Purgatorio

By Dante Alighieri and Allen Mandelbaum

"The enjoyment of The Divine Comedy is a continuous process," observed T.S. Eliot.  "It is not necessary to understand the meaning first to enjoy the poetry...our enjoyment of the poetry makes us want to understand the meaning."  
Arguably the greatest single poem ever written, The Divine Comedy presents Dante Alighieri's all-encompassing vision of the three realms of Christian afterlife.  In the Purgatorio, Dante struggles up the terraces of Mount Purgatory, still guided by Virgil, in continuation of his difficult ascent to purity.

"The clean force of the original comes through with astonishing success," said poet and translator Dudley Fitts in praise of John Ciardi's rendition of the Purgatorio.  "Dante cannot speak in English, perhaps; but Ciardi has given us the next best thing--a credible, passionate persona of the poet, stripped of the customary guards of rhetoric and false decoration, strong and noble in utterance."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9780553900552

Dante Alighieri

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was an Italian poet. Born in Florence, Dante was raised in a family loyal to the Guelphs, a political faction in support of the Pope and embroiled in violent conflict with the opposing Ghibellines, who supported the Holy Roman Emperor. Promised in marriage to Gemma di Manetto Donati at the age of 12, Dante had already fallen in love with Beatrice Portinari, whom he would represent as a divine figure and muse in much of his poetry. After fighting with the Guelph cavalry at the Battle of Campaldino in 1289, Dante returned to Florence to serve as a public figure while raising his four young children. By this time, Dante had met the poets Guido Cavalcanti, Lapo Gianni, Cino da Pistoia, and Brunetto Latini, all of whom contributed to the burgeoning aesthetic movement known as the dolce stil novo, or “sweet new style.” The New Life (1294) is a book composed of prose and verse in which Dante explores the relationship between romantic love and divine love through the lens of his own infatuation with Beatrice. Written in the Tuscan vernacular rather than Latin, The New Life was influential in establishing a standardized Italian language. In 1302, following the violent fragmentation of the Guelph faction into the White and Black Guelphs, Dante was permanently exiled from Florence. Over the next two decades, he composed The Divine Comedy (1320), a lengthy narrative poem that would bring him enduring fame as Italy’s most important literary figure.

Reviews for Purgatorio

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

Minder dramatisch en meeslepend dan eerste deel, maar eigenlijk "mooier" door het perfect evenwicht tussen literair en leerdicht. Bijzonder verfijnd van toon.Het laatste deel vanaf zang 28 heeft een heel ander timbre dat al volledig in de lijn ligt van Paradiso en minder volgbaar en genietbaar is.

[farree_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I see that people have reviewed versions of Dante translated into English by several people, but nobody has done John Ciardi's translations, so here goes. I read Ciardi's Inferno many years ago (like, 1976, and followed it up with Niven and Pournelle's takeoff). I find Ciardi's translation of Il Purgatorio more interesting (though perhaps less 'salacious'). Ciardi certainly has a way of keeping the reader's attention, and the Dante's narrative is well worth the effort. Ciardi provides extensive notes on subjects in the narrative (characters that Dante and Virgil meet in their journey, uh, Pilgrimage). He also provides a pretty much 'play by play' narrative of his own philosophy and choices for the language, rhymes and scansion of the text itself (Italian isn't so easy to translate into English, it seems). All in all a very nicely done translation. I will be searching for Ciardi's translation of 'The Paradiso.'

[theidlewoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Sinclair translation, as ever, is superb, and the notes and introductions continue to be very useful. Dante emerges after the trials of Inferno and climbs the mount of Purgatory with Virgil, participating in the penance necessary to cleanse him of his sins. As in Inferno, the souls are put through various trials which testify to Dante's ever-erudite imagination. The cantica concludes with Dante being reunited with his beloved Beatrice; but there is a bittersweet note as Virgil, a pagan despite his fine qualities, is denied entrance to Paradise.

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Perhaps after reading Inferno I picked up Dante's voice and rhythm, but Purgatorio seemed much less dense and not as confusing. Each circle was quite straight forward and the fewer incidents of name dropping was helpful in realizing the essence of each layer of repentance.

