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seanamo 's review for:
The Divine Comedy
by Dante Alighieri
While this final book in my 2017 reading challenge covers my about religion category, Dante has been on my TBR list for other reasons over the years. I knew I wanted to hear the poetry through audio, but I also read along in print. I used a matched annotated translation, so that I could simultaneously see and hear the words, particularly the names, and gain a clearer understanding of what I was reading. I'm glad I did this on one hand, but I realize now in doing so, I may have done a disservice to the poem itself; so I may revisit it without notes in the future.
The narrator was skilled and brought a pleasant, subdued emotion to Dante's beautiful language. That being said, I felt like most of Inferno and Purgatorio consisted of judgemental name-dropping from historical Italy, placing friend and foe alike in their appointed place in hell or purgatory. This is where I'm glad to have had the notations, so I could decipher some of the references, but it didn't take long to wear on me. Paradiso is where this epic poem really shines, as Dante shares his glorious vision of heaven.
All in all, I'm glad to have read the whole Comedia, but I'm also glad it's over.
The narrator was skilled and brought a pleasant, subdued emotion to Dante's beautiful language. That being said, I felt like most of Inferno and Purgatorio consisted of judgemental name-dropping from historical Italy, placing friend and foe alike in their appointed place in hell or purgatory. This is where I'm glad to have had the notations, so I could decipher some of the references, but it didn't take long to wear on me. Paradiso is where this epic poem really shines, as Dante shares his glorious vision of heaven.
All in all, I'm glad to have read the whole Comedia, but I'm also glad it's over.