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A review by dragonlilly
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
5.0
This is probably the best Christian fanfiction ever. In general I would say it is now one of my most favorite books of all time. I especially enjoyed looking at Gustave Doré’s engraving illustrations for their respective parts of the story and in some cases these engravings greatly helped with my understanding of the visuals Dante describes, especially when in hell. The notes for this Oxford World’s Classics edition were also a huge help to my understanding of the book and Dante’s intentions. This is a lengthy review that mostly serves as notes to myself of what I appreciated about this story.
Inferno was a fascinating and adventurous journey, Purgatorio was funny and full of notable Christian theology, but Paradiso was the most joyful and full of love. Dante’s writing very clearly gets better with each book of The Divine Comedy, but most audiences will know Inferno rather than the other books, and honestly, the other two books are probably more striking to a Christian audience, and may not click as well with others, but I would still highly recommend them, because the story as a whole is amazing. The story gets progressively more emotional and heartfelt as it continues and finally meets its perfected end – finii.
Inferno
Such a fun read, truly. Dante is hilarious at times when he faints after feeling so terribly sympathetic towards the suffering sinners, but then at the end he feels their punishments are truly acts of justice after hearing about all the horrible things the sinners deep in hell have done. The father-son relationship between Virgil and Dante is also sweet and grows as the story continues into Purgatorio. This book is filled to the brim with politics, most of which are only understandable through the book’s notes, but I see why it was so important to Dante who’s life was surrounded by and controlled by what was political. Religion also unfortunately gets integrated into politics and Dante certainly has things to say about that. But Inferno also gives a great depth to the realm of hell and what is within it.
Some of the methods of torture are simple such as being held in raging rivers, boiling rivers of blood, or suffering from pestilence, but there are some interesting concepts as well. There are flaming tombs for the heretics and those that have committed suicide are turned into trees creating a forest of sorrow. This latter punishment turned out to be quite sad. There are so many interesting concepts, such as the idea that one can commit a sin so grave that his soul immediately gets transported to the depths of hell to freeze, while a demon inhabits the person’s body on earth for the remainder of the body’s life (Canto XXXIII).
The most terrible story was of Count Ugolino in Canto XXXIII who gnawed on the head of Archbishop Ruggieri in hell. The fact that he wipes his mouth on the hair of the archbishop before he speaks is both comical and disgusting, and it makes me applaud Dante’s use of description. What is so terrible about his story however is his imprisonment. Ugolino earns his place in hell due to siding with the Guelfs as a Ghibelline, marking his betrayal. Ruggieri is with him as he betrayed Ugolino by imprisoning him, but what was worse was that he imprisoned him with his sons, who he let starve alongside their father. The story is extremely cannibalistic with the sons offering themselves as food to their father when he is distressed, and he of course disregards the idea. But then the sons die one by one and Ugolino is overcome with grief, until “‘grief was less strong than hunger’” – a quote that will remain with me forever due to its disturbing hint that he indeed ate his own children then.
Then after seeing Satan and getting a bit too close for comfort, Dante and Virgil finally exit hell with Dante stating, “And then we emerged to see the stars again” (Canto XXXIV
Purgatorio
While Dante’s Hell was fascinating and more on the political side, Dante’s Purgatory was very focused on religious doctrine and ideas, and it turned out to be beautiful as well. The one-liners at the end of the cantos were lovely. Virgil continues to be like a father and when he left at the very end of Purgatorio since his duty was over, I was almost as sad as Dante at his leaving, as well as sad for Dante’s sake. The sadness you feel as you read, “I turned round to my left, with that trust / With which a child runs to his mother, / When he is afraid or in trouble,” during a moment when Dante turns around to speak to Virgil, only to find that he is gone, is almost unbearable (Canto XXX). Dante cries a lot here and it is certainly warranted and I felt for him.
