The Divine Comedy: Volume 1: Inferno
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.
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.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
The Divine Comedy taught me a few things: 1) the 1st circle of hell sounds like the place to be, lots of poets and artists (i.e. the interesting people); 2) people have been asking "why god whyyyyyy" for a very long time; 3) 700 years old this poem id, and it still reads fresh! 4) enlightenment is fleeting, stupidity lasts forever.
This journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven is fascinating. I think that much of it could be an enhancement of Italian history (lots of name dropping) and might even serve as a catechism of sorts. I was thankful that I have a familiarity with Greek and Roman mythology and also with Christianity. Without that, this would have been tough to follow. Dante’s very careful creation of these imagined worlds and their various levels was very carefully crafted. I think a study of a few Cantos at a time might be quite insightful, but all the worship of Mary got a little wearying for this Protestant.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.