Buy new:
$12.05
FREE delivery: Wednesday, April 24 on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
List Price: $17.00 Details

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Save: $4.95 (29%)
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Wednesday, April 24 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Tuesday, April 23. Order within 16 hrs 52 mins
In Stock
$$12.05 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.05
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Wednesday, April 24 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Tuesday, April 23. Order within 10 hrs 22 mins
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include "From the library of" labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys, dvds, etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime!
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Divine Comedy: Volume 1: Inferno Paperback – Illustrated, December 31, 2002

4.7 out of 5 stars 503

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.05","priceAmount":12.05,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"05","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"wFMGgsijW1sD9Bh9CupNM7wnGMNlNvWxSO77ta3HffBALUcOQhtrgAYOi2ccRCjAf0M3Mw8EEjFKqgMp8tR4UuYRqfCMqX2v21RbsO4398K%2BnSXjoUc7HZtrg%2BPNiYxtHNfQqeiGxDE%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.44","priceAmount":11.44,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"44","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"wFMGgsijW1sD9Bh9CupNM7wnGMNlNvWxSbc7HVcwo5OC8htuIGsiomV1mwF%2BiPXCxET7KjThcoZ4Y9IKXAjB%2FzzQB23%2FnjdXTTAQ69NyX2zwVjs9Feh5bz0OeQZdKPBOyMsJOjUESR%2FjYep9Ae3BRwHLb2%2BaVVxc55ESPsvWIq%2BU%2FChEXty0KEuIhjKEOv1i","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

An acclaimed translation of Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy Volume 1: Inferno that retains all the style, power and meaning of the original

A Penguin Classic


This vigorous translation of Inferno preserves Dante's simple, natural style, and captures the swift movement of the original Italian verse. Mark Musa's blank verse rendition of the poet's journey through the circles of hell recreates for the modern reader the rich meanings that Dante's poem had for his contemporaries. Musa's introduction and commentaries on each of the cantos brilliantly illuminate the text. 

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

$12.05
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 24
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$13.29
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 24
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$13.97
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 24
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Musa operates on the principle that a translator's first duty is to render the original text as exactly as possible without compromising the literary quality of the work.... [This is] the best English-language version of the Inferno currently available." —Library Journal

About the Author

Dante Alighieri was born in Florence in 1265 and belonged to a noble but impoverished family. His life was divided by political duties and poetry, the most of famous of which was inspired by his meeting with Bice Portinari, whom he called Beatrice,including La Vita Nuova and The Divine Comedy. He died in Ravenna in 1321.

Mark Musa is Distinguished Professor of French and Italian at the Center for Italian Studies, Indiana University.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0142437220
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics; Revised edition (December 31, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780142437223
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0142437223
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1220L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 5.08 x 1.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 503

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Dante Alighieri
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
503 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2017
Absolutely amazing work by a brilliant poet, translated by an equally amazing translator! I've read a couple different translations of The Inferno, but this translation by far was superior to the others. The Inferno, and the Divine Comedy as a whole, can be a notoriously hard read, as it was not only written in the 14th century, 700 years ago, but also written in Italian, a form of language that was still being developed at the time of The Inferno. Mark Musa has done an excellent job of translating The Inferno into a language that we can understand, while doing his best to not lose the original meaning of Dante's words. Some things, of course, cannot be accurately translated over, but even then Musa tells the reader of these instances so that we may better understand the brilliance of Dante's work. He also includes several, very helpful diagrams of the different circles of hell and their accompanying rings/malebolgia, if applicable. True to the term "confusing as Hell," you can easily get lost in Dante's Inferno and/or not understand how Hell is laid out. This is especially true after the fifth circle, when suddenly next four circles have different rings, malebolgia, or areas within them that can get to be quite expansive.

I would definitely recommend that anybody looking to read The Inferno, but concerned over if they could understand the language and the constant references Dante makes to people and landscapes, should most certainly read Mark Musa's translation of the classic Inferno.
9 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2012
The Divine Comedy has long been on my bucket list of books to read and I am very happy that I chose to buy Musa's translation of the first volume, The Inferno.

In short, Mark Musa makes The Inferno very accessible to the everyday reader. His introduction before the text provides some historical background of the time and religious/political situation in which Dante lived and wrote and this helps the reader understand a bit about life in Renaissance Italy. He then follows up with his translator's notes, in which Musa spells out his intentions and methods in translating the text. Good stuff to know and very helpful for understanding the context of the story.

The most helpful part of Musa's translation was that before each Canto, he would give a brief preview summary of what happens in that particular Canto. Then at the end of each Canto, he has a section of notes that explain things in the text that might not be clear to everyone, such as the backstories of the shades that he encounters and references to other texts and works of literature. Having the summary and notes bookending each Canto made them extremely easy to follow and understand.

