Take a photo of a barcode or cover
311 reviews for:
La Divina Commedia: The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri
Melville Best Anderson, Dante Alighieri
3.86 AVERAGE
311 reviews for:
La Divina Commedia: The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri
Melville Best Anderson, Dante Alighieri
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am absolutely shocked but I have to say I really preferred this entire reading experience to Inferno. This was so incredibly cool, thought-provoking, and beautiful. This one was just as challenging for my brain, but any time I felt I needed more clarity on what was going on and who someone was, I looked up analysis and that really made a difference. Maybe it was that this story was filled with more hope and I appreciated that? The imagery was just as amazing as Inferno, though.
The beginning was a little hard to follow because it was just Dante talking to a bunch of lost souls and while there were some interesting parts, it had nothing on how good it got after Canto 9. An angel sketches 7 Ps on Dante's head and he has to be cleansed of all of the seven deadly sins to move up Mount Purgatorio and get each P removed. Similarly to Inferno, the methods of purging the souls perfectly juxtaposed the sins they were purging. I think my favorite one was the souls guilty of envy having their eyes sewn shut so they could understand to appreciate what they do have and not worry about others.
And the ending!! How beautiful! Dante is finally reunited with his love in the Garden of Eden and Beatrice admits she arranged this whole thing because he fell into a life of sin and she wanted him to join her in Heaven. All of the symbolism and imagery in these cantos had my heart melting and wanting to do research on art inspired by this piece because I know it's got to be good.
I was smitten over so many quotes throughout Purgatorio, but here are just a few I took the time to find and add to my notes:
- "Whenever one of these keys fails, not turning appropriately in the lock... this gate of entry does not open. One is more precious, but the other needs much art and skill before it will unlock - that is the key that must undo the knot. These I received from Peter and he taught me rather to err in opening than in keeping this portal shut whenever souls pray humbly"
- "Do you not know that we are worms and born to form the angelic butterfly that soars, without defenses, to confront His judgement? Why does your mind presume to flight when you are still like the imperfect grub, the worm before it has attained its final form?"
- "Now you can plainly see how deeply hidden truth is from scrutinists who would insist that every love is praiseworthy and they are led to error by the matter of love, because it may seem always good, but not each seal is fine, although the wax is."
- "Remade, as new trees are renewed when they bring forth new boughs, I was pure and prepared to climb unto the stars"
The beginning was a little hard to follow because it was just Dante talking to a bunch of lost souls and while there were some interesting parts, it had nothing on how good it got after Canto 9. An angel sketches 7 Ps on Dante's head and he has to be cleansed of all of the seven deadly sins to move up Mount Purgatorio and get each P removed. Similarly to Inferno, the methods of purging the souls perfectly juxtaposed the sins they were purging. I think my favorite one was the souls guilty of envy having their eyes sewn shut so they could understand to appreciate what they do have and not worry about others.
And the ending!! How beautiful! Dante is finally reunited with his love in the Garden of Eden and Beatrice admits she arranged this whole thing because he fell into a life of sin and she wanted him to join her in Heaven. All of the symbolism and imagery in these cantos had my heart melting and wanting to do research on art inspired by this piece because I know it's got to be good.
I was smitten over so many quotes throughout Purgatorio, but here are just a few I took the time to find and add to my notes:
- "Whenever one of these keys fails, not turning appropriately in the lock... this gate of entry does not open. One is more precious, but the other needs much art and skill before it will unlock - that is the key that must undo the knot. These I received from Peter and he taught me rather to err in opening than in keeping this portal shut whenever souls pray humbly"
- "Do you not know that we are worms and born to form the angelic butterfly that soars, without defenses, to confront His judgement? Why does your mind presume to flight when you are still like the imperfect grub, the worm before it has attained its final form?"
- "Now you can plainly see how deeply hidden truth is from scrutinists who would insist that every love is praiseworthy and they are led to error by the matter of love, because it may seem always good, but not each seal is fine, although the wax is."
