The Purgatorio (Signet Classics (Paperback))

Rating:
Summary: An Unforgettable Journey Through the Seven Deadly Sins
Review: +++++

(Note: this review is for the book "The Purgatorio" translated by John Ciardi and published by Signet Classics in 2001.)

In book one containing part one (or "canticle" one) of Dante Alighieri's (1265-1321) three part "The Divine Comedy" entitled "The Inferno," a journey of spiritual enlightenment is begun by Dante by descending into Hell and discovering the reasons for eternal suffering of souls. In this book (book two), Dante enters the second phase of his journey by ascending "The Mount of Purgatory" where again there is suffering of souls but it is temporary and this temporary suffering is meant to be a means of purification (or purging) of sin.

Dante begins this part of his journey by stating the following:

"Now shall I sing that second kingdom given
the soul of man wherein to purge its guilt
and so grow worthy to ascend to Heaven."

Note that "that second kingdom" Dante refers to is Purgatory and that the "acsend[ing] to Heaven" is dealt with in the third book containing part three entitled "The Paradiso."

After his long trek through Purgatory, Dante tells us at the end that he has been purified, "remade," and "reborn" and is now "perfect, pure, and ready for the Stars [of Paradise]."

There is a historical introduction by Archibald MacAllister of Princeton. It is imperative to have a good understanding of Dante in order to understand his poetic masterpiece and MacAllister does a good job in detailing Dante and his times. There are also helpful, specific comments about this part.

The late John Ciardi, former poet and professor of Harvard and Rutgers universities, translated this poem from its original 1300's Italian into English. He admits that "Any...remarks offered by a translator are bound to be an apology for his failures. Obviously, no sane translator can allow himself to dream of [complete] success. He asks only for the best possible failure." Scholars and purists may thus not appreciate Ciardi's translation. I, however, enjoyed his rhyming translation.

In contrast with the turbulent complexity of Hell, Dante's Purgatory is simple. It has only three sections that overall comprise thirty-three episodes (or "cantos"):

BOTTOM SECTION: "The Anti-Purgatory."
MIDDLE SECTION: "The Purgatory" Proper with its "Seven Capital Vices" (or "Seven Deadly Sins"). The Gate that leads from Anti-Purgatory to Purgatory Proper is found in episode nine.
TOP SECTION: "The Earthly Paradise." It begins at episode twenty-seven.

As in part one, Dante takes this incredible journey with his master and guide, Virgil. Along the way, the travellers and the reader encounter such things as people of Dante's time, biblical references, mythical creatures and people, legends, and those who are temporarily suffering. As well, near the end of this journey, Virgil vanishes.

As with part one, this part is a narrative poem whose greatest strength lies in the fact that it does not so much narrate as dramatize its episodes. It is a visual work that sparks your imagination.

Ciardi's mini-summary in italics before each episode give the reader a glimpse of what to expect in a particular episode. His (foot)notes at the end of each episode highlight our understanding of key passages within each. For me, Ciardi's mini-summaries and notes that accompany each episode are the cornerstone to understanding what Dante was attempting to convey. As well, Dante can be challenging and tedious to read at times. These mini-summaries and notes help the reader meet the challenge and overcome the tedium.

The table of contents incorrectly indicates that there are no illustrations in this book. There are actually four and they increase the understanding of and add another visual dimension to the poem.

Also, there is a section at the back of the book entitled "How To Read Dante." It provides invaluable information about Dante and about all three parts of his epic poem.

I should mention the impressive art on the cover of this book. It has a reproduction of the 1825 painting by artist William Blake showing Dante and Virgil (who are still in Anti-Purgatory) approaching the Angel who guards the "Gate of Purgatory" Proper.

You can read this second book without first reading the first book. However, be aware that Dante does occasionally refer back to book one.

Finally, as I said this is a very imaginative poem. Thus, I recommend "The Dore Illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy" (1976) by Gustave Dore. This book will add another vivid visual dimension to the poem.

In conclusion, don't miss this second phase of Dante's amazing journey. This brilliant translation allows the reader to experience what Dante was attempting to convey when he wrote this poem almost seven centuries ago!!

(published 2001; introduction; translator's note; 33 cantos; poem, canto mini-summaries, and canto (foot)notes comprise 310 pages; 4 illustrations; 'How to Read Dante' section.)

