Rating: 
Summary: Lighten up, Nick...
Review: If you're looking for a pretentious, overblown boor, then Tosches is your man. He is so in love with himself that he seems to forget that others might have to read his self-important ramblings. I know he feels there is an artistic purity to all this (he bludgeons us with this premise over and over), but it's just an excuse for self-indulgence. There was a great story here. Too bad he couldn't forget himself long enough to tell it.
Rating: 
Summary: A Challenging and Seductive Work That Demands Respect
Review: IN THE HAND OF DANTE bears the label "A Novel" on the cover. This is inaccurate; to label a book as "A Novel" is to imply that it is a work of fiction. What Nick Tosches has done here is to take the ordered and deliberate gathering of printed word somewhere beyond that, into a realm where fact and fiction intertwine to the extent that what results is neither fable nor reality. It is simply what it is. This is a work of a type, like NAKED LUNCH, like THE SOUND AND THE FURY, a work that will cause discussion and argument and fisticuffs to take place. Tosches at one point during IN THE HAND OF DANTE puts forth the proposition that artists don't create for themselves, but for their descendants, since artists are never appreciated during their lifetimes. IN THE HAND OF DANTE at once presents this argument and is, perhaps, the main exhibit of its case-in-chief.IN THE HAND OF DANTE is a difficult work, undoubtedly by design. It is almost impossible to read at one sitting --- there are passages where the language is so beautiful, and the ideas so deep, that one must simply look away for a time --- yet it is compelling to the point of obsession. When one is away from it, one wonders what is occurring within the universe contained within the binders. That universe proceeds on two tracks. One track follows Dante, as he is composing THE DIVINE COMEDY, and the influences upon him during that period. His main influence is an elderly Jewish rabbi --- and I use the term "rabbi" not in the clerical but in its true context. There are extended passages during which the elder explores the magic of language and the influence of cabbala upon the Christian religion and the fallacies upon which it is built. Look, he says, look, see what is to be plainly seen and what has been ignored. Are you ready, he asks Dante, and the reader, to see the truth? It is almost painful to read these passages; doing so may occasionally require two or three perusals, with time for reflection afterwards. There is much to consider here, and to reconsider. Tosches has a passion for knowledge of what we call The Middle Ages; one gets the feeling that what he gives us IN THE HAND OF DANTE skims only the surface. The other track of THE HAND OF DANTE involves the quiet discovery in the Vatican of what appears to be the original manuscript of THE DIVINE COMEDY. The document is spirited away and nefariously becomes the property of a group of gentlemen that includes one Nick Tosches, an author, thief and expert on matters Dante. Another of this group is a gentleman known only as Louie, as frightening a character as one might encounter in modern fiction. He is frightening simply because there is no question that he exists and that you might encounter him, to your detriment, in the course of an innocent, unexcused brushing of shoulders some night in the Village along Sixth Avenue. This reservoir dog is one of Tosches' uneasy partners in the acquisition and verification the manuscript; as the witnesses to the acquisition are methodically dispensed with, Tosches comes to realize that he is next in line. Tosches occasionally departs from this narrative and converts into a vehicle for presentation of autobiographical material, including an angry rant against publishers and editors, including his own, which goes on for pages. A portion of this consists of a memo by Tosches to his editor in response to a request for a subtitle to a previous work of his, WHEN DEAD VOICES GATHER. It is feared by the editor that, without the subtitle, readers will mistake this nonfiction work for a work of fiction. What is interesting and compelling here is that Tosches' extended dissertation of a response reveals that he is capable by turns of the most eloquent and the most coarse of language, depending on the subject matter. There are also layers of meaning within --- some immediately obvious, some not. When Tosches recounts a dialogue between Dante and his patron, wherein the possibility is explored that Dante has interposed certain personalities in his work to please the patron, is this not a reminder that an artist must be mindful of commercial realities? Perhaps. With Tosches, one is never quite sure. And one is never sure how IN THE HAND OF DANTE will end. Just when you think Tosches might be out of running room, he introduces, within the last fifth of the book, one of the most interesting characters you'll encounter in fiction this year. And what does the last sentence of IN THE HAND OF DANTE infer? IN THE HAND OF DANTE is a challenging work, a seductive work. It is compelling enough to love, and frustrating enough, at times, to hate --- but it is ultimately a brilliant work that demands attention, respect, and slow savoring, a work that, while not for everyone, should be read by everyone. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Idea, Failed Execution
Review: In the Hand of Dante is an interesting idea for a novel, a modern-day thriller of sorts intercut with an imagined life of Dante. Tosches casts himself as the narrator of his own novel, and in many ways the book (at least the portion cast in the modern day) sounds very much like Tosches speaking. I find that appealing; Tosches has a powerful style, combining a true New York street sensibility with vast erudition and bawdy humor. But if you don't like that style, sort of an East Coast latter day Hunter Thompson gonzo, the coarseness and the vulgarity may put you off. Other reviews have criticized the novel as self-indulgent, and that criticism has bite in two respects. One is that Tosches loves to use episodes in the novel (the present day portion) to riff on a wide variety of current issues, including September 11, Oprah, and sexual intimacy. That didn't bother me, because at least I found what he had to say interesting. But the bigger problem is with the portion of the novel that conceptualizes the life of Dante. First, there's just too much of it, and after a while, the writing isn't enough to carry the rather thin story line. Secondly, Tosches just can't help showing off just how much he knows about Dante's life and work in an obvious and pretentious way, trying to both impart information about Dante, but also to ape, not terribly successfully in my view, Dante's style. By half-way through the novel, I was having a hard time caring about the life of Dante. Maybe if Tosches had used this device more sparingly, instead of devoting half the novel to it, the result would have been more successful. So, for those reasons, I liked the book, but I didn't love it.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Idea, Failed Execution
Review: In the Hand of Dante is an interesting idea for a novel, a modern-day thriller of sorts intercut with an imagined life of Dante. Tosches casts himself as the narrator of his own novel, and in many ways the book (at least the portion cast in the modern day) sounds very much like Tosches speaking. I find that appealing; Tosches has a powerful style, combining a true New York street sensibility with vast erudition and bawdy humor. But if you don't like that style, sort of an East Coast latter day Hunter Thompson gonzo, the coarseness and the vulgarity may put you off. Other reviews have criticized the novel as self-indulgent, and that criticism has bite in two respects. One is that Tosches loves to use episodes in the novel (the present day portion) to riff on a wide variety of current issues, including September 11, Oprah, and sexual intimacy. That didn't bother me, because at least I found what he had to say interesting. But the bigger problem is with the portion of the novel that conceptualizes the life of Dante. First, there's just too much of it, and after a while, the writing isn't enough to carry the rather thin story line. Secondly, Tosches just can't help showing off just how much he knows about Dante's life and work in an obvious and pretentious way, trying to both impart information about Dante, but also to ape, not terribly successfully in my view, Dante's style. By half-way through the novel, I was having a hard time caring about the life of Dante. Maybe if Tosches had used this device more sparingly, instead of devoting half the novel to it, the result would have been more successful. So, for those reasons, I liked the book, but I didn't love it.
Rating: 
Summary: Egomaniac's Experiment
Review: It has taken me a while to get to this review because I so disliked the book, I wanted to get some (hopefully) cogent thoughts together. This may have been an experiment on the writer's part, or perhaps plain ego alone. Either way, it failed miserably. The jacket relates that the author was self-taught in the classics. He decided to show off all he learned in grossly overwritten prose throughout two-thirds of the book. The other third is written in gross language. He makes himself the protagonist/hero, yet you never get to know what kind of man that character is - except ego driven in fiction as well. The plot had potential, as did the underlying theme of Dante's soul-searching and difficulties writing his classic. None of it came off, however. Perhaps the best part was a thirty page diatribe about the publishing industry. If ever a book was "jus' showin' off" this was it. I am sorry so much potential was wasted.
Rating:
Summary: not yet finished
Review: jesus, i'm only about a third of the way through the book and i'm so blown away that i'm writing my first ever online review. okay, it is so far a pretty loose "novel," but seriously, the chapter from pgs. 68-118 (his testimonies of reading, writing, publishing companies, censorship, etc.- yes, a lot of you would call it ranting) is really really alone worth buying the book. i have no idea where this'll go from here or if it'll be any good, but i'm ecstatic to have newly found one of my favorite writers.
Rating:
Summary: Tosched by your presence, dear
Review: Nick Tosches has never been an author to underestimate his own considerable abilities. But here he swerves dangerously into Hunter Thompson parody territory by making himself the lead in what could have been a fascinating rumination on the title character, and then digressing with a silly screed lambasting the publishing industry (probably lifted verbatim from the memos about this book). Stick with his biographies (especially "Dino") and music criticism unless you still think swearing profusely in every sentence is the stylistic mark of a hard-bitten alcoholic mess of a middle-age hero (cue Ozzy).
Rating:
Summary: Rampant Ego Obscures Talent
Review: Nick Tosches undeniably has talent. Unfortunately for the reader, Tosches is very aware of this fact and wants the reader to be aware of it (the book refers to Tosches' "legendary" poetry readings!). A series of riffs on truly tangential subjects (e.g., the woeful state of publishing in America today) undermines what could have been a great story. When Tosches focuses on the task at hand, the book is gripping, and the sentences sing (sometimes with melancholy beauty, other times raging jazz, and still other passages sound like a dirge). But the sheer weight of Tosches' ego overwhelms all. The modern story of Nick's verification of Dante's original manuscript is far more engaging than the parallel story of Dante actually writing his masterwork. Rather than building to a crescendo, this book also trails off towards the end, giving the impression that Tosches merely lost interest in his tale. And by then, so had I.
Rating:
Summary: Rampant Ego Obscures Talent
Review: Nick Tosches undeniably has talent. Unfortunately for the reader, Tosches is very aware of this fact and wants the reader to be aware of it (the book refers to Tosches' "legendary" poetry readings!). A series of riffs on truly tangential subjects (e.g., the woeful state of publishing in America today) undermines what could have been a great story. When Tosches focuses on the task at hand, the book is gripping, and the sentences sing (sometimes with melancholy beauty, other times raging jazz, and still other passages sound like a dirge). But the sheer weight of Tosches' ego overwhelms all. The modern story of Nick's verification of Dante's original manuscript is far more engaging than the parallel story of Dante actually writing his masterwork. Rather than building to a crescendo, this book also trails off towards the end, giving the impression that Tosches merely lost interest in his tale. And by then, so had I.
Rating:
Summary: Rampant Ego Obscures Talent
Review: Nick Tosches undeniably has talent. Unfortunately for the reader, Tosches is very aware of this fact and wants the reader to be aware of it (the book refers to Tosches' "legendary" poetry readings!). A series of riffs on truly tangential subjects (e.g., the woeful state of publishing in America today) undermines what could have been a great story. When Tosches focuses on the task at hand, the book is gripping, and the sentences sing (sometimes with melancholy beauty, other times raging jazz, and still other passages sound like a dirge). But the sheer weight of Tosches' ego overwhelms all. The modern story of Nick's verification of Dante's original manuscript is far more engaging than the parallel story of Dante actually writing his masterwork. Rather than building to a crescendo, this book also trails off towards the end, giving the impression that Tosches merely lost interest in his tale. And by then, so had I.
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