Take a photo of a barcode or cover
vivikay 's review for:
The Inferno (Signet Classics)
by Edward M. Cifelli, John Ciardi, Archibald T. MacAllister, Dante Alighieri
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked up Inferno mainly for Katabasis prep (iykyk), but I ended up having way more fun with it than I expected. The format of this edition was really well done for a newbie: each canto starts with a short summary kind of like a primer to set the scene, then the translated stanzas, and finally the footnotes. The structure really helped me know where I was and what to look out for.
The translation itself was also fun to read. I like to read poetry aloud, and this one had such a great rhythm and rhymes. The footnotes were PACKED with context, and it felt like I was getting not just the text but also a mini crash course in Dante. Ciardi’s notes ranged from historical background to his thoughts on Dante’s tone/writing style, plus explanations of why he chose certain phrasing.
Also, not gonna lie, Dante’s punishments are supposed to be horrifying, but from a modern reader’s perspective, they’re kind of hilarious. It’s gruesome, but also cheeky in the way he chose everyone’s punishments. The edition I had also included illustrations which helped picture the underworld.
Finally, as a Greek mythology fan, I loved all the crossovers when familiar characters popped up. Honestly, now I kind of want to keep going and read Purgatorio and Paradiso too…
The translation itself was also fun to read. I like to read poetry aloud, and this one had such a great rhythm and rhymes. The footnotes were PACKED with context, and it felt like I was getting not just the text but also a mini crash course in Dante. Ciardi’s notes ranged from historical background to his thoughts on Dante’s tone/writing style, plus explanations of why he chose certain phrasing.
Also, not gonna lie, Dante’s punishments are supposed to be horrifying, but from a modern reader’s perspective, they’re kind of hilarious. It’s gruesome, but also cheeky in the way he chose everyone’s punishments. The edition I had also included illustrations which helped picture the underworld.
Finally, as a Greek mythology fan, I loved all the crossovers when familiar characters popped up. Honestly, now I kind of want to keep going and read Purgatorio and Paradiso too…