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adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Thoughtful exploration of turning from “sin” (wrongdoing) while also acknowledging it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Religious bigotry
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can appreciate a good classic but, I had the displeasure of reading this on my own (I love to suffer apparently), i feel like I'd like it much much more if i listened to the audiobook, my head hurts now
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism
challenging
reflective
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:
Yes
this poem is essentially dante attacking the catholic church (which is so iconic, good for him!!) for the hypocrisy of its leaders. it gets tedious and exhaustive in parts, i think, but the imagery is really interesting and impressive. i liked how dante emphasised his sympathy for certain sinners, like francesca and paolo, and made an effort to understand the tragedies of their lives- especially the people who ended up in limbo for the awful, evil, treacherous crime of being born before christianity was invented :/. ”suppose the sovereign of the universe were still our friend, we'd pray he grant you peace.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Abandonment
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Torture
Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Incest
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dante’s writing is truly fascinating to me, but readers be warned that Inferno is densely packed with allusion. Not only biblical, or even just greek mythos-based, but 14th century Italians politics, popes and other real-world religious figures, and at points personal acquaintances of Dante. I would not recommend delving into this work without prior background studies.
However, I do find it incredibly interesting the unique approach of analyzing real people in the context of their damnment to explain possible machinations of Hell. I enjoyed Inferno, even as a practicing pagan, which isn’t something I expected to be able to say about this book.
However, I do find it incredibly interesting the unique approach of analyzing real people in the context of their damnment to explain possible machinations of Hell. I enjoyed Inferno, even as a practicing pagan, which isn’t something I expected to be able to say about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Incest, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Murder
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
I see a lot of comments talking about Dante roasting most of Florence. Just wanted to add that he’s doing so because he was exiled and this was a method of revenge and slander. It’s supposed to be tongue in cheek which Pinsky translated beautifully!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reading this as translated version and i cant help but wonder how actually it is in the original italian version
dante's writing style factually fractures between giving too long not-so-important explantations and comparisons that can piss you off as you read it, and then not explaining important points and people even a bit, as if he thinks everyone already knows all of the secrets of every rich/important italian men had. jesus.
constant mentions of roman gods and legends and talks about them sometimes got me fully overthinking this entire book, mainly because while being based around God it casual mentions pagan gods, like this was all some multiverse and both God and those gods parallely had contolled the earth. like?! basis of the book is God, but yet all those roman god are mentioned, and aint the point of christianity - one god and no others?🤨
i aint christian enough to waste my sleep over it but damn that confused me
there many things that made no sense and were just outright weird and uncalled for and there were so many that i thought would be more complicated and explained better but were fully watered down, either by poem's boring style or translation (probably both)
would i have picked it up if it weren't for writing exam im having in three hours? probs no.
right now it seems really overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time.
i did like it more than most of books i read for school tho
dante's writing style factually fractures between giving too long not-so-important explantations and comparisons that can piss you off as you read it, and then not explaining important points and people even a bit, as if he thinks everyone already knows all of the secrets of every rich/important italian men had. jesus.
constant mentions of roman gods and legends and talks about them sometimes got me fully overthinking this entire book, mainly because while being based around God it casual mentions pagan gods, like this was all some multiverse and both God and those gods parallely had contolled the earth. like?! basis of the book is God, but yet all those roman god are mentioned, and aint the point of christianity - one god and no others?🤨
i aint christian enough to waste my sleep over it but damn that confused me
there many things that made no sense and were just outright weird and uncalled for and there were so many that i thought would be more complicated and explained better but were fully watered down, either by poem's boring style or translation (probably both)
would i have picked it up if it weren't for writing exam im having in three hours? probs no.
right now it seems really overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time.
i did like it more than most of books i read for school tho
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury