The Inferno of Dante

By Dante Alighieri

Book Overview

This widely praised version of Dante's masterpiece, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award of the Academy of American Poets, is more idiomatic and approachable than its many predecessors. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Pinsky employs slant rhyme and near rhyme to preserve Dante's terza rima form without distorting the flow of English idiom. The result is a clear and vigorous translation that is also unique, student-friendly, and faithful to the original: "A brilliant success," as Bernard Knox wrote in The New York Review of Books.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374524521
• ISBN13: 9780374524524
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Difficult to read.

It's written in old English and I wonder how accurate it is because the notes in the back don't jive with the text. Even Longfellow said in the beginning it doesn't translate into English well. "More beautiful in Italian." I'm a amature theologian and I have to say it's amazing this poem was turned into a belief system.

Classics

So many classics on my list, but ever since I watched the animated film and heard about this book in middle school I’ve always wanted to read it!

it came fast and it looks brand new!!

love it

Most enjoyable translation of Dante that I have read.

I have read several previous translations of the Inferno since high school, all of which have ranged unintelligible to passable. Most of the translations I have read previously were so literal in translation that it was like reading Shakespearean English, this translation, while not perfect was so readable that I was amazed. The Palma translations attempts to maintain the original prose, but what sets him apart is his willingness to abandon the rhyming structure at certain points in order to maintain the flow of the story. Palma is the first translator that does justice to the Divine Comedy, if you are looking for a readable, enjoyable translation of Dante look no further.

Audacious journey

This is a review of the Nicholas Kilmer 1985 translation, illustrated by Benjamin Martinez.There have been over 700 years of commentary on this classic, so I won't add anything original here. On the web search for "Dartmouth Dante Project" and you will find many. The reading is helped by added commentary, for example understanding the role of Beatrice or Francesca as heroine. The Dorothy Sayers translation offers more background information. The audaciousness of the poet to enter this realm of Biblical themes is remarkable, as his ability to garner sympathy for some of the sinners, such as Ugolino. Its fun to think where Dante would have placed some of today's public figures. Kilmer's translation is clear and straightforward, fairly modern sounding. For example contrast Kilmers(from Cantos XXiv):Quicker than I cross t, dot i, he kindled, burned, and falling down, was completely changed to ashes versus Sayers:Never did writer with a single dashOf the pen write "o" or "i" so swift as heTook fire, and burned, and crumbled way to ash.After I read the poem, I studied the dark illustrations by Benjamin Martinez and they present another view of the journey.

Ciardi's the Best

There's no doubt about it...Ciardi's is the best translation of the haunting and powerful poem about the medieval view of God's divine plan. Ciardi dumps archaisms and goes for the throat of Dante's poetry and meaning. You'll never touch another translation after you read this!