Dante's Divine Comedy

[TheOceanic7th]

So I am once again attempting to read this monstrosity for the simple fact that I want to be able to say I read it. I've made many attempts to work my way through it and have yet to get past the inferno. It's simply mind boggling. I noticed the other day when I bought the 20 barnes n noble special that it has a history of the book.

The third paragraph under organization informs us that Dante created the terza rima verse scheme for the devine comedy and it was never reproduced. All the translation's have accomodated themselves with off-rhyme, blank verse, free rhyme and prose. No flippin wonder.

Anyone ever made it through the entire comedy?

[Jonathan Bogart]

It's one of my favorite works of art, comparable in achievement to the Sistine Chapel or the collected works of Bach. Reading it in English is always going to be on some level unsatisfactory. (Not that my medieval Italian is up to the task.)

[Paul McEnery]

Go with the Sandow Birk version (http://www.amazon.com/Dantes-Inferno-Marcus-Sanders/dp/0811842134), all dolled up for the 21st Century. With excellent pictures. Often to be found in the cheap racks!

[Grazzt]

I did!

*is proud of self*

Really, the only part I ever think I'll revisit is Inferno. Why are the damned so much more interesting than the blessed?

[Jonathan Bogart]

They aren't to everybody; I like the Paradiso best. But I'm really into speculative theology and utopian literature.

[berk]

I'm like most people: I've read the whole thing through, but it's Inferno that stands out in my mind. I do recommend reading the whole thing though, since it really is a whole and the Inferno is only part of the story. And besides, like Shakespeare or Homer, it's one of those things that is referenced by so many writers throughout the subsequent history of Western Lit, that it's nice to have at least some passing familiarity with it in its entirety. I've read the Sayers and the Ciardi versions, but it's been so long I can't really compare them, and I don't have the Sayers one with me right now to have a look at.

[Indigo Al]

Inferno is definitely the most fun; I got through half of Purgatorio. I may need to make that my summer project.

[Puma]

I enjoyed Inferno and Paradiso, Purgatorio not so much. And please, its "Divine" not "Devine".

[Roquefort Raider]

I enjoyed Inferno and Paradiso, Purgatorio not so much. And please, its "Divine" not "Devine".

That was an anomoly. ;)

[Puma]

That was an anomoly. ;)

Thank you Ben. My librarian's soul was screaming in agony.

[Jonathan Bogart]

Thank you Ben. My librarian's soul was screaming in agony.
I was just imagining a version of the Divine Comedy populated by a bunch of elderly Irish villagers (from Waking Ned Devine).

[Alex]

I "read" purgatorio twice, in the loosest sense of the word.
I was never interested in it, i don't think i ever knew what was going on, but i read it.
Kinda like Paradise Regained. I know it's there, i know i read it, but eh.