Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.
THE DIVINE COMEDY--CANTICLE I: INFERNO and over 300,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
9 used & new from $58.47

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy: Inferno. Text & Commentary(Two Vol. Set) (v. 1)
 
 
Start reading THE DIVINE COMEDY--CANTICLE I: INFERNO on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.
 
  

Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy: Inferno. Text & Commentary(Two Vol. Set) (v. 1) [BOX SET] (Hardcover)

by Dante (Author) "Halfway through his life, Dante the Pilgrim wakes to find himself lost in a dark wood..." (more)
Key Phrases: next bolgia, stronger foot, next canto, The Divine Comedy, Middle Ages, Vanni Fucci (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)

List Price: $89.95
Price: $87.70 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $2.25 (3%)
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Tuesday, July 7? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
3 new from $87.70 6 used from $58.47
Also Available in: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Kindle Edition (Kindle Book) $1.19
Paperback (Revised) $12.00 $9.41 155 used & new from $3.49

Frequently Bought Together

Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy: Inferno. Text & Commentary(Two Vol. Set) (v. 1) + The Divine Comedy: Volume 2: Purgatory + The Divine Comedy: Paradise (Penguin Classics)
Price For All Three: $108.50

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Divine Comedy: Paradise (Penguin Classics)

The Divine Comedy: Paradise (Penguin Classics)

by Dante Alighieri
4.8 out of 5 stars (5)  $10.40
Confessions (Penguin Classics)

Confessions (Penguin Classics)

by Saint Augustine of Hippo
4.2 out of 5 stars (26)  $8.00
The Aeneid

The Aeneid

by Virgil
4.2 out of 5 stars (56)  $9.41
The Three Theban Plays (Penguin Classics)

The Three Theban Plays (Penguin Classics)

by Sophocles
4.2 out of 5 stars (16)  $8.57
The Prince

The Prince

by Niccolo Machiavelli
4.4 out of 5 stars (294)  $6.95
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
As part of a projected six-volume edition of the Divine Comedy, Musa (Indiana Univ.) has revised and reissued his translation of Dante's Inferno (LJ 3/1/95) in a bilingual edition, accompanied by a volume-length commentary. Musa's translation is in fluent, colloquial verse that aims for the speed and rhythm of the original though not the form. This serviceable version is on the same level as the recent translations by Robert Pinskey (LJ 11/1/94) and Robert Durling (LJ 3/15/96). Musa's commentary is thorough and clear but doesn't significantly supersede that of Charles S. Singleton (1970). Nevertheless, it can be recommended.?Thomas L. Cooksey, Armstrong State Coll., Savannah, Ga.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Among currently available parallel-text editions, this one certainly has the most elaborate and helpful annotation..." -- Choice



See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Indiana University Press (April 1, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0253332141
  • ISBN-13: 978-0253332141
  • Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 2.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,163,196 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.


Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy: Inferno. Text & Commentary(Two Vol. Set) (v. 1)
78% buy the item featured on this page:
Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy: Inferno. Text & Commentary(Two Vol. Set) (v. 1) 4.6 out of 5 stars (28)
$87.70
The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso)
11% buy
The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso) 4.5 out of 5 stars (86)
The Divine Comedy: Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso (Everyman's Library)
5% buy
The Divine Comedy: Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso (Everyman's Library) 4.6 out of 5 stars (56)
$16.50
The Inferno (Signet Classics)
3% buy
The Inferno (Signet Classics) 4.5 out of 5 stars (108)
$5.95

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below.
(92)
(20)
(12)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

 

Customer Reviews

28 Reviews
5 star:
 (20)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
72 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best literary masterpieces of all time!, February 8, 2000
By D. Roberts "Hadrian12" (Battle Creek, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
To be well read means that you have read the Comedy (at least once). At once haunting, dark and yet grotesquely beautiful, Dante has written for us the definitive Catholic epic poem of hell, purgatory and heaven. Mark Musa is one of the foremost Dante scholars in the world & teaches at the university of Indiana. His footnotes & commentaries are exceptional, a trademark that is not only a luxury but is, in fact, a necessity when it comes to Dante. I would recommend everyone read not just the Inferno, but all three canticles of the Comedy as a whole. One cannot truly understand everything in Inferno without reading thru the entire poem (including Purgatory and Paradise). Would also admonish that anyone interested in this work begin with Virgil's Aeneid and also read some Homer, Plato & Aristotle as well as some Roman history for a rough background of the work. Be advised that the bard expects you to have read everything he has so that you will catch all of his allusions. Once again, this is where Musa's footnotes come in handy, but there is still no substitute for actually reading thru the primary texts that serve as the foundation of this work. Also, would advise that one read the short work, La Vita Nuova (The New Life) before reading the Comedy, as it is basically a prologue to his epic. It will also help make more sense re: the pilgrim's near-obsessive love that he has for Beatrice. This is truly one of the great epic poems ever written and it positions Dante right up there with Homer, Goethe & Virgil.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Flowing, Lucid Translation and Notes, July 11, 2001
About twenty years ago I read Dorothy Sayers's translation of Dante's "Divine Comedy" with great pleasure, finding an awesome grandeur in Dante's progression from Hell through Purgatory to Heaven. When I decided to re-read the work, I found the poetry tortured and the references obscure. So I went comparison shopping, settling on Mark Musa's version. He created an excellent, free-flowing, poetic, and easily understandable translation of the three canticles of Dante's "Divine Comedy" for Penguin Classics.

