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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Well... lots of symbolism. Hell, you're punished symbolically for the sins you commit on Earth. He mixes some paganism with Roman Catholicism, thus adding paganism to Roman Catholicism even more so. Outside of that, a good chunk of this book is Aligheri criticizing his political enemies and rivals. He spends more writing on Circle 8 (various forms of Fraud and Deception) as opposed to Circle 9, which is freaking TREASON of some form.
I think I wrote that institutional religion is failing today because those who run these institutions cannot connect with cultures that have evolved with templates of who and who is not a hero, good vs. evil, etc. despite their religions generally providing these templates because they fail to adequately use them. This is a fairly good example. The beginning is wonderful... but then it degenerates into the author attacking his political rivals for the most part.
I think I wrote that institutional religion is failing today because those who run these institutions cannot connect with cultures that have evolved with templates of who and who is not a hero, good vs. evil, etc. despite their religions generally providing these templates because they fail to adequately use them. This is a fairly good example. The beginning is wonderful... but then it degenerates into the author attacking his political rivals for the most part.
The original fan fiction!!!!!!!!
Such fun to revisit this in prep for RF Kuang’s Katabasis and thank god I still had my heavily annotated copies from Mr. Harrell’s senior English class. My original read of this is one of my all time favorite reading experiences. This one was only slightly less fun because I didn’t have a dedicated space to dissect and discuss it each day, but still such a fun read. I’ve been so so happy to see so many people picking this up because they love R.F. Kuang. I’m impartial to Mark Musa’s translations as that is what I’ve previously studied, but next time I pick this up perhaps I’ll branch out.
I’ll let everyone else tell you about how acclaimed and important this comedy is, but I’ve noticed something really interesting in my conversations about this book over the past month or so.
Over the past few weeks as everyone has been reading this, I’ve found myself a bit of an outlier in that people are surprised that I read this book as if it were any other book - because is it. I read for plot and character development and, most importantly, because I enjoy a good story. I think with classics or famous books like this we’ve allowed them to become so pretentious when really, most of this stuff is generally understandable and accessible. Yes I had my notes and spent many months in high school ONLY studying The Divine Comedy, and there are layers upon layers of meaning and metaphors and the very act of translation and it’s a brilliant example of so much that’s exciting about studying literature, but I thought then what I think now, this is a hell of a good story.
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
fast-paced
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Every time I read this I pick up on something new. Paired the last read-through with Hozier’s “Unreal Unearth” album for that extra layer of pain.
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"languages diverse, horrible dialects,/ accents of anger, words of agony,/ and voice high and hoarse, with sound of hands,/ made up a tumult that goes whirling on/ for ever in that air for ever black,/ even as the sand doth, when the whirlwind breathes."
intense doesn't even cover it. this epic poem paired with gustave dore's dark, grand, and otherworldly artwork makes it come to life. hell gets worse the deeper you go into it. hell is organized by circles. the torture of hell is cyclical. it's a tragic comedy, baby!
basically a fanfic of dante following his favorite the roman poet virgil into a mix of christian/greek mythological hell. loved it.
"i came to a place mute of all light,/ which bellows as the sea does in tempest,/ if by opposing winds 't is combated./ the infernal hurricane that never rests./ hurtles the spirits onward in its rapine;/ whirling them around, and smiting, it molests them."
intense doesn't even cover it. this epic poem paired with gustave dore's dark, grand, and otherworldly artwork makes it come to life. hell gets worse the deeper you go into it. hell is organized by circles. the torture of hell is cyclical. it's a tragic comedy, baby!
basically a fanfic of dante following his favorite the roman poet virgil into a mix of christian/greek mythological hell. loved it.
"i came to a place mute of all light,/ which bellows as the sea does in tempest,/ if by opposing winds 't is combated./ the infernal hurricane that never rests./ hurtles the spirits onward in its rapine;/ whirling them around, and smiting, it molests them."
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No