Valley of the Dead (The Truth Behind Dante's Inferno) [Paperback]

Kim Paffenroth (Author), Dante Alighieri (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2010

Working from Dante's "Inferno" to draw out the reality behind the fantasy, author Kim Paffenroth unfolds the horrifying true events that led Dante to fictionalize the account of his lost years ... For seventeen years of his life, the exact whereabouts of the medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri are unknown to modern scholars. It is known that during this time he traveled as an exile across Europe, working on his epic poem, "The Divine Comedy." In his masterpiece he describes a journey through the three realms of the afterlife. The most famous of its three volumes, "Inferno," describes hell. During his lost wanderings, Dante stumbled upon an infestation of the living dead. The unspeakable acts he witnessed--cannibalism, live burnings, evisceration, crucifixion, and dozens more--became the basis of all the horrors described in Inferno. Afraid to be labeled a madman, Dante made the terrors he experienced into a more "believable" account of an otherworldly adventure filled with demons and mythological monsters. But at last, the real story can finally be told.

Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Permuted Press (April 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934861316
• ISBN-13: 978-1934861318
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a graduate of St John's College, Annapolis (1988), Harvard Divinity School (1990), and the University of Notre Dame (1995). I work at Iona College. I am married with two wonderful children. I am blessed to be able to write about the things that interest me and share my ideas with others.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, quite different zombie tale, April 9, 2010

By 

Nick Cato "nickyak" (Staten Island, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of the Dead (The Truth Behind Dante's Inferno) (Kindle Edition)

Despite talks (within the genre) of zombies being just about "as played out" as vampires, there seems to be a fresh take on them nearly every month . . . but few have been as interesting (or intelligent) as Kim Paffenroth's VALLEY OF THE DEAD, which takes its cue from visions seen in Dante's INFERNO and imagines what he went through during his 17-year exile from Italy (a timeline of his life is provided for us mere mortals!).

The author's prologue itself is worth the cover price and dared me (and will dare any zombie fanatic) to keep reading long into the night.

Besides the uber-cool setup, Paffenroth's writing style here differs from his "Dying to Live" series, and the whole tone of the story seems (at times) like you're reading a lost account of a historical reality. The various characters he encounters (and befriends) along his journey seem quite real, and in their conversations (especially in Chapter 20) we learn nifty bits and pieces about Dante's past (hmmm---seems Dr. Kim set out not only to give his readers the willies, but 'learn 'em a bit, too).

While I truly enjoyed this, I'm not sure how many fans of the standard "shoot-'em-up/gut-munch" zombie tale will; but if you allow yourself to enter Paffenroth's speculative vision with no pre-conceptions, you might find it a hard place to want to leave.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zombies don't get much smarter than this, February 13, 2011

By 

Funky Werepig - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of the Dead (The Truth Behind Dante's Inferno) (Paperback)

REVIEWED BY THE FUNKY WEREPIG


There are two main things you need to know about Kim Paffenroth's VALLEY OF THE DEAD. It's about zombies. And the book is based on Dante's `Inferno' from his classic poem The Divine Comedy. That's a serious mix of horror gore and incredible intelligence. I doubt very few writers could pull this combo off. But having met and chatted in depth with Mr. Paffenroth, I can also say that I'm not surprised that he nailed it.

With this novel, Paffenroth writes as if it's actual history. He follows Dante during one of the most depressing times of his life, his exile from his native city of Florence, Italy. Not much is known of Dante's life during this period but Paffenroth is more than happy to fill in those blank spots- with a zombie plague that has overrun the lands. And in doing so, his fictional story explains in a very matter-of-fact manner how Dante came upon his inspiration for his greatest and best known piece of work.

Told through Dante's eyes and words, he travels in search of some land that hasn't been overrun by the zombie plague. Along the way he joins a few companions- a soldier, a monk, and a pregnant peasant girl- who he forms unique bonds with as they journey literally through different levels of hell to a `safe' destination they're not sure even exists.

Where Paffenroth makes a brilliant choice is in having the living humans be the real horror. Oh yes, there are zombies all over the countryside, in the woods, the mountains and villages. You never know when they will attack and Paffenroth keeps the tension built throughout like a constant heartbeat. But it's in meeting the people who have survived the plague that offer the greatest threats.

Each chapter almost comes off as its own parable or tale. There's a continual flow of corrupt or immoral or insane or damaged characters that confront Dante's band of travelers at every turn. Each has a different perspective on the zombies and has a different means to handle the plague. Being true to human nature, rarely do these meet with unanimous approval. Dante is often as disgusted with the souls of humanity as he is with the soulless walking dead.

Those who love history and are familiar with Dante will applaud Paffenroth's loyalty to both the time period in general and the specifics surrounding Dante's personal life. Those who aren't as familiar or interested in factual representations will love this book because it's a great zombie story that goes beyond a particular time period. People are eaten. They are turned. And what's left of humanity has gone rogue.

I'm no literary scholar. I'm not a history expert. But I do love good horror. VALLEY OF THE DEAD is the smartest book you'll read all year. And it's quite possible that only a dude as intelligent as Paffenroth could make it a flat out creepy scary zombie novel as well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, August 10, 2011

By 

Jonathan Maberry -NY Times Bestseller (Bucks County, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of the Dead (The Truth Behind Dante's Inferno) (Paperback)

Few writers would have the intellect or the balls to attempt to fictionalize elements of the life of Dante Alighieri...and pull it off! But Kim Paffenroth does it with sharp wit, insightful writing and great style. Bravo!