The Divine Comedy: Inferno

Rating:
Summary: A Magnificent Translation of A Magnificent Story
Review: This translation of Inferno, one of the three pieces of the epic ensemble The Divine Comedy, is perhaps the best yet. Mark Musa does a truly amazing job, and the narrative is very easy to follow along. As an addition, Musa also has "translated" each line of each canto, just so readers can get a better understanding of the constant metaphors and allegories that Dante places within his tale. This book is recommened to anybody who craves a great imaginative tale, along with anyone interested in epics.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best literary masterpieces of all time!
Review: To be well read means that you have read the Comedy (at least once). At once haunting, dark and yet grotesquely beautiful, Dante has written for us the definitive Catholic epic poem of hell, purgatory and heaven. Mark Musa is one of the foremost Dante scholars in the world & teaches at the university of Indiana. His footnotes & commentaries are exceptional, a trademark that is not only a luxury but is, in fact, a necessity when it comes to Dante. I would recommend everyone read not just the Inferno, but all three canticles of the Comedy as a whole. One cannot truly understand everything in Inferno without reading thru the entire poem (including Purgatory and Paradise). Would also admonish that anyone interested in this work begin with Virgil's Aeneid and also read some Homer, Plato & Aristotle as well as some Roman history for a rough background of the work. Be advised that the bard expects you to have read everything he has so that you will catch all of his allusions. Once again, this is where Musa's footnotes come in handy, but there is still no substitute for actually reading thru the primary texts that serve as the foundation of this work. Also, would advise that one read the short work, La Vita Nuova (The New Life) before reading the Comedy, as it is basically a prologue to his epic. It will also help make more sense re: the pilgrim's near-obsessive love that he has for Beatrice. This is truly one of the great epic poems ever written and it positions Dante right up there with Homer, Goethe & Virgil.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific as an introductory translation
Review: What is there to say about the Inferno itself? Given the sheer volume of references to this work in film, literature, and, indeed, every facet of western culture, anyone looking to understand deeply should read the Divine Comedy (but you can scrape by just reading the Inferno). The Musa translation is extremely accessible. I believe that anyone encountering it for the first time should use the Musa text. Beautiful, livid, and crystal clear.