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booknerd_therapist's review against another edition
1.0
My uncle bought this version of The Divine Comedy for me for Christmas. I finally had some time to read it, and couldn't get past the first page! The translation (the original text is Italian) is so screwed up that I couldn't understand what I was reading. I gave this book away to Good Will and bought John Ciardi's translation, which is much easier to read!
hollishillis's review against another edition
2.0
Dante being blinded every five seconds by each new thing he sees in heaven got really old.
leelulah's review against another edition
3.0
Wish I could have understood it more but I lack the theological knowledge. However I have to say that the Divine Comedy is one of the best things I ever read. I loved the chant about Saint Francis of Assisi's though.
thekeziamartins's review against another edition
5.0
Talvez seja sadismo da minha parte, mas apesar deu venerar essa trilogia por completo, Paraíso foi o que menos gostei. Tem seu mérito claro, a escrita de Dante é sempre impecável, a história e nesse caso, o desfecho, são emocionantes. Mas Inferno e Purgatório prenderam mais, cada círculo e cada punição me pareceram mais interessantes do que a jornada de Dante pelo Paraíso. É algo muito pessoal que não tira o mérito nenhum dessa obra perfeita na minha visão.
ruhhnay's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, now this one hurt my brain. After I really enjoyed Inferno and then really, really unexpectedly enjoyed Purgatorio, I had hope that Paradiso would surprise me as well! It did, but not in a good way. This book was heaaaavyyyyy and just felt a whole lot different than the other two for me. This was heavy astrology, theology, and politics, and while like... of course it was... I guess I was hoping it wouldn't feel as dense as it did. Heaven is supposed to be something you look forward to, right?
Let's talk about the good: My copy of the book had commentary after every Canto and that was extremely helpful for me. I also thought the MAP that folded out from the back of the book was a very awesome surprise and absolutely necessary for me to understand the structure of Paradise. The idea of Heaven connecting to the planets is cool.
The not-so-good: Beatrice is not as fun of a guide as Virgil and that was a disappointing change. She was kind of a lot and a bit condescending, which got annoying. Their journey through the spheres wasn't as easy or interesting to follow and I think maybe it's just because I don't know enough about anything they were talking about to make connections, whereas in Inferno and Purgatorio, the vices and punishments all made sense to me.
It seems to me like instead of the boring, overly complicated view of Heaven in Paradiso, we'd all be better off hanging out in the absolutely gorgeous paradise at the top of Purgatorio.
Let's talk about the good: My copy of the book had commentary after every Canto and that was extremely helpful for me. I also thought the MAP that folded out from the back of the book was a very awesome surprise and absolutely necessary for me to understand the structure of Paradise. The idea of Heaven connecting to the planets is cool.
The not-so-good: Beatrice is not as fun of a guide as Virgil and that was a disappointing change. She was kind of a lot and a bit condescending, which got annoying. Their journey through the spheres wasn't as easy or interesting to follow and I think maybe it's just because I don't know enough about anything they were talking about to make connections, whereas in Inferno and Purgatorio, the vices and punishments all made sense to me.
It seems to me like instead of the boring, overly complicated view of Heaven in Paradiso, we'd all be better off hanging out in the absolutely gorgeous paradise at the top of Purgatorio.
elizabethcaneday's review against another edition
I'm afraid to say I found it extremely boring; nevertheless I can see why it's a classic, I just can't appreciate it as such myself. Not yet, at least!
pegster's review against another edition
4.0
I definitely liked Inferno and Purgatorio better than Paradiso, but I will say that taken as a whole, the Divine Comedy is a masterpiece. That being said, I would never be able to understand it without guidance, which came in the form of "100 Days of Dante", an undertaking by Baylor University and other universities, which consisted of lectures for each canto from September until Easter Sunday. What a journey this took me on! I learned so much about Italy, politics, corruption, religion, virtues, and classical figures. What struck me the most is how nothing changes - the same corruption that existed in Florence in the 1200's exists in our politics and organized religion to this day. I am a better person for having read Dante's masterpiece, albeit it is challenging and I never could have done it without this wonderful lecture series.
maeclegg's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75