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Dante's Inferno tells of a fantastic journey into the inner circles of Hell and was written in the early 14th century. Dante uses himself as the main character and his lierary hero, Virgil, as his guide given to him by his lost love Beatrice. What follows is a moving tale which details Dantes travels through the different realms where sinners live out their horrific punishments. He meets well known people (such as Homer, Ovid and Judas Iscariot), but also talks to a lot of his political rivals that he met during his time in Florence (before his eventual exile). There isn't much in the way of a storyline, but what there is is a frightening depictiction of this terrible plane of existance, and at times it feels as if he himself struggles to write. But then this could probably be due to Kirkpatrick's translation. Guranteed, a translation from the Italian vernacular epic poetry into English is no easy task. But I must say Kirkpatrick did amazingly well. Sure it is understandable that the poem may lose its original rythm and meaning, but this extremly qualified translator still gives the poem its beauty. Added to this penguin classics edition is an incredible introduction that talks about Dante's backstory, the politics of Florence (that has a huge amount of influence on the poem), an insight into Inferno, and a look at Dante's writing style. Another addition is a map of 14th century Italy and a plan of Dante's hell. At the back of the book is a description and explanation of each of the 34 cantos that are thourough and I believe essential, and notes that you can find the appropriate lines throughout the poem, giving an even more detailed insight into this divine comedy. However, whilst reading this, I couldn't help but feel that at times Dante was lying back on Vergil's (and at times Ovid's) legacy. Many of the events/characters/meanings are based on Vergil's Aeneid (of which I haven't read), which I find slightly irritating. That a master of the Italian language such as Dante, who you can tell has a vast imagnation, must use unoriginal story ideas from Vergil, is a little disappointing. Maybe Dante felt that it was neccessary to use these images to create a more vivid picture of hell, but I think that it wasn't needed. To conclude, this is a medieval masterpiece, which I thouroughly enjoyed reading and went on to influence many literary giants in the future. Incredible.

Not for me

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Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy (before Purgatorio and Paradiso). In this book, we follow Dante as he visits Hell, walking down its nine consecutive Circles accompanied by the poet Virgil, and meeting old acquaintances on the way. This should not become a habit, but I intend to stop after the first volume and not finish the trilogy. First, I realize I'm simply not sensitive to poetry. Then, there are too many references to public or mythical figures of the Antiquity and 13th-century Florence, and I'm not sufficiently educated in History and Biblical Lore to enjoy this book. Still, Sisson's modern English translation is good and reads easily. The notes at the end of the book are well-done and help understand what Dante is referring to, but I was too lazy to constantly check back and forth. I'm wondering if it would have been a better choice if they'd been placed in the margin.

Divinely nasty

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"Midway life's journey I was made aware/that I had strayed into a dark forest..." Those eerie words open the first cantica of Dante Alighieri's "Inferno," the most famous part of the legendary Divina Comedia. But the stuff going on here is anything but divine, as Dante explores the metaphorical and supernatural horrors of the inferno. The date is Good Friday of the year 1300, and Dante is lost in a creepy dark forest, being assaulted by a trio of beasts who symbolize his own sins. But suddenly he is rescued ("Not man; man I once was") by the legendary poet Virgil, who takes the despondent Dante under his wing -- and down into Hell. But this isn't a straightforward hell of flames and dancing devils. Instead, it's a multi-tiered carnival of horrors, where different sins are punished with different means. Opportunists are forever stung by insects, the lustful are trapped in a storm, the greedy are forced to battle against each other, and the violent lie in a river of boiling blood, are transformed into thorn bushes, and are trapped on a volcanic desert. If nothing else makes you feel like being good, then "The Inferno" might change your mind. The author loads up his "Inferno" with every kind of disgusting, grotesque punishment that you can imagine -- and it's all wrapped up in an allegorical journey of humankind's redemption, not to mention dissing the politics of Italy and Florence. Along with Virgil -- author of the "Aeneid" -- Dante peppered his Inferno with Greek myth and symbolism. Like the Greek underworld, different punishments await different sins; what's more, there are also appearances by harpies, centaurs, Cerberus and the god Pluto. But the sinners are mostly Dante's contemporaries, from corrupt popes to soldiers. And Dante's skill as a writer can't be denied -- the grotesque punishments are enough to make your skin crawl ("Fixed in the slime, groan they, 'We were sullen and wroth...'"), and the grand finale is Satan himself, with legendary traitors Brutus, Cassius and Judas sitting in his mouths. (Yes, I said MOUTHS, not "mouth") More impressive still is his ability to weave the poetry out of symbolism and allegory, without it ever seeming preachy or annoying. Even pre-hell, we have a lion, a leopard and a wolf, which symbolize different sins, and a dark forest that indicates suicidal thoughts. And the punishments themselves usually reflect the person's flaws, such as false prophets having their heads twisted around so they can only see what's behind them. Wicked sense of humor. Dante's vivid writing and wildly imaginative "inferno" makes this the most fascinating, compelling volume of the Divine Comedy. Never fun, but always spellbinding and complicated.