Customer Reviews

The Paradiso (Signet Classics)

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As a whole, Dante's COMEDY (a title later amended by the Church to DIVINE COMEDY) is arguably the greatest work in the history of World Literature. As an artist, his only competitor might well be Shakespeare. Despite all that, I will confess that the PARADISE is not a terribly easy book to read. INFERNO in particular but also PURGATORY is filled with a host of extraordinary scenes with unquestionable universal appeal. The highpoints of INFERNO have become part of the intellectual furniture of Western literature, not least because one reads it with rapt attention and a sense that one is dealing almost with a contemporary rather than a person writing seven hundred years ago. PURGATORY lacks some of this universal appeal, but nonetheless features a host of marvelous moments and extremely human details.

Unlike INFERNO and PURGATORY, however, PARADISE is rather narrower and specialized in its appeal. It is not merely that it assumes that the reader is a devout Catholic; one must be a devout Catholic of the early 14th century, sharing completely the view of the universe accepted at that time. I think I have an unusually complete understanding of the cosmological views of the late medieval period, but while this meant I was able to read this work with some familiarity of the details, it also guaranteed that much of my interest was merely academic.

There is an expression that "You do not judge Dante; Dante judges you." This is undoubtedly true, but it it definitely true that this final book is going to strain the interest of most readers, even if you know enough about the intellectual worldview behind his work. In fairness to Dante, the work was nearly impossible to pull off. That he managed to do so nonetheless is nothing short of a minor miracle. For one thing, most of what made the many remarkable characters of INFERNO so fascinating was the struggle that existed in their lives. But in PARADISE there is no conflict, no struggle, no "agon." Instead, it is a realm of perfect bliss, with few qualities apart from love, happiness, and praising God through singing and dancing. These are some pretty stiff limitations that any writer would struggle with. That Dante managed something remarkable despite this is fairly amazing.

Also, there is a major theological limitation placed upon the work. At this particular point in the history of Christian thought, the assumption was that after death humans would be without a body (though they would be reunited with their body at the final judgment). So all of the denizens of heaven were disembodied spirits (though Beatrice does seem to possess a body, but that is a detail that we'll pass over). Dante represents all of the souls he meets in heaven as brilliant shapes of light. In fact, everything in heaven is represented as brilliant shapes of light.

C. S. Lewis remarked that PARADISE was the first Sci-Fi novel, and while he intended this hyperbolically, there is nonetheless a great deal of truth in it. Dante's imaginative depiction of the physics of the superlunary realm is a truly enormous achievement. I won't go into all of the details of medieval physics, but given the assumptions of Aristotelian science, the way his body reacts in the heavens is not merely consistent with the science but pretty much necessitated by it. For instance, moving on the assumption that things above the orbit of the moon have an ineluctable attraction to God, whenever Beatrice wants to take Dante from one sphere to another she merely gazes upon the divine beauty and they are transported as quickly as, as Dante puts it, a bolt from a crossbow. It is a wonderful touch, only one among many found in the book.

What I love most about this work, however, is the way that it expands and completes the work as a whole. On one level, the COMEDY is essentially a tour of the entire known cosmos excluding the surface of the earth. He begins by descending into hell, travels all the way down through the circles of hell to the gravitational center of the earth where Satan is encased in ice, and then ascends literally up Satan's legs (which are on the opposite magnetic pole from his torso) to the Southern hemisphere (contrary to popular myth, all educated medievals were perfectly aware that the earth was round), to the base of the seven-storied Mount Purgatory, up it to its top and the Garden of Eden, and from thence to the various spheres of the heavens until he gazes directly upon God. No, PARADISE is not as fascinating to read as INFERNO, but the paradox is that the COMEDY as a whole is far more fascinating than INFERNO on its own. Therefore, anyone who fails to go on from INFERNO to read both PURGATORY and PARADISE is not only going to shortchange themselves: they are going to neglect completing one of the genuine masterpieces in the history of literature.

As with the first two volumes, Mandelbaum's translation is both remarkably faithful to the original and magnificently poetic. There are many excellent translations of this masterpiece, but I would probably recommend Mandelbaum's over any other complete translation to someone desiring to experience this masterpiece in translation.