I loved being able to experience both the joy and sorrow that is felt in Purgatorio and there were some hilarious moments as well, like when Dante and Virgil meet Statius, who reveals he is a big fan of Virgil not knowing that he is right in front of him, causing Dante to crack a smile and tell Statius who is immensely joyful (Canto XXI). Like Dante, I was cracking a smile too, and I was quite happy with Statius joining the party. He even made me want to read the Thebaid. The discussion of free will in Canto XVI was well executed, and the topic of bad government was very interesting and I truly agree with Dante there. Virgil’s discussion of love in Canto XVII was also great, as he described how people may love things too much or too little, and a confused notion of good and how to achieve that good causes people to do bad things. It certainly connects to C.S. Lewis’ writing about how people are not evil, they just want a good thing but take bad measures to get to that thing, or go too far with that thing.
I also love the part where Dante is able to pass through the final test of fire because of his love for Beatrice, and he did not have to reject her in his search for a love for God, but instead his love for Beatrice made him love God more (Canto XXVII). Beatrice does friend-zone him at the end though, calling him a brother, but Dante retains his respectful love for her and he will likely never forget the true love he felt for her in his youth. I also got out of Purgatorio the idea that spiritual rituals are done to raise our minds to heaven and connect to God. In general, Purgatorio was such a fun ride, but also a learning experience and reinforcement of my own thoughts.
Paradisio
This book is more complex for me than the other two, but still wonderful. I like how Dante’s search for knowledge is greatly loved by Beatrice. He has so many questions, but little time to answer them, yet Beatrice loves answering the ones that he badly wants to know and understand and the other spirits love teaching him too. Knowledge is important, as it is a part of the Christian search for truth, but Dante quickly learns that some things are simply not possible for normal humans to understand until they reach Heaven. The pure happiness of Heaven is beautiful, with the spirits often singing with voices that have “a sweetness which is not to be known / Except in that place where joy is eternal” (Canto X). Only spirits who are as happy as the ones in Heaven could sound so lovely. Dante’s descriptions of these singing voices throughout Paradiso are one of the best and happiest things within this section of the greater poem.
I enjoyed Canto XI where Thomas Aquinas talks about St. Francis’ story and the saint’s great love for the church. I think it is sweet that Dante’s great-great-grandfather uses a lovely and literal family tree metaphor when introducing himself saying, “‘O my leaf, in whom I was well pleased / As I awaited you, I was your root’” (Canto XV). It’s also quite cool seeing the foresight Dante has about how people will see his work in the future during a time when people “‘will call the present time, ancient times’” to which his ancestor tells Dante to write the Divine Comedy even if it is a bit bitter for some readers since it is a very important work (Canto XVII). Dante was famous in his time and knows he’ll be famous in the future, but he paints himself a humble writer of truth, not necessarily writing to seek fame. Fame is just a result of his truth.
Key points are made in Canto XIX when discussing what happens to those who do not know Christ after death, an uncomfortable discussion when considering very good people who simply were never told about God, which Dante tries to help solve with the addition of Limbo in Hell holding many of these people, like Virgil. “He began again: ‘No one has ever climbed / To this kingdom without belief in Christ, / Either before or after he was nailed to the cross. / But see: many there are who cry “Christ, Christ” / Who at the judgement will be much less near / To him than some who do not know Christ” (Canto XIX). A great quote to reference those who say they are followers of God, yet really are not as seen through their thoughts and actions, which is something seen still today through people preaching kindness yet never offering kindness and offering hate instead, among other things.
Canto XXIV is also a great section on Christian faith. I like the definition of hope in Canto XXV as “expectation of future glory.” Dante is all about exposing the corruption among popes and within the church, as the church mingles with politics, and by showing Saint Peter’s anger at this unfortunate circumstance on Earth in this in Canto XXVII, it really makes the situation all the more sad, and you end up feeling for Peter as well. It is amazing how Dante causes the reader to feel emotions for people in his writing so deeply. I love how Peter also pushes Dante to write saying, “‘And do not hide what I have not hidden,’” demonstrating that Peter’s anger, but also his prediction of redemption are important, leading the canto to end with Beatrice declaring hopefully, “‘And true fruit will come after the flower,’” (Canto XXVII). Simply amazing quotes all throughout this book but especially in Paradiso.