His translation abandons the rhyme of the original in favor of conveying the narrative. This might bother some purists but not having to force rhymes at the end of every line leaves the translator a lot of room to make sure that the reader can follow what is going on in the story.

I couldn't believe it, but I read through this centuries old work of Medieval literature just as quickly and easily as I would any modern novel. Musa's translation made that possible.
12 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2011
Virgil and Beatrice are Dante's primary guides through the Divine Comedy, but I thank the heavens that I chose Mark Musa as my companion through this journey, as I could hope for no more faithful and illuminating guide through Dante's thought-provoking, fascinating, but often difficult masterpiece. About the Comedy, I can say little more than what others have already said better than I could anyway. I personally found the Inferno and Purgatory to be the more interesting books, both in terms of the surface-level action as well as the higher-level ideas and allegories ... Paradise was a little more of a challenge to get through--after graduating from the Earthly Paradise, I felt like I pretty much "got it" already ... Paradise felt a little superfluous, if I may dare to criticize a classic--but after journeying that far, one must go all the way. I just can't say enough about Musa's clear translation and very helpful notes, which helped me through more than a few impenetrable lines, stanzas, and entire cantos along the way.

The Comedy is a masterpiece of world literature, a work that should be read by all, but one that I had put off for quite some time due to the intimidating nature of its length and subject matter--worried, perhaps, that the famous "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" warning applied as much to the general reader of Dante as to the souls of the damned. Yet, thanks to Musa's help, I found the Comedy to be a pleasantly entertaining and enlightening work, and perhaps even more surprisingly, an exciting "page turner" as the classics go.
28 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2020
No translation will have everything. I am not familiar with all by a long shot, but it's likely all with miss Dante's music. An obvious criticism here is it is not in terza rima. Let this be an acknowledge shortcoming, but there is compensations. English does not have as many rhymes as Italian and it's rhymes are usually more emphatic, so it's hard to maintain Dante's light, swift strokes with that such breadth and diversity using terza rima. Further, obligating the poem to rhyme with set syllables can force the translator into padding or adjusting the poem to the expense of pace and vividness. I am not implying that translating with terza rima will be a failure. There is pros and cons to both. What I like most about the Inferno is the pace, the vivid and vigorous visual imagination which no poet surpassed in range or intensity. If it means to sacrifice terza rima to attain this, do so. I speak for myself and feel this translation does an outstanding job in doing so.
9 people found this helpful
Report

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Reviewed in Canada on February 8, 2020
Introduction to a great trilogy. Monumental literature, if your at all contemplative and interested.
2 people found this helpful
Report
Siddhant Kar
5.0 out of 5 stars A spiritual journey, enter into inferno with dante
Reviewed in India on August 22, 2018
It's a cool book , been searching for the damn thing . It's has a very good story and introduces to the concept of the inferno and its 9 levels. It's a spiritual journey that we go through along with the author/ protagonist
Ie dante . A must read for all
4 people found this helpful
Report
Owen Hughes
5.0 out of 5 stars The Divine Comedy: Inferno v. 1 (Penguin Classics)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2011
Having wanted to read this book for a while but being put off by the seemingly endless number of translations available, after not much research I finally plumped for this version by almost picking it at random.

Generally, I didn't have any problems with the translations and it all seemed to flow quite nicely. Admittedly, I haven't read any other versions so have nothing to compare it to, but suffice to say I didn't struggle with this book one bit.

Onto the actual story that Dante tells, I actually really enjoyed it. Despite being hundreds of years old, the story seems very timeless. Although it does seem like a medieval way of name dropping; with a constant barrage of people who were then famous (or infamous, I suppose) but without the notes, I'd have had no idea who they were or their significance.

There's so many layers to each Canto that you don't even realise are there until you read the notes. It's quite brilliant, in a way, and another reason why I enjoyed this version of the book.

The "comedy" part of it is, as you would imagine, rather dark at times. For example, two blokes are stuck in a frozen lake in Hell with only their heads above the ice, with one guy eating the other guys brains. Turns out that the person eating the head was forced to eat his own children/grandchildren after the other guy locked them in a room and starved them to death. Hilarious stuff, I'm sure you'll agree. Although I did laugh out loud at one or two phrases, like the devils that were blowing raspberries at each other, with the other devil "saluting them with his bugle of an a--hole"!

It's an easy to read book, considering how old it is, and it is really worth what little effort it takes to get through. A great book and a very nice translation.
18 people found this helpful
Report
MANISANKAR DAS
5.0 out of 5 stars I will buy next time.
Reviewed in India on June 20, 2018
Good translation.
One person found this helpful
Report
Jenn
5.0 out of 5 stars Arrived early - love the amazon service
Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2014
Enlightening