[maxernst11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Minder dramatisch en meeslepend dan eerste deel, maar eigenlijk "mooier" door het perfect evenwicht tussen literair en leerdicht. Bijzonder verfijnd van toon.Het laatste deel vanaf zang 28 heeft een heel ander timbre dat al volledig in de lijn ligt van Paradiso en minder volgbaar en genietbaar is.

[alcracka · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I kinda didn't love this as much as I wanted to. The fault might be Pinsky's; he uses a lot of enjambment, which makes the poem a more graceful, flowing thing than Dante's apparently was. It might also be Dante's fault; there are a ton of allusions to contemporary politics, none of which I got at all, so I did a lot of flipping to the end notes. And, y'know, it's a little...religious. I know, who woulda thought?

I liked it okay, I guess, but I've been reading a ton of epic poetry over the last year, and this hasn't been one of my favorites.

[akikorye · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This translation replaced names- so many names! Added modern phrases.

I appreciate that I may not have been able to real the original(or earlier translation) so easily (well, I'm not sure, but this is the only translation I've read) but I could not accept the replacement of the names. South Park's Cartman? Please. I prefer purer translations. The the addition of modern phrases and names stuck out like a sore thumb. I would be reading easily, then get so thrown off that I had to stop.

Now, I've read this, and I don't know how much of it was from the original, and how much the translator replaced. Now I feel like I have to re-read it, with a different translation.

It wasn't written in 2013, so don't translate it like it was. Please.

What was intact, the messages and the stories, all that makes this a classic, earns my four stars. Since I'm rating this particular translation, however, I'm giving it two. If I find out later that earlier translations are written in a way that I can easily read, then I'll come back and only give it one star.

[buffalogr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Only three stars for Dante's classic? It was a difficult read/listen and required concentration as the translation from old italian poetry into english. I also wondered about the parallel between Inferno and A Christmas Carol...both contain scarey beasties.

[landlocked54 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For years I had wanted to read Dante's Divine Comedy, but every time I thought of reading this epic poem it just seemed to be too daunting of a task. It wasn't until I visited Florence, Italy and saw the same mosaic on the ceiling of the baptistery of San Giovanni that Dante saw (which inspired him to eventually write the Divine Comedy) that I felt it the time had come to read Dante's epic work.

I started with the traditional English translation by Longfellow. At the encouragement of of a colleague, I quickly changed to Dorothy Sayers's translation from 1949. Sayers provides great commentary plus follows "Dante's terza rima stanzas."

There are numerous translations available but I'm glad I stuck with the Sayers translation. Having said that, I think it would be wise to read the traditional Longfellow translation at some point in time. Next up I'm looking forward to trying Robert and Jean Hollander's dual-language and more modern translations of the Divine Comedy.

[emurray35 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an amazing translation of the Inferno. It is by far the best translation of the text that I have encountered, and it is far superior to the version included in the World Literature textbook that I use. I always share some of this translation with my students particularly when we are discussing Dante's terza rima. Translations are never ideal, but this translation is the best available.

[lreinardy08 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you like reading poetry then this won't be as difficult of a read than for those who do not, however you still need to get past the language Dante uses. If you get the Barnes and Noble Classic Series book (which I highly suggest) you get great End Notes that are actually longer than the poem itself. Getting through the language and seeing what Dante is really talking about you see the horror that is hell, and it is a fascinating horror. You may feel more religious than ever after reading this book; no one wants to walk the path that Dante and Virgil walked. But you want to read about it...

[oldflame_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's interesting but I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. The morality seems rather heavy-handed, maybe I'm not digging deep enough into it.

[av0415 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I read this when I was 13 or 14, and I really didn't like it. The only reason I got to finish this was because the required us to read it and pass a book report. The reason for my disapproval for this book is partly because I do not believe in Hell (yes I believe in Heaven but in Hell, hell no!). The second reason is because I'm not the least attracted to Dante's writing style.

[paradiseporch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Approached through lots and lots of footnotes (how else can you read a 14th century Italian poet?) I felt I couldn’t really judge the poetry because of the translation issue. Dante imagined a place of eternal torments based on the teachings of his church, and peopled it with 14th century Florentines and ancient Greeks. Judgemental, narrow in historical approach and doctrinally cringe-worthy.