Finally reaching Canto XXXIII, the ending of this comedy, Dante meets God after Saint Bernard prays for Dante beautifully, and Dante even more beautifully and poetically describes his experience of meeting God. It is the most beautiful chapter of the entire story, and a very complete ending, with the last lines stating, “But already my desire and my will / Were being turned like a wheel, all at one speed, / By the love which moves the sun and other stars.”
Inferno was a fascinating and adventurous journey, Purgatorio was funny and full of notable Christian theology, but Paradiso was the most joyful and full of love. Dante’s writing very clearly gets better with each book of The Divine Comedy, but most audiences will know Inferno rather than the other books, and honestly, the other two books are probably more striking to a Christian audience, and may not click as well with others, but I would still highly recommend them, because the story as a whole is amazing. The story gets progressively more emotional and heartfelt as it continues and finally meets its perfected end – finii.
Inferno
Such a fun read, truly. Dante is hilarious at times when he faints after feeling so terribly sympathetic towards the suffering sinners, but then at the end he feels their punishments are truly acts of justice after hearing about all the horrible things the sinners deep in hell have done. The father-son relationship between Virgil and Dante is also sweet and grows as the story continues into Purgatorio. This book is filled to the brim with politics, most of which are only understandable through the book’s notes, but I see why it was so important to Dante who’s life was surrounded by and controlled by what was political. Religion also unfortunately gets integrated into politics and Dante certainly has things to say about that. But Inferno also gives a great depth to the realm of hell and what is within it.
Some of the methods of torture are simple such as being held in raging rivers, boiling rivers of blood, or suffering from pestilence, but there are some interesting concepts as well. There are flaming tombs for the heretics and those that have committed suicide are turned into trees creating a forest of sorrow. This latter punishment turned out to be quite sad. There are so many interesting concepts, such as the idea that one can commit a sin so grave that his soul immediately gets transported to the depths of hell to freeze, while a demon inhabits the person’s body on earth for the remainder of the body’s life (Canto XXXIII).
The most terrible story was of Count Ugolino in Canto XXXIII who gnawed on the head of Archbishop Ruggieri in hell. The fact that he wipes his mouth on the hair of the archbishop before he speaks is both comical and disgusting, and it makes me applaud Dante’s use of description. What is so terrible about his story however is his imprisonment. Ugolino earns his place in hell due to siding with the Guelfs as a Ghibelline, marking his betrayal. Ruggieri is with him as he betrayed Ugolino by imprisoning him, but what was worse was that he imprisoned him with his sons, who he let starve alongside their father. The story is extremely cannibalistic with the sons offering themselves as food to their father when he is distressed, and he of course disregards the idea. But then the sons die one by one and Ugolino is overcome with grief, until “‘grief was less strong than hunger’” – a quote that will remain with me forever due to its disturbing hint that he indeed ate his own children then.
Then after seeing Satan and getting a bit too close for comfort, Dante and Virgil finally exit hell with Dante stating, “And then we emerged to see the stars again” (Canto XXXIV
Purgatorio
While Dante’s Hell was fascinating and more on the political side, Dante’s Purgatory was very focused on religious doctrine and ideas, and it turned out to be beautiful as well. The one-liners at the end of the cantos were lovely. Virgil continues to be like a father and when he left at the very end of Purgatorio since his duty was over, I was almost as sad as Dante at his leaving, as well as sad for Dante’s sake. The sadness you feel as you read, “I turned round to my left, with that trust / With which a child runs to his mother, / When he is afraid or in trouble,” during a moment when Dante turns around to speak to Virgil, only to find that he is gone, is almost unbearable (Canto XXX). Dante cries a lot here and it is certainly warranted and I felt for him.
I loved being able to experience both the joy and sorrow that is felt in Purgatorio and there were some hilarious moments as well, like when Dante and Virgil meet Statius, who reveals he is a big fan of Virgil not knowing that he is right in front of him, causing Dante to crack a smile and tell Statius who is immensely joyful (Canto XXI). Like Dante, I was cracking a smile too, and I was quite happy with Statius joining the party. He even made me want to read the Thebaid. The discussion of free will in Canto XVI was well executed, and the topic of bad government was very interesting and I truly agree with Dante there. Virgil’s discussion of love in Canto XVII was also great, as he described how people may love things too much or too little, and a confused notion of good and how to achieve that good causes people to do bad things. It certainly connects to C.S. Lewis’ writing about how people are not evil, they just want a good thing but take bad measures to get to that thing, or go too far with that thing.