Dante's Divina Comedia marks one of the highest points in literature. I have spent many of my happiest hours with it and shall do so again. This marks a very good translation of the masterpiece and opens itself easily to the reader who is willing to just sit down and "be" with the work.

While full appreciation takes effort, just being in the presence of such beauty is itself a form of grace. By the time one gets to "the love that moves the sun and the other stars," one is oneself totally moved.

Travel to the most light-forbidden spot on Earth.

Wait for night to fall. . .

Look up at the sky. . .

and count the stars.

That's how many stars I'd give John Ciardi's wonderful translation of Dante's Paradiso (indeed, the whole trilogy, but especially this)!

When reading this book it's almost impossible I'd say to not feel the same sense of awe as Dante does as he beholds the splendors of Heaven. This book makes you feel uplifted, upbeat, almost as if you're being catapulted through the Heavens right alongside Dante himself.

Of course, to get the full effect from reading this book you have to understand most of what goes on. And that is where the John Ciardi translation really shines. Just as Beatrice is Dante's guide, so is John Ciardi your guide through Heaven.

The Divine Comedy was written in the 1300's and how many people can honestly say that they understand Italian politics and history from that time period? Maybe Umberto Eco does (of "The Name of the Rose" fame), but that's a huge minority. But fear not, for every Canto opens with a short summary of what is about to be revealed next to Dante. One need not worry about this summary spoiling the story, either, as there really are no plot twists in The Paradiso. Although I have to admit that the last scene involving Dante and Beatrice was a bit shocking (to Dante, too) and even managed to form a few tears in my eyes.

After the summary there is the Canto itself and what I like most about this is how everything rhymes (ABA ABA, etc.) and still is rather easy to read. This text is uninterrupted, which is great if you happen to be an advanced reader of Dante and don't want to stumble into little numbers next to words referring you to footnotes all the time.

Again though, not many of us can say we're "Advanced readers of Dante", so for those of us in that crowd each Canto is finished with a healthy amount of footnotes that do an excellent job of explaining the politics and history in simple terms. You very well might still finish the Canto not understanding everything 100%, but you'll be much better off than if you tried to understand everything on your own. Think of it as Cliff's Notes already built into the book itself. Wonderful idea!

If you're still wondering if you should read this book, don't.

Trust me.

Everything is better in Paradise.

I won't go into detail on how amazing Dante's Divine Comedy is or how fantastic a job John Ciardi does with this translation since that has been handled well by the other reviewers. The only reason why I have knocked off some stars is due to the deficiencies present in the Kindle edition. If you are not considering the Kindle Edition, read no further. These are:

1. There are no line numbers at each tercet. The notes at the end of each Canto are fantastic, but they all reference the text itself by specific line numbers. This makes it difficult to go back to the text after reading an interesting note or vice versa.

2. There are no links to the notes within the text. This isn't a huge deal, but given there are no line numbers, it would have been nice to have a footnote hyperlink within the text and notes to jump back and forth between them.

3. There are many misspelled/incorrect words. It looks like the publisher merely ran a print copy of this book through a piece of OCR software and nobody bothered to read through it! Probably 3-4 times per Canto, I come across a word that is obviously the wrong word or misspelled in either the summary, poem, or notes. I have a print copy of this edition as well, and these are definitely mistakes. Most of the time you can quickly figure out what it's supposed to be by context, but not always. This is just sloppy on the part of the publisher and a complete travesty given the greatness of the work itself and the fantastic translation.

I've read THE DIVINE COMEDY in the original Italian and I highly recommend poet and scholar Allen Mandelbaum's acclaimed (facing page) translation (in 3 inexpensive mass-market paperbacks from Bantam: Inferno (Bantam Classics): 0553213393 / Purgatorio (Bantam Classics): 055321344X / Paradiso (Bantam Classics): 0553212044). Originally published in hardcover by the University of California Press, these free-verse English works carry the melancholic tone and the humanity of the original more faithfully than several other translations I've read. The maps/charts/notes for these mass market paperbacks are excellent (if relatively brief) and will likely satisfy the reader with a general interest in World Literature.

