A review by ed_moore
The Divine Comedy: Volume 2: Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The second instalment of Dante’s Divine Comedy ‘Purgatorio’ follows Dante and Virgil’s pilgrimage to the summit of Mount Purgatory and through the Garden of Eden after surfacing from Hell. In comparison to ‘Inferno’, Purgatorio has many more poets as figures doing penance, as oppose to political figures and mythological figures in Inferno, though each of these categories of sinners are still present just in a lesser volume. It also has much more emphasis on sharing moral religious lessons and an attention to detail on hymns being sung, so naturally the more religious focus was more present in ‘Purgatorio’ and less to my enjoyment than depictions of sin in ‘Inferno’ (what did I expect in a religious allegorical poem though.) There are also many intentional similarities and callbacks to Inferno which were exciting, and less intentional similarities such as the continued obsession with Virgil, and the presence of even more classical poets creating a somehow greater impression of Dante writing a self-insert fan fiction where he is praised by all his favourite poets. ‘Purgatorio’ also addresses the reader much more which was an unusual change in tone I noted, perhaps this being related to the greater emphasis on teaching conversations and moral lessons being discussed as Mount Purgatory is climbed. I also cannot fail to mention that Canto 32 is perhaps one of the most batshit things ever written and I had to really process how and why all the random occurrences during such just - happened. I suppose it perfectly summarises the nature of the Divine Comedy though. Overall ‘Purgatorio’ wasn’t as good as ‘Inferno’, yet despite this still holds a lot of merit.