Customer Reviews

The Divine Comedy: Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso

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This Everyman edition of Allen Mandelbaum's superb translation of Dante's DIVINE COMEDY is my favorite one-volume edition currently in print in English. There are many very, very good things to say about this translation and edition. First and perhaps foremost, it contains Mandelbaum's remarkable translation of Dante, a translation often noted for being the best compromise between poetic rhythm, beauty, and accuracy. Of recent translations, the only one that I like as much as Mandelbaum's is Pinsky's great translation of the INFERNO, but unfortunately he has not, as has Mandelbaum, gone on to translate the entirety of Dante's masterpiece. Though Pinsky's translation is renowned for following the terza rima rhyme pattern, it actually reads more like a prose translation, primarily because he observes no meter for each line (Dante's original has eleven syllables per line, precisely like Shakespeare's famous line, "To be or not to be, that is the question"). Mandelbaum observes neither meter nor rhyme, but I personally find more of a poetic concentration of language than one finds in Pinsky. Most of all, Mandelbaum's translation is, like Pinsky's, highly readable and extremely dynamic. Until and if Pinsky completes his translation, Mandelbaum is likely to remain my favorite translation of Dante in English (though happily there are a host of very good translations, including those by Huse, Sinclair, and Singleton).

The volume is remarkably attractive, with a lovely dust jacket (not shown in the Amazon book photo), covers wrapped in cloth, non-acidic, nonreflective paper, and a ribbon bookmark. Also, the volume features a large number of Botticelli's illustrations of Dante, which obviously adds immensely to its value and its attractiveness. Also enhancing the volume's value is the marvelous introductory essay by Eugenio Montale and the comprehensive notes by Peter Armour. The only conceivable criticism of this volume is the absence of the Italian original, but that is not to be too regretted since its presence would have required so many additional pages that it would have been an unwieldy and unusable volume. One can get the Mandelbaum translation in either mass market paperback or hardback editions featuring each part with facing Italian.

The final thing to note is that one gets all these features in what is a very reasonably priced volume. I think for most readers of Dante, this is going to be the single volume of choice. Indeed, unless one especially wants the Italian text facing the English, this might be the edition of choice under any circumstances. The one edition that is clearly the supreme edition of Dante in English, that of Charles Singleton published by Princeton, is simply too expensive for all but the most serious readers of Dante. I will merely add that this is probably one of my favorite editions of any classic in my personal library. Obviously, I strongly recommend this version to anyone contemplating either reading or rereading Dante.

I am, and have been for many a year, a scholar of the works of Dante. Coming up to date, I have read thousands of translations of the text of all three parts of the Divine comedy, and this is the best I have found yet. First of all, it is a treat to find that all three parts of this master work are collected in this one volume, and even though the price is quite low for a hardcover book with as many pages as this, I cannot stress the quality of this edition. As many may know, Dante Alighieri was a man of great literary prowess, but was given drive by his single obsession to a small girl by the name of Beatrice. She rings true in this work, as the guiding angel, bringing Dante through the depths of hell, the wasteland of Purgatory, and finally, the glory of heaven. This has been one of the most enduring works on the human spirit, and the concept of god as seen through Christianity. Full of pun and metaphor, this is rich in language, and ready to please. Some people start their studies of Epic Poetry with Milton's "Paradise lost," but I say, speaking from experience, that Dante is far superior to Milton, but Milton is in good company as his second. I have read the original in Italian, and this is about as close of a translation as you can get. Please enjoy this.

Since it is given that Dante's Divine Comedy is one of the most important works of Western Literature, my review will focus on the translation rather than the original. Mandelbaum's translation was good, but not great. His greatest strength is that he maitains a strong sense of readability throughout most of the text. Although he does occasionally lapse into confusing gramatical structures in order to maintain the form of the poem, these are rare and do not detract from the reading to too great of an extent. However, what is lost in this translation at times, is the sense of poetry and pacing that are so crucial to Dante. This is not entirely his fault, however. In this edition of his work, there is no white space between each triplet of the poem. This, coupled with Mandelbaum's not having made any attempt to reflect terza rima in his translation, disrupts the flow of the original. While this is a small complaint, it does keep Mandelbaum's translation from achieving the brilliance of Pinsky and Merwin. However, Mandelbaum does have one advantage over those other two translators: he does the entire Comedy. While Pinsky's Inferno and Merwin's Purgatorio are superior to the same works in Mandelbaum's hands, Mandelbaum's translation is, in my opinion, the finest complete translation available.

The glossing of the book is also strong, but, like the translation, does contain a few flaws. The notes are very thorough, but sometimes gloss the obvious, which can be quite tedious.

Also, I would have preffered a higher quality of paper and print. While I realize that this series of books is intended to be inexpensive, a work with the length and depth of the Comedy warrants the extra expense necessary to make the reading experience less ardous.

So, while I would recommend this edition to anyone just getting started on Dante (it was my first), serious Dante scholars might want to look elsewhere. The strengths of this volume (not the least of which is that it has the entire Comedy, rather than just a third) make it a worthwhile addition to the body of Dante translations, but it lacks any one tremendous strength to set it apart from the others.

Not much needs to be said about Dante and his Comedy. If you don't already know what it's about that's a shame. Dante was an amazing poet and this journey through hell, purgatory and heaven is a reflection of so much about him and he times he lived in. While some poeple believe that this was purely a work of religious fervor I know that it was only patially based in that. The book was also political... just take a look at the people he put in hell! People he had issues with. This edition is great because it has endnotes which explain all of Dante's sometimes veiled references to people and events. But that doesn't detract from Dante's knowledge of Catholic dogma and his Grecco-Roman myth heritage. He draws from many sources (including the writings of Aquinas) religious and secular to form his vision of hell, purgatory and heaven.

Now, as to the translator. I know that it's always hard to maintain a balance between the literal translation and the feeling of the poetry. In my opinion Mandelbaum has done the right thing in staying more on the side of literacy. Yes, Dante was a poet and he wrote beautiful poetry, but in order for us English speakers to really get what his Comedy is saying we have to have a little clarity. Dante is veiled enough, he's a poet, when you translate poetry into more poetry you run the risk of just obfuscating more. If you haven't ever read the Divine Comedy then try this translation first. If you know Italian then go read the Italian and skip this translation silliness. Or try the paperback versions that split up Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven into separate books. The Italian is on one side and the translation on the other. But after gaining a good understanding of the text then by all means go read more poetic versions to get a better feel of the beauty of Dante's language.

There are three types of books: worthless ones; worthwhile but difficult or dense; and worthwhile and straightforward. The first category we needn't concern ourselves with. The second includes works by writers like Faulkner or Joyce. The Divine Comedy seems to me to be in the last category. Although it is true that having a solid grasp of European history and culture would allow the work to resonate more with the reader, anyone who has not had the time or inclination to read Virgil, Homer, or the Bible might find themselves inspired to do so after reading Dante. Mandelbaum's translation is as smooth as silk. He handles Dante's 'weighty' lines well:
And so I saw that splendid school assembled,
led by the lord of song incomparable,
who like an eagle soars above the rest.

but, even more impressively, does spendidly with the little transitional scenes:
So did we move along and toward the light,
talking of things about which silence here
is just as seemly as our speech was there.

Doesn't that flow nicely?
There are notes in the back of the book adequate for a layman's purposes, and a cool chronology that puts Dante's life into a cultural and historical context. I found the introduction by Eugenio Montale to be a bit precious, but one can't have everything. What more is there to say; one either decides to read the great works of the world or one doesn't. If you are among the minority of those who choose to take the high road, this is a good place to start or continue your journey.

The Divine Comedy consists of three books: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise). A number of editions publish these as three separate volumes, so when you order you want to be sure you're getting what you want. This edition has all three in one volume.

Not knowing Italian, I can't comment on the translation except to say that it seems to be highly regarded. Mandelbaum puts the Divine Comedy in meter, but it's not rhymed the way some translations are (Dorothy Sayers, for instance). But he sticks to the same Dantean meter throughout, so the translation has a very nice rhythm to it.

Peter Armour has added a really nice set of notes: very concise yet very informative. They are are placed at the back of the book (pp. 543-791). The Divine Comedy is chock-full of references and allusions to figures and events both from Dante's own day and from classical mythology, so the notes are indispensable if one wants to arrive at a decent understanding of the text. A list of references on pp. 792-798 gives the exact place of reference in the biblical or classical literature Dante is referrring to. For instance, if in the notes Armour simply writes "Aristotle," one can turn to this reference section in order to find the exact place within Aristotle's writings. At the front of the book (pp. 40-53) is a handy timetable which sets events in Dante's own life alongside parallel political and cultural developments. Finally, interspersed throughout this volume are 42 sketch drawings by fifteenth century artist Sandro Botticelli (c. 1445-1510). This feature has its own historical interest, as it's fascinating to see how a mind from that period would have pictured the often bizarre scenes of Dante's imagination.

What is really nice about this edition, however, is the binding: beautiful hardcover cloth and a really nice jacket (not shown in the Amazon photo) with a reproduction of a vivid fifteenth century portrait of Dante (also by Botticelli). Especially nice is the concave-shaped spine (I'm not sure what the proper word is for this feature) which allows the book to lay open flat, just like a good Bible. There's also a ribbon to keep one's place, and the typface is very clear and easy on the eyes.

The Mandelbaum translation also comes in an Italian-English parallel edition. The only one I've seen so far is a small, 3-volume paperback set. If you know some Italian and are going to devote some serious study to the Comedy, this set might prove a handy companion.

This particular version of "Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy" Is not only a fine hardcover book with a handy bookmark ribbon, but the literature itself cannot be matched. The english translation has been carefully written so the stanza's would still be in rhyme with Dante's own aba bcb cdc... pattern. The poems and descriptions by Dante show a clear message of hell, purgatory, and heaven; which cannot be matched. I believe everyone should read this book.

First. The Divine Comedy is an ur-text: one of the select few that have been passed down through centuries, almost millenia, to create a foundation on which is built our Western literary tradition.

Second. Allen Mandelbaum's translation is excellent. It has the readability of prose but stays lyrical. It does not strain itself to be lyrical, though, as I think Ciardi's translation does too often.

Third. The notes are fantastic. Dante constantly alludes to the Greek mythology and his contemporary Italy. Without the excellent notes it can be very difficult to interpret what point the author is trying to make. Most importantly, the notes make reference to the original work on which Dante based the allusion. If you have a copy of Ovid's Metamorphoses or Virgil's Aeneid you can easily cross-reference and get more out of the Divine Comedy than you would otherise. (Mandelbaum's translations of Metamorphoses and Aeneid are also great and recommended, though not as nicely packaged as this work.)

Finally, and my Main Point. This is physically the nicest single volume of the Divine Comedy you can buy new today.

The dust jacket is very attractive. But if you're like me you take off the jacket immediately and read it without. Under the jacket you'll find a very handsome cover and spine, as you do with all Everyman's Library editions. This volume will not only look good on your shelf, but it should last through many readings and be a very nice to hand down to a child or grandchild someday.

The physical dimensions are perfect. Some volumes of the complete Divine Comedy I have seen are just unwieldly; they are too tall or too thick to comfortably read while kicking back in a chair or lounging in bed. This also has a perfect heft. It feels like you are holding and reading an important work.

The paper is very nice. Just thick enough, it easily turns without fear of tearing while not being too heavy to be cumbersome. It won't fall to pieces in five year's time either. (Unfortunately, the current printing of Mandelbaum's translation of Virgil's Aeneid by Bantam Classics is a mass-market paperback and already rotting on the shelf.)

Most importantly, the text is very readable. A very friendly typeface is used. It is put on the paper with modern methods - not as a facsimile of a photo of an old metal type pressing as so many classics appear. And a professional actually spent time on the layout. Too many classics are thrown together cheaply. The people at Everyman's Library do a consistently great job at this. By contrast, old Penguin Classics volumes are terrible to read because the type, press, and layout are poorly done and painful to read. (To be fair Penguin Classics has gotten much better recently. In particular their "Deluxe Editions" are very nice. I have the "Deluxe Edition" of Odyssey, Iliad, and Candide and recommend them.)

Summary. After growing tired of the genre fiction that filled my leisure reading, I began reading the classics. This book was one of the first I picked up and it has completely spoiled me. Everyman's Library sets the bar against which all other printings of the classics must be compared.

If you are looking for the best single volume of Dante's Divine Comedy, this is it. It will make a handsome addition to your library and you will easily be able to say you have actually read it too.

There is nothing that can be said about the Divine Comedy that has not been said before, and certainly nothing I could say would be worthy of such a monumental achievement in Western Literature. Instead, I would like to focus on the translation and edition of this work. Allen Mandelbaum's translation of this great epic is marvelous. He does an excellent job of maintaining the rhythm and fluency of the original, and leaves the reader with the same feel that I believe Dante himself intended for the poem. Though I believe the notes in John Ciardi's translation more thorough, Mandelbaum nevertheless provides adequate documentation that helps understand the poem better.

The Everyman's version of this work is great--it's inexpensive, hardbound, and attractive. The paper is not the best, but for the price, it is a great value. And this version contains a good introduction and also a number of illustrations, believed to have been done in the fifteenth century, that depict various scenes in the poem and reflect the midieval feel.

While I am not an expert on Dante translations, I was very impressed by this version of Mandelbaum's, and would highly recommend this one-volume set (a great value) as an excellent addition to the library of anyone who wants to include such classics as these in his library but doesn't want to spend a fortune on them.

In the pages of the Divine Comedy, Dante paints his versions of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise with such vivid detail, and in such beautiful verse, that I believe no Bible version could ever achieve. I'm sure a lot of this is due to the translation effort of this version, which is as fluid and beautiful, as it is true to the original.
The Divine Comedy is a politically-charged piece that tells as much about Dante's views on religion as it does about his political views and his position as a potential outcast. Pages of the book are filled with contemporary references, which would be impossible to figure out for the average reader, were it not for the handy endnotes that are included in this edition (Everyman's Library). Page after page describe the torments of Dante's enemies and other sinners against humanity, and bliss of those who followed righteous paths. And while his views may be often skewed, the images that Dante paints are very powerful, making the Divine Comedy a book that will appeal not only to people of Christian faith, but to skeptics and atheists alike.