Dante's Inferno (The Divine Comedy, Volume 1, Hell) [Paperback]

Dante Alighieri (Author), Charles Eliot Norton (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005 | Series: The Divine Comedy

The "Divine Comedy" was entitled by Dante himself merely "Commedia," meaning a poetic composition in a style intermediate between the sustained nobility of tragedy, and the popular tone of elegy. The word had no dramatic implication at that time, though it did involve a happy ending. The poem is the narrative of a journey down through Hell, up the mountain of Purgatory, and through the revolving heavens into the presence of God. In this aspect it belongs to the two familiar medieval literary types of the Journey and the Vision. It is also an allegory, representing under the symbolism of the stages and experiences of the journey, the history of a human soul, painfully struggling from sin through purification to the Beatific Vision. Contained in this volume is the first part of the "Divine Comedy," the "Inferno" or "Hell," from the translation of Charles Eliot Norton.

Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker

"Virgil's design for Dante, that he will 'grow used/to the sad stench,' for 'after a short while/human senses numb,' does not extend to this volume's readers; our senses are continually jostled and primed by the unexpected shifts in style." --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"It seems right that Dante would provide such an unusual meeting ground of cultures, eras, and writers: his voice took in many voices. Curious, questing, and provocative, this literary project should be a signpost to anyone who cares about language." -- Publisbers Weekly

"Many hands have made, in the present case, not light but lasting work." -- -- James Merrill

"What drew such disparate poets as Amy Clampitt, W. S. Merwin, Sharon Olds, Galway Kinnell, Mark Strand, C.K. Williams, and Alfred Corn into the translating project? The glory of the poem itself, the grand enterprise of making a work written 700 years ago beautiful for a new generation." -- Rebecca Pepper Sinkler, Editor, The New York Times Book Review

Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 1 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 10 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 11. by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 12. by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 13. by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 14. by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 15. by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 16. by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 17. by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 18. by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 19 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 2 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 20 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 21 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 22 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 23 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 24 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 25 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 26 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 27 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 28 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 29 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 3 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 30 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 31 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 32 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 33 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 4 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 5 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 6 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 7 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 8 by Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia: Inferno. Canto 9 by Dante Alighieri
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder® --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: Digireads.com (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1420926381
• ISBN-13: 978-1420926385
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.2 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,055 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 in Florence. His family, of minor nobility, was not wealthy nor especially distinguished; his mother died when he was a child, his father before 1283. At about the age of 20 he married Gemma Donati, by whom he had three children. Little is known of Dante's formal education-it is likely to have included study with the Dominicans, the Augustinians, and the Franciscans in Florence, and at the university in Bologna. In 1295 he entered Florentine politics and in the summer of 1300 he became one of the six governing Priors of Florence. In 1301, the political situation forced Dante and his party into exile. For the rest of his life he wandered through Italy, perhaps studied at Paris, while depending for refuge on the generosity of various nobles. He continued to write and at some point late in life he took asylum in Ravenna where he completed the Divine Commedia and died, much honoured, in 1321.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars In fact an old translation June 4, 2011

By Martin (Madrid)

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dante's Inferno is wonderful, but has to be read in a decent translation. I ordered this one because I thought it would be interesting to see how different translators handled it. But something has gone wrong. This Classic Collections version of Dante is not as advertised. It's actually an atrocious old translation by the Rev. Cary, poorly put together, and with no proper table of contents, etc. In any case, it's available elsewhere for free. I'm not sure whether I can return Kindle books, so I'll probably just throw it away.
If Amazon check out these reviews, please can they remove or adapt the inaccurate information on this one.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars dante led through a hall of carnival mirrors April 26, 2002

By "hirofantv"

Format:Paperback

led by 20 contemporary poets who offer their own stylistic interpretations of Dante's great Inferno. So many translations have been done that the goal of this book seems to me not to be to attempt another Inferno of syntax that's become standardised, but to introduce Dante to the world of contemporary poetry by meshing the classic with the eclectic array of poets in this book. Most actually do seem to want to do a somewhat standardised translation for their canto/s, but new ideas are welcome. This is not a book to read to familiarise oneself with the Inferno, but it is a great book to read to think about evolution of classicism through these writers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun edition of a great book March 28, 2013

By P. Dean

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dante's Divine Comedy has stood the test of time, and the poem itself doesn't need me to defend it on Amazon. This is an interesting edition, though, recommended for video game enthusiasts. The art insert is neat, and the book includes a thoughtful introduction by Jonathan Knight, the game's executive producer.

The Longfellow translation can be a bit archaic, but the notes section is helpful. The notes are printed in a separate section after the poem, rather than on the opposite page or at the end of a canto. It can be a bit annoying to flip back and forth, but it does keep the notes from breaking the flow of Dante's language.

Bottom line, this is a good book for fans of video games and classic literature (maybe not the largest Venn diagram in the world), and is probably the strangest promotional tie-in in video game history.