I also love the part where Dante is able to pass through the final test of fire because of his love for Beatrice, and he did not have to reject her in his search for a love for God, but instead his love for Beatrice made him love God more (Canto XXVII). Beatrice does friend-zone him at the end though, calling him a brother, but Dante retains his respectful love for her and he will likely never forget the true love he felt for her in his youth. I also got out of Purgatorio the idea that spiritual rituals are done to raise our minds to heaven and connect to God. In general, Purgatorio was such a fun ride, but also a learning experience and reinforcement of my own thoughts.
Paradisio
This book is more complex for me than the other two, but still wonderful. I like how Dante’s search for knowledge is greatly loved by Beatrice. He has so many questions, but little time to answer them, yet Beatrice loves answering the ones that he badly wants to know and understand and the other spirits love teaching him too. Knowledge is important, as it is a part of the Christian search for truth, but Dante quickly learns that some things are simply not possible for normal humans to understand until they reach Heaven. The pure happiness of Heaven is beautiful, with the spirits often singing with voices that have “a sweetness which is not to be known / Except in that place where joy is eternal” (Canto X). Only spirits who are as happy as the ones in Heaven could sound so lovely. Dante’s descriptions of these singing voices throughout Paradiso are one of the best and happiest things within this section of the greater poem.
I enjoyed Canto XI where Thomas Aquinas talks about St. Francis’ story and the saint’s great love for the church. I think it is sweet that Dante’s great-great-grandfather uses a lovely and literal family tree metaphor when introducing himself saying, “‘O my leaf, in whom I was well pleased / As I awaited you, I was your root’” (Canto XV). It’s also quite cool seeing the foresight Dante has about how people will see his work in the future during a time when people “‘will call the present time, ancient times’” to which his ancestor tells Dante to write the Divine Comedy even if it is a bit bitter for some readers since it is a very important work (Canto XVII). Dante was famous in his time and knows he’ll be famous in the future, but he paints himself a humble writer of truth, not necessarily writing to seek fame. Fame is just a result of his truth.
Key points are made in Canto XIX when discussing what happens to those who do not know Christ after death, an uncomfortable discussion when considering very good people who simply were never told about God, which Dante tries to help solve with the addition of Limbo in Hell holding many of these people, like Virgil. “He began again: ‘No one has ever climbed / To this kingdom without belief in Christ, / Either before or after he was nailed to the cross. / But see: many there are who cry “Christ, Christ” / Who at the judgement will be much less near / To him than some who do not know Christ” (Canto XIX). A great quote to reference those who say they are followers of God, yet really are not as seen through their thoughts and actions, which is something seen still today through people preaching kindness yet never offering kindness and offering hate instead, among other things.
Canto XXIV is also a great section on Christian faith. I like the definition of hope in Canto XXV as “expectation of future glory.” Dante is all about exposing the corruption among popes and within the church, as the church mingles with politics, and by showing Saint Peter’s anger at this unfortunate circumstance on Earth in this in Canto XXVII, it really makes the situation all the more sad, and you end up feeling for Peter as well. It is amazing how Dante causes the reader to feel emotions for people in his writing so deeply. I love how Peter also pushes Dante to write saying, “‘And do not hide what I have not hidden,’” demonstrating that Peter’s anger, but also his prediction of redemption are important, leading the canto to end with Beatrice declaring hopefully, “‘And true fruit will come after the flower,’” (Canto XXVII). Simply amazing quotes all throughout this book but especially in Paradiso.
Finally reaching Canto XXXIII, the ending of this comedy, Dante meets God after Saint Bernard prays for Dante beautifully, and Dante even more beautifully and poetically describes his experience of meeting God. It is the most beautiful chapter of the entire story, and a very complete ending, with the last lines stating, “But already my desire and my will / Were being turned like a wheel, all at one speed, / By the love which moves the sun and other stars.”