Rating: 
Summary: The need for Quality Assurance ???
Review: Dante stands alongside Shakespeare, Milton, & T.S Eliot et al. as one of the most profound minds and thinkers of our shared culture and history. Whilst the recording does not capture the tone and poetic sensibilities of Dante, It is tragic to say the least that anyone can publish a review - in particular those who can not even read (See Annie Feng's review). I think there is a need for some form of Quality Assurance to ensure that those who can appreciate art (regardless of their religious or philosophical stance) can read reviews that are of a genuine critical nature that understand something of the historical and literary context of a particular work rather than just bigoted condemnations !!! A good way of doing this would be to note the number of people who find a particular review helpful -
It is important to note that 0 out of 3 found Annie Fengs review of help !!! (good to see Annie gave the Angel DVD series 5 stars - i think this speaks for itself).
Could Annie and people like her please stick to the Angel series or at least learn to read - are u really over 13 years of age Annie ???
Rating: 
Summary: Bad recording of a Great Book
Review: While the actor, Heathecote Williams, clearly can read, either he was a poor choice for this task, or the producers of this audio version had no experience with audio books. The production quality of this recording is terrible. I purchase a lot of audio books, but seldom have I had such a horrible listening experience.
The actor speaks in a droning monitone and then starts to yell in a high-pitched and squeaky voice.
I would suggest that you read this book rather than listen to this badly produced set of discs.
Rating:
Summary: Leave all hope, ye that enter
Review: I was interested in Dante's thoughts on hell, religion, and the afterlife as taught by the Catholic church at the time of its writing. What I got was a detailed political history of Medieval Italy. This book is great for the first few chapters, but then it becomes a repetitive saga. Synopsis of the each chapter of the Inferno: Go to next layer of hell; describe in 20 words or less the torture found there; make fun of some political opponents, Catholic church officials, and so forth; prepare for further descent. In my opinion, this book resides somewhere between the 21st and 22nd layers of hell. Canto three pretty much has it right.... 'Leave all hope, ye that enter'
Rating: 
Summary: A Musical Translation
Review: I was introduced to Ciardi's translation of "The Divine Comedy" in an anthology of continental literature I read in college. At that time, after experiencing fragments of Fagles' horrible "verse" translation of Homer's works, I had low expectations for the translations in that anthology.However, the instant I started reading John Ciardi's verse translation of "The Inferno", my hardened heart once again began to beat with the vibrancy it had when I read poems of Wordsworth or Browning. John Ciardi, with a poetic talent that seems to be unmatched -- except for what I've read of W.S. Merwin's "Paradiso XXXIII," -- creates a poetic flow that feels, tastes, and even smells Italian. A poetic flow that delightfully contrasts Fagles', whose poetic flow is limited by popular styles and even phrases of the 20th century. Instead of trying to lift Dante to the 20th century, Ciardi gracefully carries us to the early 14th century. Instead of assuming that Dante is arcane, old fashioned, and in need of John's own poetic help, he believes that the original Italian is fresh, exciting, and poetically graceful. The translation of Dante would have been diluted if Ciardi were to try and bring the 14th century to us through the modernization of the language, symbolism, and even the geography of Dante's world. (Fagles even geographically modified his "Odyssey" at one point to rename a Greek river the Nile because readers may get `confused'.) I'm glad that Ciardi tries to bring us back in time when the universe was cosmically full of life, where even the stars were more than the mere byproducts of abstract forces, chance, that can only be systematically analyzed and dissected. The medieval worldview is far richer than the purely logical and scientific mindset that's now common. By bringing Dante to us unfiltered by that mindset, Ciardi helps move us towards the bright and vibrant medieval world. I strongly recommend John Ciardi's poetic translation of "The Divine Comedy."
Rating:
Summary: One of the Finest Translations of the Divine Comedy
Review: This is one of the best and most approachable translations of the Divine Comedy available. It is easily read by those of most any educational background and can be understood in many different levels. If you are looking for a reliable,and accurate translation of "The Divine Comedy" , this volume would serve you well. The notes and explanations are a great plus as well.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Literature I've Ever Read
Review: I am not a literary expert, nor am I well read in all of the great literature of the past, but I have read enough to say this is the best piece of literature I've read. First, the Divine Comedy Itself. I first read the Inferno as an Undergrad in general ed. I just loved this story as challenging as it was to read. Curiosity got to me, and I bought this edition (the same as I had read for the Inferno). The book got much more challenging to read as it progresses, perhaps because the imagery is much more abstract, but it also gets more fantastic all the way through. The Paradiso definitely fits its purpose as a climax. The whole of The Divine Comedy is a good story of the spiritual journey of one man through "the afterlife" so to speak. I love the interaction the book takes of Dante's interaction with history and religion, biblical and mythical. It is an interesting perspective that shows the genious of Dante the author. As for this particular edition. I could not tell you it is the best as I have never read others. I've heard this is one of the few that has tried to make the translation stay true to the original Latin poetic form Dante used. I also think it is wonderful, and from my point essential, that this edition comes with extensive notes that help explain in layman's terms what is going on in the story Canto by Canto as well as line by line explanations of the different references made to historical people, places, and events as well as literary references. In sum, all I can say is that "The Divine Comedy" is worth a read especially if you are up to the challenge. I am not a literary expert; I work in engineering, but I find this the most fascinating literature I've ever read. Most of all, it is inpirational, the quest of one man to find his true love, facing Hell and more...
Rating:
Summary: Very nice translation
Review: The book is a bit bulky as a paperback, with a third of the bulk being footnotes and extraneous writings. Why not go ahead and include etchings, too? I don't need that. I already have the books in separate with all the historical info I need, and if I hadn't, I have the library within a few minutes drive. I was looking for a compact version of the trilogy to carry around (I don't know why) or keep beside my bed. Anyway, the translation compared to others I've leafed through is superb. No nonsense and very straight-forward, but at the same time betraying a certain depth. You can choose to read between the lines or not. The translation warrants a 5-star rating, but the book's fuction as a paperback brings that rating down.
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