There is no end of commentary out there, extending back to Dante's own time (700 years worth!). Many Italian Studies professors lament that Dante's most famous work gets duller with each volume. I disagree, in part. Though the INFERNO is undoubtedly the most dramatic, I believe that the PURGATORY is the most satisfying, because it is so recognizably human. The PARADISE is not my favorite as I've never been enthusiastic about theology, though the PARADISE (and THE DIVINE COMEDY in toto) may be best appreciated as a microcosm of medieval European thought. One must also appreciate the difficult conditions under which this masterpiece was composed -- in exile -- no doubt a much more trying experience in early 14th century "Italy" than in our time. You don't have to agree with Dante to admire him and his art. The man suffered, and you can feel it. I believe the intensity of feeling in the poem is, in part, what distinguishes it from many other well-known epic poems which demonstrate more artifice than humanity.

N.B.: Mandelbaum's complete translation of THE DIVINE COMEDY is also available in a single-volume, portable cloth-hardcover edition, though the single-volume is in English with no facing-page original Italian (and with notes by Peter Armour): Everyman's Library, ISBN 0679433139. The Divine Comedy: Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso (Everyman's Library)
If you find you love Mandelbaum's translation and Barry Moser's haunting ink-wash illustrations, you can search for the original (bilingual) editions from the Univ. of CA Press.

If you're looking for a different translation of The Divine Comedy, many scholars agree that the following free-verse English-language versions are currently the pick of the crop (and also more expensive than the Mandelbaum/Bantam Classics):

Robert Durling's INFERNO and PURGATORIO translations with excellent, brief notes (and beautiful maps and cover illustrations) -- Oxford Univ. Press. Durling is currently working on his translation of the PARADISO;

Charles S. Singleton's scholarly translation/notes for the Inferno/Purgatory/Paradise are expensive (though you might find inexpensive used copies), and probably best appreciated by Dante aficionados -- Princeton Univ. Press;

At this time I have not yet read the recent translations by the Hollanders, which are said to be fantastic. I believe much of the praise is for the accompanying notes which condense Hollander's voluminous knowledge. I've read some of the notes and they are very impressive. Robert Hollander is another esteemed Dante scholar.

Dedicated students of Dante will want to check out Princeton's online Dante database (the Princeton Dante Project [PDP] and Dartmouth College's online Dante database, the Dartmouth Dante Project [DDP], both directed by Robert Hollander.

If you're looking for an attempt at capturing the rhyme of the original Italian (terza rima), a Norton Critical Edition of Michael Palma's rhyming translation of the Inferno (Norton Critical Editions) (edited by Giuseppe Mazzotta) is available (ISBN-10: 039397796X ; ISBN-13: 9780393977967). The NCE is loaded with great supplementary material (annotation, backgrounds, criticism, etc.).

Other attempts at capturing the Dante's rhyme scheme: Longfellow (edited by the Bondanellas of Indiana Univ.), Dorothy Sayers or Laurence Binyon (L.B.'s is out-of-print but available through used booksellers).

John A. Scott's UNDERSTANDING DANTE (The William and Katherine Devers Series in Dante Studies) may be the best and most comprehensive one-volume guide in English to Dante Alighieri and his work. I've read much on Dante and found it fascinating and highly informative--but more significantly, it's been highly praised by a number of notables in the field. ISBN-10: 0268044511.

Paradiso is inherently dull. The very nature of heaven makes it so. Not only is there no flesh, there is no conflict and there isn't even any change. With the stuff of drama absent and only bliss to look upon, what is there to say? Or rather, what is there to listen to?
In this case, as the story of our poet recedes and as Virgil is replaced by the ethereal Beatrice, the substance of the poem becomes the poetry. That is, the voice of Dante becomes paramount. If you read this in Italian, that's reward enough. I would guess that Paradiso is the canticle most often quoted in the original language.
In English however, this is tough sledding. The wily Ciardi didn't quite pull it off and all the earlier translations are hopeless. Then along comes Mandelbaum. The language is elevated without being unreachable. It is still not a volume that's impossible to put down, but it is a volume that you have to pick up again and again.

Lynn Hoffman, author of bang BANG: A Novel

+++++

(Note: this review is for the book "The Paradiso" translated by John Ciardi and published by Signet Classics in 2001.)

