Inferno, The

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Divinely nasty - Rated
"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 the legendary Divina Comedia. But the stuff going on here is anything but divine, as Dante explores the metaphorical and supernatural horrors of the inferno.

The date is Good Friday of the year 1300, and Dante is lost in a creepy dark forest, being assaulted by a trio of beasts who symbolize his own sins. But suddenly he is rescued ("Not man; man I once was") by the legendary poet Virgil, who takes the despondent Dante under his wing -- and down into Hell.

But this isn't a straightforward hell of flames and dancing devils. Instead, it's a multi-tiered carnival of horrors, where different sins are punished with different means. Opportunists are forever stung by insects, the lustful are trapped in a storm, the greedy are forced to battle against each other, and the violent lie in a river of boiling blood, are transformed into thorn bushes, and are trapped on a volcanic desert.

If nothing else makes you feel like being good, then "The Inferno" might change your mind. The author loads up his "Inferno" with every kind of disgusting, grotesque punishment that you can imagine -- and it's all wrapped up in an allegorical journey of humankind's redemption, not to mention dissing the politics of Italy and Florence.

Along with Virgil -- author of the "Aeneid" -- Dante peppered his Inferno with Greek myth and symbolism. Like the Greek underworld, different punishments await different sins; what's more, there are also appearances by harpies, centaurs, Cerberus and the god Pluto. But the sinners are mostly Dante's contemporaries, from corrupt popes to soldiers.

And Dante's skill as a writer can't be denied -- the grotesque punishments are enough to make your skin crawl ("Fixed in the slime, groan they, 'We were sullen and wroth...'"), and the grand finale is Satan himself, with legendary traitors Brutus, Cassius and Judas sitting in his mouths. (Yes, I said MOUTHS, not "mouth")

More impressive still is his ability to weave the poetry out of symbolism and allegory, without it ever seeming preachy or annoying. Even pre-hell, we have a lion, a leopard and a wolf, which symbolize different sins, and a dark forest that indicates suicidal thoughts. And the punishments themselves usually reflect the person's flaws, such as false prophets having their heads twisted around so they can only see what's behind them. Wicked sense of humor.

Dante's vivid writing and wildly imaginative "inferno" makes this the most fascinating, compelling volume of the Divine Comedy. Never fun, but always spellbinding and complicated.

Check for yourself - Rated
Just to say that Ray Thompson's review above does not represent the translation which is being sold on this page. Check for yourself using the 'search inside this book' function! The translation in the book is much more modern and comprehensible. I have not yet read it (note: I was obliged to give a stars rating anyway), but will order it as it looks very readable.

One of the great works of literature, in lucid translation. - Rated
The first of Dante's trilogy, The Divine Comedy, is an imaginative tour de force. Dante's literary hero, Virgil, is his guide through Hell and it's denizens; showing him the inhabitants of each of the nine circles and examples of the divine justice meted out to them.

The choice of Virgil as his guide enables Dante to realise an epic that encompasses multifold aims: there is tension between medieval and classical standards of literature, detailed theology, satire on the Florence of the time and, of course, the partly autobiographical nature of Dante's own spiritual journey. The Inferno, however, is never merely allegorical and the classical standards (of Virgil's own Aeneid can be seen as exemplary) are juxtaposed with an often squalid realism. In this, Dante's creation stands as one of the great works of literature.

This edition, which features parallel Italian text, includes some excellent commentaries after each Canto which outline some of the strands Dante has weaved into his epic, and also brief footnotes as guides to classical and Florentine references. Neither of these are extensive, and so this edition is perhaps not the academic choice, but for the beginner they are an excellent balance between understanding and brevity. The translation is clear, though at times the punctuation could be tightened, and the prose translation is perhaps the best choice for the epic form.

This may be cheap but DON'T READ IT! - Rated
this is the cheapest version of Dante available. The original translation dates from the middle of the last century, it is nonsense on every level and being popular once is no excuse. Here are the first seven lines to give you an idea.

In the midway of this our mortal life, I found me in a gloomy wood, astray Gone from the path direct: and e'en to tell It were no easy task, how savage wild That forest, how robust and rough its growth, Which to remember only, my dismay Renews, in bitterness not far from death.

This is rubbish in English and has only a slight connection with the original. Ther are several marvellous versions out there. Avoid both the Penguin versions, by Sayers and Musa, they have enough faults to choke on. For monolingual versions I recommend. The Divine Comedy translated by C.H. Sisson. World's classics. A great poet translating a greater. The Divine Comedy translated by Allen Mandelbaum Everyman's Library. A good poet, very clean and clear translation, excellent notesand commentaries, and a beautiful book to cap it all with lots of Botticelli drawings. The Divine Comedy translated by Peter Dale.Anvil Press. Metrically strict but surprisingly accurate. Better still buy one of the bilingual version, Dante is easy to get to read.

Excellent Treatment of a Classic - Rated
Lindskoog does an excellent job with the translation and analysis of this book. This would be an excellent version of The Inferno for anyone not familiar with Dante's prolific use of analogy and historical reference. I recommend this version with my full confidence that any reader will find it enjoyable and informative.