+++++


Rating:
Summary: An Unforgettable Journey Through the Seven Deadly Sins
Review: =====>

In book one containing part one (or "canticle" one) of Dante Alighieri's (1265-1321) three part "The Divine Comedy" entitled "The Inferno," a journey of spiritual enlightenment is begun by Dante by descending into Hell and discovering the reasons for eternal suffering of souls. In this book (book two), Dante enters the second phase of his journey through Purgatory where there again is suffering of souls but it is temporary and this temporary suffering is meant to be a means of purification of sin. (Note that there is also a third book containing part three entitled "The Paridiso.")

There is a historical introduction by Archibald MacAllister of Princeton. It is imperative to have a good understanding of Dante in order to understand his poetic masterpiece and MacAllister does a good job in detailing Dante and his times. There are also helpful specific comments about this part.

The late John Ciardi, former poet and professor of Harvard and Rutgers universities, translated this poem from its original 1300's Italian into English. He admits that "Any...remarks offered by a translator are bound to be an apology for his failures. Obviously, no sane translator can allow himself to dream of [complete] success. He asks only for the best possible failure." Scholars and purists may thus not appreciate Ciardi's translation. I, however, enjoyed his rhyming translation.

In contrast with the turbulent complexity of Hell, Dante's Purgatory is simple. It has only three sections that overall comprise thirty-three episodes (or "cantos"):

Bottom Section: "The Anti-Purgatory."
Middle Section: "The Purgatory" Proper with its "Seven Capital Vices" (or "Seven Deadly Sins"). The Gate that leads from Anti-Purgatory to Purgatory Proper is found in episode nine.
Top Section: "The Earthly Paradise." It begins at episode twenty-seven.

As in part one, Dante takes this incredible journey with his master and guide, Virgil. This time, these two meet another person who journeys with them. Along the way, the travellers and the reader encounter such things as people of Dante's time, biblical references, mythical creatures and people, legends, and those who are temporarily suffering. As well, near the end of this journey, Virgil vanishes.

As with part one, this part is a narrative poem whose greatest strength lies in the fact it does not so much narrate as dramatize its episodes. It is a visual work that sparks your imagination.

Ciardi's introductions in italics before each episode give a brief summary of what to expect. His (foot)notes at the end of each episode highlight our understanding of key passages within each. For me, Ciardi's introductions and notes that accompany each episode are the cornerstone to understanding what Dante was attempting to convey. As well, Dante can be challenging and tedious to read at times. These introductions and notes help the reader meet the challenge and overcome the tedium.

The first book in this series translated by Ciardi had many illustrations but this book has only four. This is unfortunate, since illustrations increase the understanding of and add another visual dimension to the poem.

To make up for this shortfall, there is a section at the back of the book entitled "How To Read Dante." It provides invaluable information about Dante and his "Divine Comedy."

Finally, I should mention the impressive art on the cover of this book. It has a reproduction of the 1825 painting by artist William Blake showing Dante and Virgil (who are still in Anti-Purgatory) approaching the Angel who guards the "Gate of Purgatory" Proper. (Note that the first book also has impressive cover art.)

In conclusion, don't miss this second phase of Dante's amazing journey. This brilliant translation allows the reader to experience what Dante was attempting to convey when he wrote this poem almost seven centuries ago!!

<=====>

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest of the Three
Review: Although Inferno is the most well-known and Paradiso is the most challenging (for this reader, at least), Purgatorio has long been my favorite book of the Comedy. Luminous in its portrayal of the soul's suffering, Dante is at his most human here. A teacher once told me that you can't understand Inferno until you've read Purgatorio. Although the punishments for sin are just as grotesque as in Inferno, the souls in Purgatory endure their trials gracefully. Dante continues to develop the character of his narrator, who becomes more humble with each terrace.

Rating:
Summary: Reading Dante is sort of like being in purgatory
Review: I read the Mendelbaum (I apologize for what may be an awful misspelling) version of _Inferno_ quite some time back, but I always wanted to finish the series. They didn't have the Mendelbaum translation at my local bookstore, so I went with this instead. I'd say that Ciardi did an admiral job with the rhyme. I was able to accept the compromise between actual terza rima and a straight translation, given the scarcity of rhymes in English. I felt that most of the work was understandable, though there were some moments of distinct confusion. The notes are very in-depth and keep a sense of humor about them, something that is vital when reading Dante. They provide a refreshing sense of perspective when one starts to become too bogged down in Dante's poem. There is certainly a lot to be gained from reading Dante, despite the effort required. I thought this edition enhanced by enjoyment of the poem considerably. I'd recommend it, with the caveat that it is probably more imprecise than other translations, due to the need to rhyme.

