Customer Reviews

Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy: Inferno. Text & Commentary(Two Vol. Set) (Volume 1 and 2)

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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

To be well read means that you have read the Comedy (at least once). At once haunting, dark and yet grotesquely beautiful, Dante has written for us the definitive Catholic epic poem of hell, purgatory and heaven. Mark Musa is one of the foremost Dante scholars in the world & teaches at the university of Indiana. His footnotes & commentaries are exceptional, a trademark that is not only a luxury but is, in fact, a necessity when it comes to Dante. I would recommend everyone read not just the Inferno, but all three canticles of the Comedy as a whole. One cannot truly understand everything in Inferno without reading thru the entire poem (including Purgatory and Paradise). Would also admonish that anyone interested in this work begin with Virgil's Aeneid and also read some Homer, Plato & Aristotle as well as some Roman history for a rough background of the work. Be advised that the bard expects you to have read everything he has so that you will catch all of his allusions. Once again, this is where Musa's footnotes come in handy, but there is still no substitute for actually reading thru the primary texts that serve as the foundation of this work. Also, would advise that one read the short work, La Vita Nuova (The New Life) before reading the Comedy, as it is basically a prologue to his epic. It will also help make more sense re: the pilgrim's near-obsessive love that he has for Beatrice. This is truly one of the great epic poems ever written and it positions Dante right up there with Homer, Goethe & Virgil.

About twenty years ago I read Dorothy Sayers's translation of Dante's "Divine Comedy" with great pleasure, finding an awesome grandeur in Dante's progression from Hell through Purgatory to Heaven. When I decided to re-read the work, I found the poetry tortured and the references obscure. So I went comparison shopping, settling on Mark Musa's version. He created an excellent, free-flowing, poetic, and easily understandable translation of the three canticles of Dante's "Divine Comedy" for Penguin Classics.

In addition to the direct translation, Musa provides an introductory summary to each canto, detailed notes following each canto, a glossary of names in the back of each volume, and an introductory essay for each volume. The introduction to "Volume 1: Inferno" gives a thorough introduction to Dante and to his other works as well as to the Inferno. Following the introduction is a translator's note. The introductions to "Purgatory" and "Paradise" do not go over the extra information presented in "Inferno". It is useful to read all three of Dante's canticles in the Musa translation to get a complete, consistent presentation of the work. Musa does make reference in his notes to one volume to ideas or people presented in the others.

The notes are vital for almost everyone. The references to Biblical, classical, and medieval personalities, myths, time systems, theology, and events come frequently. Few people are up on the ins and outs of Guelf vs. Ghibelline in medieval Italian politics. Musa makes it all as clear as it needs to be.

Musa's version of "Inferno" italicizes the introductory summary before each canticle and retains the detailed, interesting mappings of Hell used in the Sayers edition.

Dante's poem is central to Western civilization. Allowing for some poetic necessities, it pulls classical and medieval history into the framework of Christian theology to show how God's love powers the universe, how people can exercise free will, and how God can help and reward those who trust in Him. It is very easy for the reader to ask how he or she would fare in the afterlife and how to go about finding a better outcome. Some sins are punished severely [like traitors frozen near Lucifer in the ice of the Cocytus lake], and some sins have varying outcomes [E.g., there are some sodomites running on the burning sand of Lower Hell forever and some having their sins burned way in the last stage of Purgatory before going to Paradise.]. Some loves are more blessed than others too. There is much to reflect on. Dante the Pilgrim, drawn by his love for Beatrice gets the full experience.

Reading "The Divine Comedy" is valuable in any translation; Musa's flies along, bringing his audience along with understanding.

This review for "Inferno" applies to "Purgatory" and "Paradise" as well, since the productions are so comparable.

Mark Musa's translation of the Divine Comedy is the smoothest, most enjoyable version I have read. (I've read a few.) Mr. Musa provides a brief summation at the beginning of each Canto of Dante's Inferno. He then follows the summation with the actual poem (his translation), and then, after each Canto, he gives in-depth notes on all the references Dante has made -- which may often be obscure to the modern reader. This version is perfect for high-school and college students as well as the leisure time reader who simply wants to become acquainted with this foundation of Western poetry.

The Inferno is the first volume of the Divine Comedy and tells the story of how Dante is taken by the spirit of Virgil through the depths of Hell. The scenes and characters that they encounter cover many different human emotions; mostly sorrowful ones while Dante and Virgil are in Hell. This first volume is the most famous of the three, but Mark Musa's translation makes it so quick and entertaining to read, that I think most will find themselves wanting to continue on into the final two volumes, which I would highly recommend in order for one to obtain the entire perspective of this brilliant poem.

Let me just say this first of all, if you haven't read this poem please do! You don't know what you're missing!

