The Figure of Beatrice: A Study in Dante

by Charles Williams (Author)

38 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0976402541

ISBN-10: 0976402548

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One of the most ambitious essays in the interpretation of Dante our time has seen...his interpretation of the role of Beatrice is a subtle and individual one. Charles Williams was one of the finest-not to mention one of the most unusual-theologians of the twentieth century. His mysticism is palpable-the unseen world interpenetrates ours at every point, and spiritual exchange occurs all the time, unseen and largely unlooked for. His novels are legend, and as a member of the Inklings, he contributed to the mythopoetic revival in contemporary culture.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Apocryphile Press (October 1, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0976402548
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0976402541
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.55 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #658,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #133 in Medieval Literature
- #718 in Medieval Literary Criticism (Books)
- #785 in Christianity (Books)

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38 ratings

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J. D. Ryals

Kindle Version Is Garbage

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2020

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As a lover of the Inklings, I didn't want to mess with the rating of this book, but just to point out that the Kindle version is garbage: no cover page, no table of contents, etc. From the look of it I very much suspect the publisher isn't legit (and I don't believe the book--pub. 1943--is in the public domain?).

One person found this helpful

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Paul A. Spengler

Dante and the Affirmation of Images

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2009

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In The Figure of Beatrice, Charles Williams does two things. First, he provides the reader with an overview of Dante's major poetic works: The Vita Nuova, the Convivio and the Divine Comedy. For anyone who has not read Dante before, Williams provides an excellent introduction. Readers already familiar with Dante will find Williams's book full of insights for further reflection. Second, Williams takes Dante's use of the figure of Beatrice to illustrate how the affirmation of images can help us think about God. Athough Williams argues that both the affirmation and negation of images have valid roles in theology, he is clearly more drawn to the affirmative approach. This book is indispensable for any serious reader of Dante.

23 people found this helpful

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Mary-Elizabeth

Quite a mind trip, not for the faint of heart!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2014

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I once heard someone describe Charles Williams as "the crazy uncle of Dante scholars", but I didn't understand what they meant by that. After reading this book did I have more of an idea of what they were meaning. First of all, I would not recommend this book to everyone, because it would appeal to certain people, namely, Dante lovers and scholars alike, medievalists, and perhaps students of philosophy and mysticism. His constant talk of "images" reminded me of the Platonic Forms. He describes the role of Beatrice not only to Dante but also her role as every-woman and the lover to all. He covers theories of the identity of Beatrice and the Lady of the Window as said by other scholars, including if Beatrice was never actually real. He discusses all of Dante's early life and all his works including the Convivio and De Monarchia, but his theories on the Comedy itself are exquisite if not a little complex. I found myself rereading passages several times to really understand his explanations. My mind was blown away by comparisons he made to figures and ideas throughout the hierarchy of the afterlife, showing the perfect organization of the poem and likewise Dante's perfection of the order of the universe. It's as if Williams is proving the poem as a microcosm of everything on this plane of existence and others. I know that might sound complicated but the fact is that this is not only a book about a Florentine girl, but of the higher concepts of Love and what it's role is to us and everything.

14 people found this helpful

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Larry Russell

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2015

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This is an extraordinary achievement. It is densely packed with startling ideas. This is theology as its finest--not just theory spun for the sake of a private morality--but a richly conceived experience of romantic love (in the profound, medieval sense) as a path toward God. I highly recommend it.

2 people found this helpful

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Dai-Shakan

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2015

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Pleased.

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Cliente Amazon

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2017

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👍

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Gord Wilson

The Theology of Romantic Love

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2006

Ben Sem, Ben Sem--We are, We are Beatrice. Not knowing or understanding much of Dante, I can nevertheless not forget what Charles Williams wrote about him, as about the above quotation from The Divine Comedy. Dante's heaven-sent guide announces "we are," not "I am Beatrice," speaking in unity with the Cloud of Witnesses, the testimony of the saints and out of the relationship of the divine life which is realized in heaven.

But Williams could almost say "We are Charles Williams," because he somehow seems to be such a kindred soul with Dante, and so attuned to the poet's thought that the effect of hearing or reading him on Dante was and is magnetic--so much so that Dorothy L. Sayers taught herself Italian and translated Dante's Divine Comedy in three volumes for Penguin Books (the Paradiso was completed by her student, Barbara Reynolds). Sayers dedicated her translations to "Charles Williams, The Master of the Ways." The Ways referred to are the way of rejection and the way of affirmation, two sorts of spiritual paths explained in this, and many other Williams volumes.

But she was not the only one to so lionize CW. C.S.Lewis wrote similarly in his Preface to Paradise Lost that Williams had revolutionized Milton criticism. Apparently the door was unlocked all the time, Lewis wryly notes, but only you (CW) thought of trying the handle. Who else did this supposedly obscure and unremarkable British writer influence? How about Canadian poet and singer Bruce Cockburn in his albums Dancing in the Dragon Jaws and Humans (the latter often considered one of his best albums)?

If Charles Williams did have a fault as a writer, it was that he tended to write too telegraphically, almost in a kind of shorthand, assuming his readers were with him when some of them, at least, would be lost. This happens in The Forgiveness of Sins, which assumes a good grasp of Shakespeare, and He Came Down From Heaven, which assumes a good grasp on everything else. Some of his essays do this also, particularly his book reviews, which assume that in reading the review one has also read the book. His reviews of some writers, however, such as D.H. Lawrence, and for that matter, St. Augustine, are so lively and unforgettable that they have long outlived their time. Of his nonfiction works, The Descent of the Dove (subtitled a History of the Holy Spirit in the Church) and The Figure of Beatrice flow the best and assume the least. Oddly enough, you can read the latter knowing nothing about Dante and the former knowing nothing about the Holy Spirit and learn a lot about both. Better yet, you learn a lot about Williams. Once one has met him, his trademark style is unmistakeable and for readers like me who have fallen under his spell, greatly compelling. There is no other writer like Charles WIlliams and no better place to meet him than in The Figure of Beatrice.

78 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

sun-treader

... most of his life ( yes I know its sad! ) this book indicates what to look for ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2014

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As someone who's been searching for his own Beatrice' most of his life
( yes I know its sad ! ) this book indicates what to look for and possibly
the way ahead , recommended naturally !

5 people found this helpful

Patricia Cash

Beatrice Revisited

Reviewed in Canada on September 23, 2017

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Thoughtful and scholarly. Carefully reasoned and presented.

A. J. Adlington

Part of our education

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2011

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I have read this book several times. It is aimed at more literate people than myself, but I limp along and his writings have become a part of the way I think.
I liked D L Sayers work on the Divine Comedy. I've read that several times, it takes time for the ideas and concepts to become part of my thinking framework.

His style can be cumbersome. Iv'e read the novels, I like them and I also feel uneasy about them, as if I had eaten honey without bread.

I haven't discussed this book with anyone, and that leaves me with an internal review that lacks robustness, so I will not for now go any further.

Do read it if you like Dante. Or would like to understand why people like Dante.

19 people found this helpful

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