- "Remade, as new trees are renewed when they bring forth new boughs, I was pure and prepared to climb unto the stars"
challenging
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
If you like Inferno because of the romantic tension between Dante and Virgil, the verse, and the devils, and don’t care about Dante’s craft or his musings on religion, sin, and politics, you will not like Purgatorio.
Purgatorio is more boring and the verse is drier, but it is still a little gay as I’m very certain Heaven welcomes people with a fully choreographed Pride parade.
Purgatorio is more boring and the verse is drier, but it is still a little gay as I’m very certain Heaven welcomes people with a fully choreographed Pride parade.
slow-paced
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I liked inferno better, but I thought the themes were so complex, to the point of me not quite understanding. like, what exactly is the difference between the punishment in inferno and the punishment in Purgatorio? I liked Virgil's goodbye. not having found the answers, but instead gazing in wonder at the forest like a true philosopher. and I liked the organization of it. logical, architectural. it was his own invention, which was incredibly detailed and super inventive.
I found this fascinating, but certainly less enjoyable than Inferno. The loss of pure aesthetic wonder at the grotesque and the darkly humorous cruelty of the ironic punishments in hell is certainly felt while reading through this one.
Also, my modern perspective on both religion and literature leaves me with the uneasy feeling that the Divine Comedy is really about the loss of empathy. As Dante wanders through hell, he can't help but feel sympathy for those condemned to eternal punishments, even some really despicable people are deserving of his tears for what they have to endure (and also a few people very questionable condemned.)
In Purgatory, rather than purging himself of sins, he purges himself of the ability to feel sorry for people. As he makes his way up the mountain he becomes more and more sure that he is one of the saved, and thus comfortable with the punishments of those who suffer here. Even happy with the punishments, as it's a small price to pay for salvation.
Then he reaches the top, the garden of eden, and weeps for his friend Virgil, who is condemned to a gray, unfeeling, limbo with no joy or hope of salvation for all eternity, for no crime other than being born in the wrong year. Saving Dante's everlasting soul is a task no one could undertake but him, and it earns him no reward. Dante's tears make sense, but he is chastised and his last fleeting moment of humanity is washed away by a truly sociopathic beatrice in the river Lethe.
Good job Dante! You have successfully completed re-education camp. Now on to the high tower where you can live in ignorance of eternal suffering. And if ever a slight feeling of empathy towards your former brethren should creep into the back of your mind, just remember they deserve it.
Also, my modern perspective on both religion and literature leaves me with the uneasy feeling that the Divine Comedy is really about the loss of empathy. As Dante wanders through hell, he can't help but feel sympathy for those condemned to eternal punishments, even some really despicable people are deserving of his tears for what they have to endure (and also a few people very questionable condemned.)
In Purgatory, rather than purging himself of sins, he purges himself of the ability to feel sorry for people. As he makes his way up the mountain he becomes more and more sure that he is one of the saved, and thus comfortable with the punishments of those who suffer here. Even happy with the punishments, as it's a small price to pay for salvation.
Then he reaches the top, the garden of eden, and weeps for his friend Virgil, who is condemned to a gray, unfeeling, limbo with no joy or hope of salvation for all eternity, for no crime other than being born in the wrong year. Saving Dante's everlasting soul is a task no one could undertake but him, and it earns him no reward. Dante's tears make sense, but he is chastised and his last fleeting moment of humanity is washed away by a truly sociopathic beatrice in the river Lethe.
Good job Dante! You have successfully completed re-education camp. Now on to the high tower where you can live in ignorance of eternal suffering. And if ever a slight feeling of empathy towards your former brethren should creep into the back of your mind, just remember they deserve it.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Sort of strange edition but you can't deny the poem is sublime.
The second volume of The Divine Comedy concerns Dante's climb through purgatory, still guided by Virgil, until he meets with Beatrice toward the end of this stage. The poem is focused on the nature of sin, contrasting examples of vice and virtue, and particularly on the perversions of love that result in sin - selfish love, harmful love, excessive love, or misguided love. Like the other volumes, Dante really needs to be read with a good guidebook, as many of the references are obscure political figures of the 14th Century or of literary antiquity. Onward to Paradisio . . .