Understanding Dante (The William and Katherine Devers Series in Dante Studies) [Hardcover]

John A. Scott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0268044503 | ISBN-13: 978-0268044503

"Dante and Shakespeare divide the modern world between them; there is no third." UNDERSTANDING DANTE attempts to explain and justify T. S. Eliot’s bold claim. John Scott offers readers at all levels a critical overview of Dante’s writings: five chapters deal with his New Life of love and poetry ("Vita Nova"), the "Banquet" of knowledge ("Convivio"), his Latin treatise on language and poetics ("De Vulgari Eloquentia"), Italian lyrics ("Rime"), and his blueprint for world government ("Monarchia"). The next five chapters concentrate on Dante’s masterpiece, the "Comedy": its structure, Dante’s worldview (still relevant today), and the "Comedy" examined as a poem. Much has been written on Dante’s moral, political, and religious ideas; important as these are, however, such discussions are perforce limited. It is above all as a work of poetry that the "Divine Comedy" maintains its appeal and fascination to readers of all backgrounds and beliefs.

Firmly grounded in the latest advances of Dante scholarship, UNDERSTANDING DANTE offers an original and uniquely detailed, global analysis of Dante as poet of the "Comedy" that will be welcomed by those who read the poem in translation as well as by those who study the original Italian text. At the same time, Scott’s book will be welcome for its rich and insightful analysis of the whole corpus of Dante’s writings, as well as Scott’s mastery of the vast sea of critical literature in various languages. Scott bridges the gap that often exists between Dante studies in English-speaking countries and the great tradition of Dante scholarship in the poet’s homeland. No work in English about the great Italian poet can rival UNDERSTANDING DANTE’s scope in both depth and breadth of close reading and critical vision.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . [A] commanding, elegant overview of Dante’s works . . . This is a significant and deeply satisfying book." -- The Atlantic Monthly, April 2005

". . . concise, lucid, and elegant prose . . . [A] book that will enrich any library and any reader. Essential." -- Choice, June 2005

From the Publisher

A 2005 Choice Outstanding Academic Book

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press (January 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0268044503
• ISBN-13: 978-0268044503
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,290,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great scholarship, great writing, October 8, 2011

By 

Glenn Corey "book fiend" (Canton, OH, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Dante (The William and Katherine Devers Series in Dante Studies) (Paperback)

For nonspecialists like me (but probably also for specialists), this book is invaluable. For those uninterested in becoming specialists in Dante but still hold an interest in obtaining a basic grasp of his secondary works, this book is just what you are looking for. John Scott pulls off an extraordinary feat: in less than 500 pages, he provides a comprehensive overview of Dante's oeuvre as well as the major contentious issues in Dante scholarship. The interested lay reader will come away from the book with a solid understanding of what it is possible to know about Dante's views on various issues, such as writing styles, world empire, philosophy, etc., how his views evolved over time, and how his earlier expressions of his beliefs found representation in the Comedy. Scott is comprehensive without being pedantic (though his mastery of the subject matter is clear), all in an engaging writing style. He doesn't shy away from overturning some clearly incorrect interpretations of some giants in the field of Dante studies, like Charles Singleton, and backs up his own interpretations with a solid understanding of relevant secondary materials.

All in all, this is a very impressive work of scholarship that readers like me dream of having at their disposal.