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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
hopeful
slow-paced
I'd like to revisit at least Inferno with a different translation. Wordsworth's translation was almost laborious as if I had read it in the original language.
It was incredible, particularly Paradiso. Really feeling that I've only managed to scratch the surface on this one though, so another read-through will be necessary at some other point in my life. Highly recommend to anyone.
4.8
Quality of writing: 5
Plot development: 5
Pace: 5
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 5
Ease of reading: 5
I'm not a huge fan of classics. They mostly seem slow and boring and complicated and have historical references that I just don't understand. That being said... I really want to read them. And love them and understand them. And this was a step in the right direction.
I remember reading parts of Divine Comedy when I was in 5th grade. Oh how I despised it! My not fully developed brain just rejected the ideas of Dante. So it took me more than 10 years to pick up The Inferno. I don't know if it's the translation or the additional notes that explain the historical figures and events but damn (!!!) it's good. And I'm not even being sarcastic. My biggest problem with classics is that sometimes I don't fully understand the time period or I don't get historical references. This time everything was different. Because I had notes after each canto (yeah, it may sound lame that I need notes to understand some parts of the book but, hey, I'm learning! And isn't that the whole point of reading?!)
Obviously I'll never be fancy enough to read Divine Comedy in Italian and probably will never get to enjoy the full greatness and the wonderful flow of the poem, so this will have to do.
The only negative thing? Dante as a character. A bit too spooked I guess. But I'd probably hide behind Virgil's back too if I had to take a walk through Hell...
Quality of writing: 5
Plot development: 5
Pace: 5
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 5
Ease of reading: 5
I'm not a huge fan of classics. They mostly seem slow and boring and complicated and have historical references that I just don't understand. That being said... I really want to read them. And love them and understand them. And this was a step in the right direction.
I remember reading parts of Divine Comedy when I was in 5th grade. Oh how I despised it! My not fully developed brain just rejected the ideas of Dante. So it took me more than 10 years to pick up The Inferno. I don't know if it's the translation or the additional notes that explain the historical figures and events but damn (!!!) it's good. And I'm not even being sarcastic. My biggest problem with classics is that sometimes I don't fully understand the time period or I don't get historical references. This time everything was different. Because I had notes after each canto (yeah, it may sound lame that I need notes to understand some parts of the book but, hey, I'm learning! And isn't that the whole point of reading?!)
Obviously I'll never be fancy enough to read Divine Comedy in Italian and probably will never get to enjoy the full greatness and the wonderful flow of the poem, so this will have to do.
The only negative thing? Dante as a character. A bit too spooked I guess. But I'd probably hide behind Virgil's back too if I had to take a walk through Hell...
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After rating two completely different types of books at a "four," I think you'll have to understand that my ratings must be accompanied with a heavy dose of the English major mindset: it's all subjective.
This book is rated so because the imagery is stunning, the translation excellent, and it begged to be annotated. More than that, however, this book has been in the back of my mind ever since I read it. It is by far one of the most haunting books I've ever read (surpassed, perhaps, by Breadcrumbs (Anne Ursu) or Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier)). I have a complaint, though. I dislike Dante. It is disturbing to see how terribly Dante treated people who were his contemporaries! He claimed one man was being led by a demon as his soul was tortured in hell. And Canto 13, I believe, the suicide canto. How can anyone read that and think it right, and not demented? Beautifully put, amazing in an allegorical sense...but utterly inhumane. In the spirit of Christianity, this is far from acceptable by any means...perhaps it is a mere "satire," but I doubt you could find one less humorous than this one. It was enjoyable while I read it, and it offered many discussion points (it even informed me on who Nimrod was)...but Dante was cruel.
This book is rated so because the imagery is stunning, the translation excellent, and it begged to be annotated. More than that, however, this book has been in the back of my mind ever since I read it. It is by far one of the most haunting books I've ever read (surpassed, perhaps, by Breadcrumbs (Anne Ursu) or Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier)). I have a complaint, though. I dislike Dante. It is disturbing to see how terribly Dante treated people who were his contemporaries! He claimed one man was being led by a demon as his soul was tortured in hell. And Canto 13, I believe, the suicide canto. How can anyone read that and think it right, and not demented? Beautifully put, amazing in an allegorical sense...but utterly inhumane. In the spirit of Christianity, this is far from acceptable by any means...perhaps it is a mere "satire," but I doubt you could find one less humorous than this one. It was enjoyable while I read it, and it offered many discussion points (it even informed me on who Nimrod was)...but Dante was cruel.
I'll definitely have to give this a good re-read in a year or two to give everything a chance to sink in. But all in all, it's definitely worth putting in the time and effort to get through this work. It's so rich, symbolic, influncial - and by the end of paradisio I was getting pretty emotional, much to my surprise!
The translation is wonderful too. I've flicked through a few different translations in bookshops and found them a little too archaic or unnecessarily ornate. This translation is pretty plain English for the most part; it just grabs you by the hand and gently guides you through the lines
Not easy or for the faint hearted, but it definitely pays off.
The translation is wonderful too. I've flicked through a few different translations in bookshops and found them a little too archaic or unnecessarily ornate. This translation is pretty plain English for the most part; it just grabs you by the hand and gently guides you through the lines
Not easy or for the faint hearted, but it definitely pays off.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes