Customer Reviews

The Divine Comedy: Volume 3: Paradiso (Galaxy Books)

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This volume (Volume III: The Paradiso) is one of three volumes that offer the Divine Comedy in Italian with Sinclair's English translation. Volumes I and II are the Inferno and the Paradiso. All three volumes are reprints of the 1936 text. It would have been more convenient if the English and Italian texts had been arranged in parallel columns, instead of having the English translation appear at the end of each canto. Contemporary readers might also have prefered John Ciardi's translation to Sinclair's. Overall, however, this version does quite nicely. The type is clear and easy to read.

Sinclair's translation is very good, and his English versions of the epic similes are wonderful. I would highly recommend his entire translation of the Divine Comedy.

This final part of the Divine Comedy was very interesting and I enjoyed it a lot. However, I felt that it was too dogmatic and that Dante spent too much time considering doctrine problems in the Catholic Chruch. However, the ending was spectular!!! I felt like I was actually there and could see the faces of the angels and the blessed. If you are a fan of the Divine Comedy and Dante in general then please read this book. But I would not recommend it to the non-fan.