier and Wendigoon for reinvigorating my intrigue with this book, as it was a quaint little journey through Hell.
I learned lots about ancient Rome, Medieval Italy, Greco-Roman mythology, Medieval Christianity, etc. through reading a newly translated and annotated version of the Divine Comedy (Steve Ellis translation), which really pulled me through the trenches of Dante’s meanings that flew way over my head, as I’m not a 14th Century Italian. Some parts where Dante is talking to fellow Florentines had me scratching my head, as I had no clue what he was referencing, so I did get incredibly bored near the end of the book. However, that’s mostly all I have to complain about.
Thanks to Hozier and Wendigoon for reinvigorating my intrigue with this book, as it was a quaint little journey through Hell.
drlc's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The writing structure makes it difficult to read.
whitneysederberg's review against another edition
4.0
i think it’s rather funny for someone to devise an incredibly intricate system of hell and place specific people they hate into specially crafted punishments. i can’t speak on the literary merit of the Italian rhyme scheme but i found the dark humor to be engaging throughout. it is a comedy, after all.