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A review by ashra
The Divine Comedy, Vol. 2: Purgatory by Mark Musa, Dante Alighieri
2.0
probably going to spend 1,000 years going around Mount Purgatory for this one but *clears throat* Book 2: Purgatory? more like, Dante and his Self-Insert Mary Sue OC of the Same Name, Part 2, including Daddy Virgil from the Aeneid (And Some Guy Named Cassius)
2.5* maybe because I really liked the diction up until the middle-end here
He sure did create Purgatory himself, and huge props to that, because much like the book that came before it, the guy has a ball inventing the strange and inventive imagery that houses these books. I did find Purgatory less interesting than the Inferno, but I guess that's bound to happen when one of these place is intended for the most cruel and opposite punishments against sins and then the other one is "they must HAPPILY repent their sins before they get to go to paradise." like ok, they can't exactly get turned into lizards anymore. (but tbh the lizards were cooler.)
I did think certain parts of Purgatory were very interesting, though not always nearly as compelling. I like that the Pride sinners have to carry giant boulders around, that's funny. Envy sinners with their eyes sewn shut, good stuff.
I love how the Sloth sinners have to run eternally around and around like hyperactive dogs until their heart is ready to repent. That greed hill where they have no choice but to lay on the dirt?!
The lust sinners hanging out in a giant fire, lol. now that's steamy.
I really appreciate Dante's concept of Purgatory, and how it's changed Christian doctrine as a whole. I think he has a really good point here, that it would be kind of messed up to send people straight to Heaven, especially those who may have accepted Divine Love in their heart but who have done horrible, horrible things in their lives. I think repentance is key and so is enforcing that shades can only move on when their hearts have truly rolled over from it. I love that. I wish we talked about that a little more, but I think it's great. Also wish we saw a little more out of his Greek influences, which I feel like we lost a bit of post-Inferno.
I do also feel like some of Dante's creative fire is dampened in his attempts to really hone in on RIGHTEOUSNESS and such, which is a shame. We do start to get some bite with Beatrice at the end there. Freaking -- her description is phenomenal. She's gorgeous. I do believe that that's Divine Love. No idea what version this is but I am enamored with it:
"Exactly so, within a cloud of flowers
that rose like fountains from the angels' hands
and fell about the chariot in showers
a lady came in view: an olive crown
wreathed her immaculate veil, her cloak was green,
the colors of live flame played on her gown."
I genuinely thought that Beatrice was Dante's ten-years-dead wife or something, but no, I just looked it up, apparently they only ever met twice. I have no idea how Dante decided to make her Divine Love but that kind of just makes it even funnier. WHAT A GUY.
I like that she's mean, though. I think Dante deserves it. Knock him down a few hundred pegs. I hate how he writes himself like a 1,000 year old mary sue. he really is though... ugh, Beatrice GET him. do it for me please!
Freaking Dante. He started referring to Virgil as his dad and I am sorry but I could not keep a straight face, THIS GUY. And the way he keeps forgetting to give Cassius things to do. He's just kind of hanging out here. Now that's character.
The narrative definitely felt more cohesive in the first book. This one did have some bombastic and lovely prose, but not quite at the heights of the Inferno. It was interesting enough, but I definitely felt it lagging by the end there and I just couldn't bring myself to care about Paradise. It sounded really frothy and not super compelling. I've got a week left on my library book though so let's see if I can finish the trilogy before the end of finals!!
Anyways I'm sure I'll be crouched outside the gates to Purgatory for 30 x my life for this one, so I guess I'll see y'all there, assuming I'm not in Hell for being gay (God loves gay people right. I think so <3)
2.5* maybe because I really liked the diction up until the middle-end here
He sure did create Purgatory himself, and huge props to that, because much like the book that came before it, the guy has a ball inventing the strange and inventive imagery that houses these books. I did find Purgatory less interesting than the Inferno, but I guess that's bound to happen when one of these place is intended for the most cruel and opposite punishments against sins and then the other one is "they must HAPPILY repent their sins before they get to go to paradise." like ok, they can't exactly get turned into lizards anymore. (but tbh the lizards were cooler.)
I did think certain parts of Purgatory were very interesting, though not always nearly as compelling. I like that the Pride sinners have to carry giant boulders around, that's funny. Envy sinners with their eyes sewn shut, good stuff.
I love how the Sloth sinners have to run eternally around and around like hyperactive dogs until their heart is ready to repent. That greed hill where they have no choice but to lay on the dirt?!
The lust sinners hanging out in a giant fire, lol. now that's steamy.
I really appreciate Dante's concept of Purgatory, and how it's changed Christian doctrine as a whole. I think he has a really good point here, that it would be kind of messed up to send people straight to Heaven, especially those who may have accepted Divine Love in their heart but who have done horrible, horrible things in their lives. I think repentance is key and so is enforcing that shades can only move on when their hearts have truly rolled over from it. I love that. I wish we talked about that a little more, but I think it's great. Also wish we saw a little more out of his Greek influences, which I feel like we lost a bit of post-Inferno.
I do also feel like some of Dante's creative fire is dampened in his attempts to really hone in on RIGHTEOUSNESS and such, which is a shame. We do start to get some bite with Beatrice at the end there. Freaking -- her description is phenomenal. She's gorgeous. I do believe that that's Divine Love. No idea what version this is but I am enamored with it:
"Exactly so, within a cloud of flowers
that rose like fountains from the angels' hands
and fell about the chariot in showers
a lady came in view: an olive crown
wreathed her immaculate veil, her cloak was green,
the colors of live flame played on her gown."
I genuinely thought that Beatrice was Dante's ten-years-dead wife or something, but no, I just looked it up, apparently they only ever met twice. I have no idea how Dante decided to make her Divine Love but that kind of just makes it even funnier. WHAT A GUY.
I like that she's mean, though. I think Dante deserves it. Knock him down a few hundred pegs. I hate how he writes himself like a 1,000 year old mary sue. he really is though... ugh, Beatrice GET him. do it for me please!
Freaking Dante. He started referring to Virgil as his dad and I am sorry but I could not keep a straight face, THIS GUY. And the way he keeps forgetting to give Cassius things to do. He's just kind of hanging out here. Now that's character.
The narrative definitely felt more cohesive in the first book. This one did have some bombastic and lovely prose, but not quite at the heights of the Inferno. It was interesting enough, but I definitely felt it lagging by the end there and I just couldn't bring myself to care about Paradise. It sounded really frothy and not super compelling. I've got a week left on my library book though so let's see if I can finish the trilogy before the end of finals!!
Anyways I'm sure I'll be crouched outside the gates to Purgatory for 30 x my life for this one, so I guess I'll see y'all there, assuming I'm not in Hell for being gay (God loves gay people right. I think so <3)