In book one containing part one (or "canticle" one) of Dante Alighieri's (1265 to 1321) three part "The Divine Comedy" entitled "The Inferno," a journey of spiritual enlightenment is begun by Dante by descending into Hell and discovering the reasons for eternal suffering of souls. In book two containing part two entitled "The Purgatorio," Dante ascends the mountain of Purgatory where there is purification of sin. In this book (book three), Dante ascends to Heaven to experience "the Love that moves the Sun and the other stars."

Dante begins this part of his journey by stating the following:

"Whatever portion time
still leaves me of the treasure of that kingdom
shall now become the subject of my rhyme."

Dante is saying that in the time left to him, the subject of this part of his "rhyme" or poem will be "that kingdom" of heavenly Paradise.

There is an introduction by Professor John Freccero. (We are not told what university he's associated with.) He does a good job of highlighting key aspects of this poem.

The late John Ciardi, former poet and professor at Rutgers and Harvard universities, translated this poem from its original 1300's Italian into English. He states that he has translated this poem for one major reason: for "the pleasure of a beginning student reading in translation." The poem's translation, he admits, is not over-scholarly. Scholars and purists may thus not appreciate Ciardi's translation. I, however, enjoyed his rhyming translation.

Dante's heavenly Paradise is based on an Earth-centered model of nine spheres (individually called "heavens"). Going outward from the Earth, they are as follows:

(1) the Moon
(2) Mercury
(3) Venus
(4) the Sun
(5) Mars
(6) Jupiter
(7) Saturn
(8) the Fixed Stars
(9) Primum Mobile (Prime Mover)

The Prime Mover is the sphere that contains the divine power to move these heavenly bodies. Beyond the Prime Mover is the Empyrean (pronounced "Em-pi-reen"). The Empyrean is God's realm of pure light and is Dante's final destination.

Thus, this heavenly paradise that Dante travels through consists of ten parts that comprise thirty-three episodes (or "cantos").

Unlike parts one and two, Dante takes the majority of this final journey with his guide and former love Beatrice. Along the way, the travelers and the reader encounter such things as biblical figures and references, philosophers, people of Dante's time, legends, saints, and angels.

As with parts one and two, this part is a narrative poem whose greatest strength lies in the fact it does not so much narrate as dramatize its episodes. It is a visual work that sparks your imagination.

Ciardi's mini-summary in italics before each episode gives the reader a glimpse of what to expect in a particular episode. His (foot)notes at the end of each episode highlight our understanding of key passages within each. For me, Ciardi's mini-summaries and notes that accompany each episode are the cornerstone to understanding what Dante was attempting to convey. As well, Dante can be challenging and tedious to read at times. These mini-summaries and notes help the reader meet the challenge and overcome the tedium.

There are three illustrations in this book. They increase the understanding of and add another visual dimension to the poem.

I should mention the impressive art on the cover of this book. It has a reproduction of the 1825 painting by William Blake showing Dante in the Empyrean. It has a river called the River of Light. Dante is shown drinking from this river.

It is possible to read this part without reading the first two parts. However, to experience the full impact of this part, I would recommend reading the first two parts first before reading this part.

The only noticeable problem I had with this book is that it did not have a diagram of the heavenly Paradise to help the reader know beforehand where this journey was going. The first two parts have these helpful diagrams.

Finally, as I mentioned, this is a very imaginative poem. Thus, I recommend "The Dore Illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy" (1976) by Gustave Dore. This book will add another vivid visual dimension to the poem.

In conclusion, don't miss this final phase of Dante's amazing journey. This brilliant translation allows the reader to experience what Dante was attempting to convey when he wrote this poem almost seven centuries ago!!

(published 2001; acknowledgements of translator; introduction; 33 cantos; poem, canto mini-summaries, and canto (foot)notes comprise 345 pages; 3 illustrations)

+++++

This is an excellant translation of Dante's Paradiso. If you cannot reed Italian, this is the translation to read.

Having finished his tour of hell and its residents, Dante Alighieri turns his attention to a more cheerful (if less juicy) supernatural realm. "Purgatorio" is less famous than its predecessor, but it's still a beautiful piece of work that explores the mindset not of the damned, but of sinners who are undergoing a divine cleansing -- beautiful, hopeful and a little sad.