[gbill_7 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

If you like reading about people boiled in a river of blood, forever immersed in shit, having their heads on backwards, split down the middle, beheaded, suffering eternal disease and itching, being frozen in ice, or lastly for those in the innermost circle of hell, you know, bad old Judas and Brutus, chewed by Satan himself (as well as in the other circles a myriad of other tortures, er, “just” punishments for sins on Earth per the Christian view of morality), well, this is the book for you! To me this book represents the worst of Christianity: eternal torment, eternal torture, and no mercy. It’s all cruel retribution, without pity. I fail to see how these sentiments are Christ-like even within the dogma of the religion, and I fail to see why anyone would ever view this as representative of an enlightened faith that should be aspired to. If you are inclined to read it this is a great edition – lots of annotation, illustrations, and a fresh translation … but I don’t recommend it.

[fatsimax · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I must admit I read this because of a class however I really enjoyed itThis is not a light reading it is dry and slow at times but I felt it was very interesting when you read it and connect it to other global ideas such as politics and religion

[rores28 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to like this, but in the end it just got very repetitive and preachy to me. There was certainly some great symbols and imagery and the weird obsession with numerology was interesting but this semi-casual semi-academic reader could not be bothered to dig into all of the abstruse Italian references to by-gone politics family feuds etc... In some sense Dante's hubris annoyed me as well. Placing himself in his own epic, chatting it up with the greatest poets of the time etc... I know that a story is not the author but when the author directly inserts himself into that story, I don't know what I'm really to make of that.

[marcush_42 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dante's Inferno is the first part of an epic poem that rivals other greats like Ovid's Metamorphosis and Homer's Illiad and Odyssey. As one reads Dante, they must keep in mind that he was stifled politically. It has been said that without a proper avenue to voice his political distaste, Dante constructed his seven levels of Hell. Each level represents an action and it's subsequent punishment. At times the poem can become tedious and hard to follow, but there's a large amount of very memorable sequences that make this one of the greatest pieces of writing constructed.

[word2world · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It should not be surprising to hear me refer to Dante's Commedia as the greatest piece of literature ever written. This is a work that can never be read too many times and should never be read only once. Inferno is the first and most iconic piece of Dante's trilogy since it is set in Hell (which is surprisingly appealing to many people...). However, its depth far succeeds Hell's reaches and calls for a very conscientious approach to be grasped in any significant way. The Hollanders' translation I highly recommend when reading the book for a second or third time, otherwise one might easily become lost in Robert Hollander's lengthy (but interesting!) commentary.

[mromano_95 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The four and 1/2 stars is for the translation, not the work itself which is a five star world masterpiece. Although Dante can drag here and there in his philosophical asides, no other artist has attempted to do what Dante has done in this work: take an almost universally held belief-in this case the afterlife, and more specifically here, hell, and completely realize it. In fact, his hell was so convincing that for many people it STILL is what they believe hell to be. Ciardi's translation is a good one and one that is used in schools; however, it does not keep the terza rima rhyme scheme, and its explanations and notes are not the best. I personally think Dorothy Sayer's translation is better.

[auroraw_6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Poetry like this touches your soul Dante was a lot like Mozart a daring rebel and a genius

[jwhenderson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself in a dark wood, having lost the straight path."With the famous words above Dante begins The Inferno, the first section of his Divine Comedy. Rereading this poem reminded me of the greatness of Dante's creation. As T. S. Eliot observed, "Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them, there is no third."("Dante" in Selected Essays of T. S. Eliot) While I would add Proust as a third, whether you agree with Eliot or not, Dante is magnificent in his ability to imagine the breadth and depth of humanity. In the Inferno the details are impressed on the reader through Dante's exceptional visual poetry. Whether the translation maintains the terza rima or not this comes through. Thus the poetry is relatively easy to read even though many of the allusions may escape the average reader. One gains from rereading the opportunity to deepen the understanding of the allusions and the images, the symbols and the subtle nuances of meaning that make this poem great. Further discussion with a group of serious readers adds to one's understanding, especially for a non-Catholic like myself.I look forward to further reading of Dante, for just as with other great books this one continues to yield new treasures.

