The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

08.05.2024 - Read through to Canto 4 this weekend. Still not liking Beatrice as much as I liked Virgil. She's so distant. (I also took a break from Dante to read Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One and it was great. Just what I needed.)

07.27.2024 - Finished Purgatorio. So, so sad to see Virgil go and definitely not liking Beatrice so much. However, I loved the last few lines of Canto 33.

07.15.2024 - Read up to Canto XXIV. This "OMO" in the face of man is interesting. Also, I think that reading Dante is might be causing me to have bad dreams.

07.12.2024 - now at Canto XV (might Purgatorio finish this upcoming weekend.)

07.08.2024 - Began Purgatorio - switched to a different translation and format.

Why I switched: it has made my reading a bit faster and more enjoyable. Constantly having to look up the footnotes in order to read about political figures of Dante's day caused for much flipping back and forth in the physical book.

With the kindle, a simple touch of the linked line number pulls up the relevant foot note. My reading feels more seamless and less interrupted (hence increase in reading speed and joy!)

Ciardi's translation is a bit easier than Mandelbaum's as well.

My two translations and an example of how a footnote shows up on the kindle version.

Small Notes - Purgatorio

  • Canto V - Dante refers to The Aeneid again (about the Sybil and prayers) and I realize (again) how nice it is to read these epics back to back.
  • Canto VII - Learn in the notes that Virgil dies in AD 19. So he was alive the same time that Christ was alive as well. Interesting.
  • Canto IX - that first step to the gate reminds me of that scene from that movie, The Neverending Story, where Atreyu has to look in the mirror at the gate to see his true self.
  • Canto XIV - at this point I realize that I am not underlining the poetry as much as I did in Mandelbaum's translation, but I am understanding it much more quickly and easily.
  • Reading how Human Reason (Virgil) can only go so far (in Purgatorio) and then Divine Love (Beatrice) takes over into the heavenly realms (in the upcoming Paradisio) makes me think of Dr. David H. Hawkins and his levels of consciousness. He talks about how reason can only go to 499 but 500+ is the realm of Divine Love.

I'm reading the Everyman's Library copy - it's a beautiful book and I am really enjoying the translation by Allen Mandelbaum.

Photo of the front cover of Everyman's Library copy of The Divine Comedy
Took this photo right after I picked up my copy at the bookstore.

07.07.2024 - finished Inferno

07.05.2024 - up to Canto 24

06.13.2024 - began Inferno

Small Notes - Inferno

  • by Canto 10 - Interesting how he mentions all these political figures and I must use notes to look everyone up to even know who they are and what he is talking about. Just goes to show how much the world around me is all about politics but just goes to show that 700 years from now it probably won't even matter in the grand scheme of things.
  • I think one really must have read the Bible before reading this.
  • In reading this I realize - the Bible endures, politics and political figures mostly do not.
  • I have read Homer and Virgil right before this and it makes a difference. Lots of references to classical works as well as mythological figures.
  • Canto 19 - so fascinating the symbolism of this punishment of the Simonists.
  • Canto 20 - interesting how Dante chides the Pope almost vociferously in Canto 19 but is weeping for the souls in Canto 20.
  • Is it me or are many of the people he encounters in Hell connected to Thebes in the ancient world... seems that way.
  • Canto 24 - before I start reading I wonder if the impenitent thief from the gospels will be included. (he was not)
  • Canto 25 - wow these descriptions!
  • Canto 28 - This Canto was horrifying. Inferno is definitely horror.
  • Canto 30 - Thebes again! (I add this because I notice a lot about Thebes in the Inferno to the point I started writing it down.)
  • Canto 32 - Thebes. Again. Theban king Tydeus (ew).
  • Canto 33 - A most interesting Canto.
  • Canto 34 - I don't want to give anything away about Dis - so I will not add notes here.