The Divine Comedy Trilogy: The Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise Plus a Life of Dante

Rating:
Summary: the book was excellent
Review: The book leaves you with "is this all real". It describes some of the scenes very good and it helps you at the end feel calm after knowing what the character has gone through.You feel like you are Dante, and that your the one going through all the levels, as I call them.

Rating:
Summary: 5,000 Stars! Dante is the BEST!
Review: Divina Commedia is the most AWESOME story ever written. Dante ranks among the most brilliant men of all time. Maybe I feel this way because I'm a kid who likes fantasy novels, but I must say that I have read no wilder, more beautiful adventure quest than Dante's journey through the Catholic hereafter. The imagery alone is incredible. These books are stunning. Really. They make me wish I could understand Italian so I could catch the magic of Dante's rhyme... And if you've already read the Commedia, you haven't caught the whole story until you've finished La Vita Nuova as well! La Vita Nuova is a collection of sonnets about Dante's reactions to the life and death of Beatrice. Don't miss it. One more thing... If you're a Dante groupie like me, listen to the song "Dante's Prayer" by Loreena McKennit.

Rating:
Summary: Not the Book You Think It Is
Review: The rating has to do with casual readability, not with the innate worth of the book, of course. I've experienced other classics (The Aeneid, Beowulf, etc.) that turned out to be plain good reads on their own terms. Not this one. It's a darling of that branch of philosophy that has to do with logic, so there are all these careful arguments as to why things are the way they are, all plodding and ponderous. A book like this is not without its moments (the "morning after" the trip through Hell, the fact that Beatrice was not able to smile at Dante for fear of overwhelming him, etc.), but it does drag on for the most part. Try to find a translation that is clear and informal. The Blackstone Audio's translator (not identified!) retained the thee's and thou's and the stilted modes of expression, and it made it that much harder to get through. But even with a sympathetic translation don't for a moment believe you'll get swept away by the plot.

Rating:
Summary: Spectacular!!
Review: What can I say? I'm hooked! I started reading this powerful masterpiece out of mere curiosity. After the first Canto, I couldn't put it down! The stunning depictions of the infinite torment of Hell sent shivers up my spine! I used to think that Shakespeare had no equal, now I know I was wrong!

Rating:
Summary: A bit difficult at the start, but it grows on you
Review: Besides the philosophical and religious depth of this book, and the great risk Dante must have had in writing it 700 years ago, it was interesting to see how Dante put so many characters (both real and imaginary) into this book. He obviously was an extremely intelligent person and his views on purgatory, inferno and paradise were captivating.

Rating:
Summary: You must read it
Review: This is an amazing work of literature. This poem takes you to places that are imaginable only to such genius as Dante, and is written in absolute perfection. I enjoyed every single Canto and recomend it to anyone who enjoys reading.

Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: This is by far the best and most moving work of literature that I have ever read

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: From Inferno, to Purgatorio, and then Pardisio, Alighieri's DivineComedy is definitely a classic to last the ages. Through the layers of hell, to his ascent to Beatrice, this is definitely a hard series to put down.

Rating:
Summary: ABSOLUTE GENIUS!!!
Review: Genius! That is all that I can say, GENIUS! This is, without a doubt, one of the best and most important works of literature in human history. Dante is second only to Shakespeare in human literature. I enjoyed every minute that I spent reading "The Divine Comedy" and could hardly put it down. If you enjoy reading at all then PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!!

Rating:
Summary: Horrible and Captivating
Review: I found an old copy of this book at an antique store that contained very disturbing illustrations, showing Hell and Purgatory in all its bloody glory. Those visions have haunted me ever since. One day when I become a director I'm going to direct a film version of the Divine Comedy and hope to capture all of the harrowing tableau associated with Hell and Purgatory, and all the divine glory associated with Heaven.