[mykalg_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To fully understand and fall in love with this trilogy, you really need to get a copy that explains who the people are and why Dante hates or admires them. This book changed the way I read books, and made me want to read more classic literature. The depictions of Hell are amazingly vivid, with your imagination filling in any gaps. Horror fans will love this book. Inferno is the easiest of the three poems to read, getting to near impossible with the final, Paradise. This trilogy makes me want to learn Italian, purely so I can read it in its full glory.M

[junesong · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Even though I'm not very big on religion, this is one of my favorite trilogies. I love the descriptions he gives of hell and heaven. They're very believable and made me picture them in a different way.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This famous book is really a poem, a really long poem. Our narrator is the author himself and the year 1300. Guided by Virgil, Dante travels through the nine circles of hell and describes what he sees in each one. Here's a rundown of what sin imprisoned the individuals in each of the nine circles. First Circle - LimboSecond Circle - LustThird Circle - GluttonyFourth Circle - Avarice and ProdigalityFifth Circle - Wrath and SullennessSixth Circle - HeresySeventh Circle - ViolenceEighth Circle - FraudNinth Circle - BetrayalOne thing that surprised me was the order of the sins. I would have expected violence to be considered worse than fraud. I also would have expected lust to be worse than gluttony. It was interesting to see how Dante ranked them in his version of hell. The "active" sins, like intentional betraying someone, were considered much worse than "passive" sins, like sullenness. The premise being, if you're intentional doing something to hurt or take advantage of someone else than you are more evil than someone who just lets life happen or focuses on the wrong things. It makes sense and I still wouldn't want to suffer the punishments for the passive sins. I thought it was interesting to read about all the different people he runs into in hell. There are historical figures, like Cleopatra, literary legends like Medusa and people like Cain, from the Biblical. It was such a diverse group representing each of the circles of sinners. The thing that was the most fascinating to me was the method of pain and torture inflicted in each circle. The crime definitely fits the punishment and is described in disturbing detail. In a section of the 8th circle flatterers are covered in human excrement, which represents the words they spewed on others during their life. How fitting is that! The souls in hell are trapped in a perpetual cycle of torment that they have selected by their choices in life. The writing and descriptions in The Inferno are intense and often hard to follow. I found myself re-reading many sections to make sure I understood everything. It's absolutely worth reading, but it's heavy material and I can't say it was exactly enjoyable. Here's an example of one of the beautiful sections of the Inferno... CANTO XVIIFor flames I saw, and wailings smote mine ear:So that all trembling close I crouch'd my limbs,And then distinguish'd, unperceiv'd before,By the dread torments that on every sideDrew nearer, how our downward course we wound.

[lpg3d · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Without understanding who all these people are and why Dante wanted to see them suffer, this books is a very painful, difficult read. It really requires a companion book to make sense of the scenes.

[lamotm · 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.

[duranain · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic. I am not a christian, but this book is just so incredibly well written, vivid, and poetic. Though I do commend the author notes the most, as without those I would have had no idea what was going on for a lot of the time. Dante is somewhat of a name dropper. Favorite part (not a commentary on who's right, I am referencing more the lyrical aspect and resultant imagery here) is the description of the punishment of Mohammed.

[raven_moon_7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

(Review is of the Penguin Classics translation by Mark Musa, and applies to all three volumes, Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradisio) I would not think to quibble with reviewing Dante himself - Dante is a master, and doesn't need my endorsement. I will say, however, that Musa's translation is an exceptionally sensitive one, and his comprehensive notes are an invaluable aid to the reader less familiar with Dante's broad spheres of reference. Musa is clearly a devoted scholar of Dante, and his concern for Dante's original meaning and tone is evident. This is one of the best translations of The Comedia available.

[t1bnotown · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Admittedly, I got rather annoyed with Dante while reading this. He was so self righteous, especially towards the end. At one point he gets mad at someone who tells him not to step on his face. I definitely got the impression that there were a lot of political messages and that Dante was using this as a tool to complain about people. It gets points for having an interesting concept, but I disagreed with a lot of his punishments. The worst one, in my opinion, was the people who were stuck being itchy all the time. That would be awful. For the most part though, the torments were physical and could have been worse. I was also slightly disturbed that liars were worse than murders- um, I've gotta disagree with that one.