In addition to the direct translation, Musa provides an introductory summary to each canto, detailed notes following each canto, a glossary of names in the back of each volume, and an introductory essay for each volume. The introduction to "Volume 1: Inferno" gives a thorough introduction to Dante and to his other works as well as to the Inferno. Following the introduction is a translator's note. The introductions to "Purgatory" and "Paradise" do not go over the extra information presented in "Inferno". It is useful to read all three of Dante's canticles in the Musa translation to get a complete, consistent presentation of the work. Musa does make reference in his notes to one volume to ideas or people presented in the others.

The notes are vital for almost everyone. The references to Biblical, classical, and medieval personalities, myths, time systems, theology, and events come frequently. Few people are up on the ins and outs of Guelf vs. Ghibelline in medieval Italian politics. Musa makes it all as clear as it needs to be.

Musa's version of "Inferno" italicizes the introductory summary before each canticle and retains the detailed, interesting mappings of Hell used in the Sayers edition.

Dante's poem is central to Western civilization. Allowing for some poetic necessities, it pulls classical and medieval history into the framework of Christian theology to show how God's love powers the universe, how people can exercise free will, and how God can help and reward those who trust in Him. It is very easy for the reader to ask how he or she would fare in the afterlife and how to go about finding a better outcome. Some sins are punished severely [like traitors frozen near Lucifer in the ice of the Cocytus lake], and some sins have varying outcomes [E.g., there are some sodomites running on the burning sand of Lower Hell forever and some having their sins burned way in the last stage of Purgatory before going to Paradise.]. Some loves are more blessed than others too. There is much to reflect on. Dante the Pilgrim, drawn by his love for Beatrice gets the full experience.

Reading "The Divine Comedy" is valuable in any translation; Musa's flies along, bringing his audience along with understanding.

This review for "Inferno" applies to "Purgatory" and "Paradise" as well, since the productions are so comparable.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Way to Read this Epic Poem, April 20, 2001
By miked99 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
Mark Musa's translation of the Divine Comedy is the smoothest, most enjoyable version I have read. (I've read a few.) Mr. Musa provides a brief summation at the beginning of each Canto of Dante's Inferno. He then follows the summation with the actual poem (his translation), and then, after each Canto, he gives in-depth notes on all the references Dante has made -- which may often be obscure to the modern reader. This version is perfect for high-school and college students as well as the leisure time reader who simply wants to become acquainted with this foundation of Western poetry.

The Inferno is the first volume of the Divine Comedy and tells the story of how Dante is taken by the spirit of Virgil through the depths of Hell. The scenes and characters that they encounter cover many different human emotions; mostly sorrowful ones while Dante and Virgil are in Hell. This first volume is the most famous of the three, but Mark Musa's translation makes it so quick and entertaining to read, that I think most will find themselves wanting to continue on into the final two volumes, which I would highly recommend in order for one to obtain the entire perspective of this brilliant poem.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An oustanding translation.
After reviewing many different translations of this book I found this one by Musa to be an extreamly good translation. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Everette E. Craig

4.0 out of 5 stars My favorite translation
Choosing which translation of Dante's Divine Comedy to read is a very subjective and personal question. Read more
Published 12 months ago by David W. Lafferty

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for me
Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy (before Purgatorio and Paradiso).

In this book, we follow Dante as he visits Hell, walking down its nine... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Stephanie Noverraz

5.0 out of 5 stars Abandon hope...
"Midway life's journey I was made aware/that I had strayed into a dark forest..." Those eerie words open the first cantica of Dante Alighieri's "Inferno," the most famous part of... Read more
Published 21 months ago by E. A Solinas

5.0 out of 5 stars Readable translation
A lovely, readable, blank verse translation. The notes are helpful, but not so overwhelming as to detract from the poetry of the text. I'd highly recommend to any reader.
Published 22 months ago by mwoz

5.0 out of 5 stars Medieval vision of the afterlife
This was required reading for a graduate course in medieval history.
Dante Alighieri's (1265-1321) "Devine Comedy" weaved together aspects of biblical and classical Greek... Read more
Published on April 30, 2007 by Michael A Neulander

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Mr. Musa writes a nice translation of a tough work, and even more challenging topic. I recommend.
Published on February 11, 2007 by J. Kiefer

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most thought provoking I've read yet...
While browsing through the local bookstore, one cannot help but to be bombarded with at least 5 different published versions of this wonderous story. Read more
Published on November 11, 2006 by K. K. Jo

4.0 out of 5 stars The Divine Comedy: My own private Hell
I have an addiction. It is a very fierce and painful addiction, and it is like this: every few months, I must re-read the first "Canticle" of 12th century Florentine poet Dante... Read more
Published on March 14, 2006 by Menachem Rephun

5.0 out of 5 stars Good indeed
I think we can all agree that the Inferno is one of the keystone works of Western literature, so I will do nothing more than add my assent to that view. Read more
Published on December 4, 2005 by Dan

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)



Look for Similar Items by Category


Up to 30% Off Lansinoh

Up to 30% Off Lansinoh
This July, enjoy savings of up to 30% on select Lansinoh products offered by Amazon.com. Lansinoh is dedicated to providing breastfeeding solutions.

Learn more

 

Best Books of 2008

Best of 2008
Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.
 

Be Prepared for a Deep Freeze

Shop for freeze alarms
Keep pipes safe during the cold season with a freeze alarm. Avoid bursting pipes and pricey cleanup.

Shop for freeze alarms

 

The Clean Machine

Shop for blowers and vacuums
Blowers and vacuums are must-have items for quickly and effectively cleaning up debris in any yard.

Shop all blowers

 

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue shopping: Top Sellers
Paranoia
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
Glenn Beck's Common Sense
Glenn Beck's Common Sense
Darkfever
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates