Inferno

By Dante and Allen Mandelbaum

In this superb translation with an introduction and commentary by Allen Mandelbaum, all of Dante's vivid images--the earthly, sublime, intellectual, demonic, ecstatic--are rendered with marvelous clarity to read like the words of a poet born in our own age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 3, 2004
• ISBN: 9780553900538

Dante

Dante was born in Florence, Italy, in 1265. Heir of a poor but noble family, he was one of the seven elected officials in charge of the government of Florence. Civil war was common in Florence at the time and the issues were further complicated by the question of Papal influence. In 1300, Dante along with his fellow magistrates confirmed anti-papal measures. When in 1302, the French prince acting under orders from the Pope captured power in Florence, Dante was sentenced on charges of corruption and opposition to the Church and exiled from Florence on pain of execution by burning if he ever returned. He spent the rest of his life in exile, pining for his native city. He withdrew from active politics to a large extent and concentrated on his literary creations. We do not know exactly when Dante began work on The Divine Comedy. He had been moving about from court to court after his exile and 1n 1317 had settled at Ravenna, where he completed his great work. Extant correspondence shows that the first and second parts of The Divine Comedy, the "Inferno" and the "Purgatario" were generally known around 1319. The last part, the "Paradiso" was completed only in 1321. Dante died at Ravenna on 14 September 1321 and the last thirteen Cantos of the "Paradiso" were published posthumously.

Reviews for Inferno

[hillaryrose7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A handsome book, but a clunky and awkward translation.

[angelab86 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dante's journey through Hell ranks in my top 5 favorite books. I especially like this translation, as it keeps the language modern enough to be readable, but is still beautiful. Also, there are plenty of foot and end notes to explain middle age-phrases and historical references many people may not be familiar with.

[therebelprince · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not a religious man in the least, but - like the great works of Classical composers, or the Sistine Chapel - that's hardly a consideration when reading a soaring work of near-ancient literature. Esolen's translation is marvellous, attempting to keep rhyme, meter and meaning in check, without ever sacrificing beauty. What results is a work of epic poetry which, while adhering to rules, is more than happy to flaunt them when necessary. Dante's vision is quite clever, and - although you will need copious notes at times to understand the medieval Italian history references - a sublimely beautiful piece.

[angelag86 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dante's journey through Hell ranks in my top 5 favorite books. I especially like this translation, as it keeps the language modern enough to be readable, but is still beautiful. Also, there are plenty of foot and end notes to explain middle age-phrases and historical references many people may not be familiar with.

[librarylord99 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Stick with the original, this is "clever" yet not "readable."

[hopeevey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first exposure to Dante's writing. I was looking for poetry by a different author when I came across this translation. When I saw the narrator, I decided it was time to read/hear some Dante :)

Dante sure thought a lot of himself! Good grief, even when he's singing the praises of some denizen of limbo, he's doing so in the context of being the vehicle of their remembrance among the living. You've probably heard the idiom, "damning with faint praise." Over and over, Dante praises himself with faint condemnation. No, Dante, it's not actually all that terrible that you trembled with fear while faced with the horrors of the pit.

I want to read an annotated translation of The Inferno. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he was mocking and calling out some of his contemporaries, as well as commenting on figures from the past.

Most of the work came from describing and talking to the denizens of the various neighborhood of perdition, but he didn't stint on describing the environs. He readily sketched the horrific backdrops to his interactions, giving just enough detail to be clear, but leaving space for the imagination to fill in the unmentioned horrors. This is not at all bedtime listening.

I seemed to sense some negative commentary on Church doctrine, but I'm not sure if that was in the text, or if that came from my 20th/21st century perspective. For instance, he lamented the number of people, even great and good people, condemned to Limbo simply because they lived before the establishment of Christianity. To my ear, that's a reason to question the church - but to Dante it may have been just another thing that was and didn't need to be questioned.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read this book, the first of three, in French, when I was 25, and I immediately was swept away by its poetic force, its classical symmetrical construction and its sharp and benign view on the human condition. Brilliantly composed. Each canto tells the story of several prominent historical persons, set in breathtaking landscapes. Tragedy is all around, sometimes with a comical touch, but almost always compassionate. The filosofical and theological dimensions are less prominent than in book II and III. I've reread this book in Dutch (both prose and lyrical translation) and in the original Italian. An everlasting treasure.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this classic poem more than I expected. I may have lucked out with the translation, but I found the Inferno much easier to read than the excerpts I remember from my high school textbook. I also had the added context of having taken several classes on Florentine history in college, and I could spot a few of the cultural references Dante makes. Overall, this made for much richer reading than I expected and I'm tempted to picked up the next two books in the Divine Comedy.

[lilycowper-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I hate Shakespeare so I didn't think I'd like this, but I did. Really cool, every scene became real in my head, the black and white, cartoon version at least. The craziest part -- hell is real, to Dante and all the Catholics who read it when it was first published. How horrifying for them. Next time my grandmother wants me to go to mass with her, I'll go. He's a beautiful writer, and so modern but I don't know if thats just the English translation. Interesting perspectives on sin. It's like he knows to sin is a natural part of being human, which I keep forgetting. I hate to read those little summaries they give you because I want to read it the same way people have been for hundreds of years. He sort of invented hell, or he really saw it. The world was much more spiritual back then so to be honest I wouldn't rule it out. Maybe he saw all this in a dream. I don't know if I completely got this book but I'm just gonna keep reading it until I do. It's better if you don't read others' explanations of books like these, I think, because it is better to read it how people have always read it, and you can preserve your original reactions, based on your personal background in religion, nationality, language, faith, and sin. Maybe you think you belong in hell, maybe you think you belong in heaven, or maybe you don't believe in either or God or maybe you have your own definition of purgatory, and this will change the way we all feel about what Dante describes.

[buffalopoet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gets 5 star for the translation as much as the masterpiece itself - Pinsky really puts the fun back in the Inferno! ; )

[laurochka-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read the Longfellow translation and despite a huge lack of historical knowledge about Dante's contemporary Florence I really enjoyed Inferno.

The imaginative punishments are gruesome enough to capture your attention and the whole poem is successful in painting quite a visual image of Dante's incarnation of hell.

[pomo58 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Peter Thornton's verse translation of the first book of the Divine Commedy, The Inferno, is certainly readable. To the extent that that was an (the?) intention it succeeds. I think for a general reader who just wants to know why The Inferno has remained influential this will serve them well. There are plenty of contextualizing notes, a must for just about any translation, which will make understanding why certain people are where they are comprehensible to a contemporary reader.For study purposes I have my doubts but I have my own favorite translations so am doing more of a comparison than simply an isolated assessment. First, my preferred verse translation is still Ciardi's version (plus, if for study purposes, he translated all of the Comedy not just one book so you don't have to change translations when you leave the Inferno). Part of my favoritism here is likely because it was the third version I had read and the first with a professor who made it come alive for me, so I do want to acknowledge that. Part of it for me is how the translators try to solve the issue of form. Some compromise is necessary to make an English translation and I am not sure there is a right vs a wrong way, they will all fall well short of Dante in Italian. I just think that wrestling with a form closer to Dante's helps students to slow down and do a better close reading while making it too easy to read turns Dante's work into simply a story that can be read quickly and easily. Again, this is personal opinion and preference. The necessary notes will keep the work from being read like a contemporary novel and could, with the right effort from an instructor, keep the reading close. I just have a hard time imagining The Inferno as an easy read and hope not to see this type of translation of Purgatorio or Paradiso since those should be more difficult to grasp in keeping with Dante's apparent intentions.I would certainly recommend this to general readers who just want to read it and maybe for high school classes that want to get through it with just a few areas of closer reading. I would also recommend instructors look at it and decide if this translation would serve their purposes for what they hope to achieve in their courses. It is a good translation even though I would personally choose not to use it.Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[maxernst11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read this book, the first of three, in French, when I was 25, and I immediately was swept away by its poetic force, its classical symmetrical construction and its sharp and benign view on the human condition. Brilliantly composed. Each canto tells the story of several prominent historical persons, set in breathtaking landscapes. Tragedy is all around, sometimes with a comical touch, but almost always compassionate. The filosofical and theological dimensions are less prominent than in book II and III. I've reread this book in Dutch (both prose and lyrical translation) and in the original Italian. An everlasting treasure.

[northlaw · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I have finally read the Inferno and if I am going to be honest, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. Not being a student of Italian literature and having read Clive James' English translation there was probably a lot I was missing, in the original, but I found that it was really just a horror story with the added s pice of the author being able to denigrate persons he didn't like. All this would have been extremely entertaining at the time when the names were topical, but I do not understand why it is considered such a classic. It was just a litany of various types of physical torture with no overarching point that I could see, except to list all that horror.

[theidlewoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The primary virtue of the Oxford / Sinclair edition is the parallel text, which means that you can both appreciate the beauty of Dante's original, and make sure that you miss none of the finer points by following the English translation. Each canto has its own introduction and endnotes, which means that important contextual information is always at hand. Inferno is for me by far the most engaging cantica, as Dante creates ever more imaginative tortures for the souls condemned to each circle of Hell. An absolute classic.

[tws-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Gave me nightmares.

[donbarger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome book

[melrailey-412132 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Same characters, same story, different book. I really enjoyed listening to this book even though there's nothing new about it. It's another Robert Langdon story where he's saving the world and it's once again in Italy. It made my commute much shorter (except when Brown went off onto expositional tangents).

[nwieme-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

LOVE the way Dan Brown describes places... it was a bit hard to believe and not sure I liked the ending- then again, I'm not sure I had a better idea - but did I like it.. YOU BET!

[depstein-512720 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

As much as I enjoyed reading about the tortures he designed for his Florentine political opponents, I spent entirely too much time reading about all these characters in the footnotes. He designed an interesting underworld that was essentially Christian but integrated diverse figures from the Bible, contemporary Italy, classical Greece and Rome, and Classical mythology.

[judithrs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

.The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: the Inferno. A verse translation by Allen Mandelbaum. 1982. I had big plans to spend the summer studying The Inferno. I didn’t and ended up skimming part of it to be ready for the book club. I will go back and read it more carefully and study the maps and the notes that are included as read Purgatorio before our next meeting. This masterpiece deserves much more than I have given it.

[sarielle-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The fourth book in the Robert Langdon series, unfortunately, in my opinion, not as good as the three previous ones.

Langdon wakes up in the hospital room and he can't remember last day. But he has no time for thinking since someone is obviously trying to kill him. He finds an unexpected ally in young doctor Sienna, a child prodigy. Langdon and Sienna have to solve the riddle connected to Dante's Divine Comedy and survive.

The whole story is lacking something, and I'm not really sure what it is. Maybe it's the fact that Robert doesn't have to use his knowledge and skills as often as in the other books. It's less about the symbols. Or maybe the fact that the story centres around the health threat which gives a bit of Robin-Cook-ish feeling but without his convincing writing.

Whatever, I'm a bit disappointed. The book is still a fast read and I will read the next in the series.

[breic-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fast read, easy read. Parts of the plot are ludicrous (amnesia? a manual projector, because cameras didn't exist in 2014?). Some of the writing is terrible. The best parts are the descriptive asides, reminding me of European vacations. I think the twist is fun, and he wraps it up quickly.

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read Inferno by Dan Brown, giving him another go after my poor reading experience of the previous one in the Robert Langdon series (The Lost Symbol). Don't think I should have bothered, may be me but couldn't really settle into this one and to be honest didn't really care and this was after a promising start. In the end gave it 2.5 stars but will round it down to 2 stars on Shelfari. Disappointing when this is my favourite sub-genre of books.

[bingereader87 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed the mystery of it and have always liked Dan Brown's writing. I read this pretty quick and found it pretty interesting. His books always have alot of intellect and interesting facts that always tie in well with the story. After reading this, I might have to go back and read The lost symbol

[nx74defiant · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed listening to the loving descriptions and history of places I'll never visit. Of course the villain had to leave cryptic clues. Sienna's motives at the end made no sense.

[glennbell_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think the message of the book is meaningful and story line is exciting. I enjoyed the history and the philosophical considerations. The characters were interesting and believable. The story was not predictable as events were not what they seemed. At times the cryptic clues were rather difficult and the rescues were improbable. I strongly recommend this book.

[stephlaymon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good read, but too close to the same for readers who have read others in the series. The chase scenes carried on too long and the details were less realistic than I have come to expect from Dan Brown.

[lara335 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating travelogue with a bit of a thriller tacked on. Brown’s characters move between Florence, Venice & Istanbul, and art history is served up in a want-to-know-more way. I ended up holding the novel in one hand with Wikipedia in the other, getting the visuals. Has made me want to renew my passport....

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Inferno
4 Stars

Anyone expecting the brilliance of The Da Vinci Code will be disappointed. However, if you are interested in a fast paced, edge of your seat scavenger hunt type thriller with fascinating detail on Dante's Inferno and the art it has spawned then Dan Brown's latest should be right up your alley.

The first 80% of the book is a roller-coaster ride of race-against-the-clock intrigue and mystery with a well-developed story line and compelling characterization. The final twist at this point is the result of some brilliant plotting and had me re-reading a number of earlier scenes to see how I could have missed the clues (they are there but very cleverly hidden).

Unfortunately, this is also the point at which the story begins to unravel as Brown's resolution attempts to convey a moralistic/humanistic message concerning the fundamental flaws of humanity, and thereby obliterates the tension and suspense that has been building throughout the book.

While Inferno is an entertaining read, and the literary and artistic trivia surrounding Dante is exceedingly captivating, there is nothing particularly hearth-shattering or controversial that would make it stand out.