Customer Reviews

Inferno (Modern Library Classics)

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This is the best translation of a great book that I have seen in a long time.

This translation brought Dante to life!!! The Inferno is amazing - deeply Catholic, deeply poetic. Translating this imposing piece of literature was beautifully, intelligently and seemlessly done by Dr. Esolen. Comparing exerpts from other translations show Esolen's translation to be more authentic to Dante's intent to write about the average man for the average man. We fought over it in our home and couldn't wait to purchase and read Purgatorio and Paradiso. Esolen's other translations are equally brilliant and represent some of the best contributions to classical literature.

This is not only a wonderful translation, but it also has a multitude of helpful endnotes that enable readers to understand the humor of Dante, and, more imporantly, his political allusions. I hear that some people are offended by the condemnation of homosexuality (as well as adultery), but since Dante himself defined the exact purposes of every ring of hell, it is impossible for a good translation not to criticize homosexuality. Also, Dr. Esolen's translations of "Purgatory" and "Paradise" equal the quality of the "Inferno".

This is a fanastic translation. Anthony Esolen is gifted with intelligence and insights which are uncommon today. I am pleased to have this translation available to my high school student who will once again be influenced by the wisdom and inspirations of Anthony Esolen's writings. Check out his other publications and books.

Esolen is neither a Dante scholar nor an Italian language/literature specialist. He is an English Teacher at Providence College, a Catholic institution. His retelling of the Divine Comedy is reasonably accurate and quite readable. The problem comes with his notes. They range from the scandalously inadequate to the downright offensive. Esolen has written a number of anti-gay articles for religious publications . This is reflected in his notes where he refers to homosexuality as something like "that most heinous of sins". This is not only offensive in a contemporary publication, but is totally out of tune with Dante himself, who took a much more sympathetic and nuanced approach c.1300 AD. And there are other personal and inappropriate comments.

There are many superior translations out there. Mandelbaum's is excellent and has very good notes. Robert and Jean Hollander's is also very fine and the notes are the most extensive and scholarly of all.