Outside of Hell, Dante and Virgil encounter a small boat piloted by an angel and filled with human souls -- and unlike the damned, they're eager to find "the mountain." And as Hell had circles of damnation, Purgatory has terraces that the redeemable souls climb on their way towards Heaven, and none of the people there will leave their terrace until they are cleansed.

And the sins that are cleansed here are the seven deadly ones: the proud, the envious, the wrathful, the greedy, the lazy, the gluttonous, and the lustful. But as Dante moves slowly through the terraces, he finds himself gaining a new tour guide as he approaches Heaven...

I'll say this openly: the second part of the "Divine Comedy" is simply not as deliciously entertaining as "Inferno" -- it was kind of fun to see Dante skewering the corrupt people of his time, and describing the sort of grotesque punishments they merited. But while not as fun, "Purgatorio" is a more transcendent, hopeful kind of story since all the souls there will eventually be cleansed and make their way to Heaven.

As a result, "Purgatorio" is filled with a kind of eager anticipation -- there's flowers, stars, dancing, angelic ferrymen, mythic Grecian rivers and an army of souls who are all-too-eager to get to Purgatory so their purification can start. Alighieri's timeless poetry has a silken quality, and it's crammed with classical references and Christian symbolism (the Sun's part in advancing the soiled souls).

And the trip through Purgatory seems to have a strong effect on Dante's self-insert, who appears less repulsed and more fascinated by what he sees there. It's hard not to feel sorry for him when the paternal Virgil exits the Comedy, but at least he has someone else appears to guide him.

The middle part of the Divine Comedy isn't as juicy as "Inferno," but the beauty of Dante Alighieri's writing makes up for it."Purgatorio" is a must read... and then on to Paradise.

"To course across more kindly waters now/my talent's little vessel lifts her sails/leaving behind herself a sea so cruel..."

Having finished his tour of hell and its residents, Dante Alighieri turns his attention to a more cheerful (if less juicy) supernatural realm. "Purgatorio" is less famous than its predecessor, but it's still a beautiful piece of work that explores the mindset not of the damned, but of sinners who are undergoing a divine cleansing -- beautiful, hopeful and a little sad.

Outside of Hell, Dante and Virgil encounter a small boat piloted by an angel and filled with human souls -- and unlike the damned, they're eager to find "the mountain." And as Hell had circles of damnation, Purgatory has terraces that the redeemable souls climb on their way towards Heaven, and none of the people there will leave their terrace until they are cleansed.

And the sins that are cleansed here are the seven deadly ones: the proud, the envious, the wrathful, the greedy, the lazy, the gluttonous, and the lustful. But as Dante moves slowly through the terraces, he finds himself gaining a new tour guide as he approaches Heaven...

I'll say this openly: the second part of the "Divine Comedy" is simply not as deliciously entertaining as "Inferno" -- it was kind of fun to see Dante skewering the corrupt people of his time, and describing the sort of grotesque punishments they merited. But while not as fun, "Purgatorio" is a more transcendent, hopeful kind of story since all the souls there will eventually be cleansed and make their way to Heaven.

As a result, "Purgatorio" is filled with a kind of eager anticipation -- there's flowers, stars, dancing, angelic ferrymen, mythic Grecian rivers and an army of souls who are all-too-eager to get to Purgatory so their purification can start. Alighieri's timeless poetry has a silken quality, from beginning to end ("But here, since I am yours, o holy Muses/may this poem rise again from Hell's dead realm/and may Calliope rise somewhat here/accompanying my singing...") and it's crammed with classical references and Christian symbolism (the Sun's part in advancing the soiled souls).

And the trip through Purgatory seems to have a strong effect on Dante's self-insert, who appears less repulsed and more fascinated by what he sees there. It's hard not to feel sorry for him when the paternal Virgil exits the Comedy, but at least he has someone else appears to guide him.

The middle part of the Divine Comedy isn't as juicy as "Inferno," but the beauty of Dante Alighieri's writing makes up for it."Purgatorio" is a must read... and then on to Paradise.