So why use this translation rather than another? one of the things that makes this translation better than the rest is all the helpful notes Musa includes. It would be very difficult to read this poem without notes and Musa's stand out as some of the best.

About the translation itself, what can I say? It is simply superb. Musa uses modern day English making the poem easily read by today's English readers consequently.

I love Dante so much I cannot find words to explain it. His epic (all three parts, not just Inferno) leaves one gasping for adjectives. It's mind-boggling that he even TRIED to write such a thing. The fact that he actually succeeded at what he attempted to do is totally amazing.

And I have read many translations: Ciardi, Mandelbaum, Binyan, Sayers, etc. Some of them are quite good. But Mark Musa's is the only one where the translator has actually managed to accomplish something so wonderful that it is actually worthy of his great model. In fact, I would go so far as to say that, if an English translation is necessary, Paradiso almost HAS to be read in Musa's. Inferno and Purgatorio are both a bit more down-to-earth and accessible. But Paradiso - which is a GREAT poem - is almost unreadable in any other English translation I've seen. But not in this one.

His commentary also proves that even after 700 years, there are still great and strong insights to be gained into this greatest of epics.

Great job, Mr. Musa. I almost wished I lived in Indiana, so I could attend your courses at Indiana State University. Great, great job.

Recently in my 11th grade English class we have been studying Dante's Inferno. Before I had read this book in class, I had heard that this book was very boring. So this interested me to see why people thought so badly of this classic story. It was very boring at first but as we got further into the book in became more interesting. Dante's inferno is about a guy named Dante, who has realized that he is spiritually lazy and spiritually lost. In order for Dante to get out of his spiritual problems he must take a trip through hell. Virgil a pagan from hell has been chosen from on high to lead Dante on his journey through hell, as well as protect him from its perils. Dante meets many people on his journey such as Odysseus, Francesca. Francesca is in hell because she is unrepentant toward God and does not take responsibility for here own reactions. Her punishment is to be whipped around in a fierce storm, which represents the storm of love. Odysseus is in hell because he did not take responsibility for his family plus; he also did not realize his own limitations because he went past the Pillars of Hercules, which is where the rock of Gibraltar is today. At this time in history it was forbidden to go out of the Mediterranean Sea. His punishment is that he will be inside a flame for eternity. One of the major lessons that Dante has to learn is to show no pity to the souls that have been dammed because they chose to be there. This lesson, as well as others are taught through the souls that he encounters in hell and the guidance, which he obtains from Virgil. I think that when a person really sits down and analyzes the meaning of everything in the Inferno, there is a lot of advice, which can even be used today world.

I bought this for my Kindle due to the excellent reviews for the Musa version without looking at the sample first. Once I opened it up, it was clear that this is NOT the Musa version but a straight translation by Longfellow, which is far, far from what I was looking for. I'm calling customer service about this. The $2 for the Kindle version isn't the point, but it isn't even CLOSE to what the reviews match too. And when typing in Musa's name for a search, this is the only link that comes up. Very disappointing from such a stellar organization like Amazon.

Musa's translation of Dante's _Inferno_ has excellent, comprehensive notes, lyricism, and vividness. It is an incredible translation of Dante's work, and conveys the essence of it nicely.

Choosing which translation of Dante's Divine Comedy to read is a very subjective and personal question. Any translation involves balancing the meaning, feel, and artistry of the work, normally at the expense of at least one of these qualities. A major consideration is the topic of rhyme. The Divine Comedy has a complex rhyme scheme that suits itself well to the rhyme-rich language of Italian (where, unlike English, many words end in vowels). Translations that attempt to maintain any type of rhyme scheme often sound forced and usually compromise the meaning of the text.

At the other end of the spectrum are straight prose (spoken word) translations. Prose translations are great for communicating the story and it's nuances, however any poetical structure is lost. A third choice is a translation written in blank verse (iambic pentameter). This format allows freedom to communicate the work without rhyme, yet maintains a metrical structure. In addition, it's well suited for English (Shakespeare wrote much of his work in blank verse).

So, which version should you read? I have no vested interested in selling a particular author's work, my recommendations are just my personal opinion. My favorite version is by Mark Musa (written in blank verse). I also enjoy Anthony Esolen's translation (blank verse with some rhyme). They also both have good notes (a necessity). Ultimately, it's great to read a few and decide which version you like best, each has strengths and weaknesses.

This translation is faithful and modern at the same time. I know Italian and have read the italian poem, but I am also interested in translation, and have found that Musa's work is far superior to others. He explains his criteria in the translator's note: use of modern words, exclusion of rhyme and fidelity to the semantic content. Solutions like the verse: "And, everywhere I looked, the beast was there" (Inf. I, 34) which translates "e non mi si partia dinanzi al volto" fascinate me. This is a search for clarity and fidelity at the same time, dealing with a language that does not simplify things for a translator.
Very recommendable.