Rating:
Summary: Very readable
Review: The translator has done excellent work with this book. He states that he translated more for readability and 'feel' than flawless accuracy, and thus scholar's looking for a verbatim translation may want to go with another edition, however for someone interested in just reading for enjoyment, this is an excellent and readable narrative, and not at all abstract or convoluted the way some narrative poetries can get. At the start of each section there is a paragraph or two explanation of what is going to happen, and end notes at the end of each chapter that adds background and other interesting tidbits of info. Highly reccomended.

Rating:
Summary: Move Along...
Review: This is a translation that was doomed from the start. Since it is impossible to translate the rhyme scheme and meter of the poem into English; we must simply be content with a true translation, or learn Italian. Ciardi makes a valiant attempt, but it is futile. In fact he makes a fairly straightforward text almost impossible to understand. He also savages the text in order to fit the words into the meter and rhyme. Although in some ways I prefer this to the cleaner translations (since it DOES have the true feel of Dante about it), I am afraid I cannot recommend it; especially not to a beginner. Stick with Allen Mandelbaum (though Ciardi's glosses are more comprehensive and elaborate)

Rating:
Summary: DEEP AND MOVING
Review: When I read "Inferno" I read the John Ciardi translation, so it only made sense that I read "Purgatorio" by the same translator. As I like poetry I definitely like the fact that his translations rhyme even if several liberties have to be taken with the original text. Sometimes, though, it seems as if the translator is more concerned about rhyming than getting the point across. However, as Ciardi points out, Dante is very deep and challenging. Translating is difficult. Translating the "Divine Comedy" and making it rhyme while still making sense is harder still but Ciardi does an admirable job. There are quite a few tercets that are absolutely wonderful to read.

The Purgatorio details the journey of Virgil and Dante as they go up Purgatory. If there is one thing that I like about Dante, it is in the way he thinks, which appears very logical. In Purgatory, one sees that one starts at the very bottom, which shows humility. This of course, makes perfect sense, since these souls are approaching God. I particularly liked Dante's reasoning behind "The Proud". In life, they walked around with their noses held high, thinking highly of themselves. In Purgatory, they crawl under the crushing weight of huge boulders, making them humble and bringing them "back down to earth."

Each Canto starts with a very helpful synopsis of what follows. After that is the Canto and after that are the footnotes. It is extremely beneficial to know some mythology and Italian history beforehand, but the footnotes at the end will fill in the many gaps for you, that is, if you have the patience to read them. If you're still confused about what all has gone on, the section at the very end entitled "How to Read Dante" is very helpful, a nice way to finish the book.

This book, like its predecessor, can be very challenging and tedious. But, as Virgil and Dante find, though the road is rough so are the riches that much greater when they finally come to journey's end.

Rating:
Summary: DEEP AND MOVING
Review: When I read "Inferno" I read the John Ciardi translation, so it only made sense that I read "Purgatorio" by the same translator. As I like poetry I definitely like the fact that his translations rhyme even if several liberties have to be taken with the original text. Sometimes, though, it seems as if the translator is more concerned about rhyming than getting the point across. However, as Ciardi points out, Dante is very deep and challenging. Translating is difficult. Translating the "Divine Comedy" and making it rhyme while still making sense is harder still but Ciardi does an admirable job. There are quite a few tercets that are absolutely wonderful to read.

The Purgatorio details the journey of Virgil and Dante as they go up Purgatory. If there is one thing that I like about Dante, it is in the way he thinks, which appears very logical. In Purgatory, one sees that one starts at the very bottom, which shows humility. This of course, makes perfect sense, since these souls are approaching God. I particularly liked Dante's reasoning behind "The Proud". In life, they walked around with their noses held high, thinking highly of themselves. In Purgatory, they crawl under the crushing weight of huge boulders, making them humble and bringing them "back down to earth."

Each Canto starts with a very helpful synopsis of what follows. After that is the Canto and after that are the footnotes. It is extremely beneficial to know some mythology and Italian history beforehand, but the footnotes at the end will fill in the many gaps for you, that is, if you have the patience to read them. If you're still confused about what all has gone on, the section at the very end entitled "How to Read Dante" is very helpful, a nice way to finish the book.

This book, like its predecessor, can be very challenging and tedious. But, as Virgil and Dante find, though the road is rough so are the riches that much greater when they finally come to journey's end.