Inferno

by Dante and Robin Kirkpatrick

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Mythology

Paperback

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hozier concert so good I read Dante’s inferno for fun

[Nick Lopes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bunch of Italians I didn't recognize

[Heavy Machine Operator · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a crazy thing to start after a years-long period of not reading, and I have that to blame for it taking me six months. It's philosophically and lexically dense as fuck, and there's the original italian as well as the notes for each Canto as well. I admit there haven't been many times this year where I wanted to contemplate original evil and suffering.

That said I'm glad I read it. From hearing about Dante's moral order it didn't seem fair to me but when you read it, it does start to make sense, even if you aren't religious. The ideas in here can be picked apart endlessly, and it's especially impressive considering Dante had none of the media that inspires us today. He was just thinking about that in his spare time like a freak.

I did not like Kirkpatrick's very literal translation of the place names (Malebolge becoming 'Rottenpockets'), they were very goofy sounding. There are many things in the text that need explaining in the notes so I don't see why this couldn't have been one of them.

I will read Purgatorio and Paradiso because my uncle wants me to so a review of those can be expected in the next couple years probably.

[Michael Seselja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously an absolute classic and there’s probably little I can say that hasn’t already been said. But I will anyway.

I love how Dante seamlessly blends the Greek and Roman pagan myths into a Christian framework; much like how Christianity took the best of pagan society while discarding the worst (for example he condemns to hell certain classical heroes who acted immorally by Christian standards). And it’s a great meditation on God’s justice and our journey to overcome sin.

Also the footnotes were very helpful for understanding who all these random Italians were, and it was definitely way better reading it out loud (to little Loui, I hope he wasn’t too traumatised). You get a much better sense of the rhythm that way.

[Dave Mantese · Rating 5 out of 5]

The temptation is to give this first part of the Commedia four stars, with the expectation (I have it on good authority) that one or both of Dante's other cantiche are actually spiritually richer. But giving less that full marks to even the smallest part of a letter of Italy's great literary masterpiece would probably prove me guilty of some manner of deception and earn me a place in the Malebolge among the pimps or worse.

Of course Dante actually deserves high praise, even just for the sheer imaginativeness of the world he has created. Is there anyone, even among the most secular, who can envision Hell without its Circles? Dante's tiered structuring of eternal punishment has endured, most likely because it reflects a system of justice that makes more sense to us than throwing the tax-dodger and Hitler into the same stew. And oh the delicious irony baked into each of Dante's carefully crafted penalties! The ones that will stick with me the most: the apathetic made to finally feel something through the bee's sting, the empty corpses of the suicides swinging gallows-like just out of reach of their souls for eternity, and the once forward-peering soothsayers forced to walk backwards forever - their heads being the wrong way round.

I'm not qualified to say much about the merits of Robin Kirkpatrick's translation of the text, though I enjoyed his attempts to match the crudeness of the environment with verbal crudeness. (Would you expect to find these lines in "epic poetry"?:

One I saw riven from his chin to fart hole.
...
Between his legs his guts all dangled down,
innards and heart on show, and that grim bag
that turns to shit whatever gullets swallow. [Canto 28:22,25-27])

I also appreciated that Kirkpatrick did not try to be a hero and match the original rhyme for rhyme. With any poetic translation, it comes off as forced; with Dante, it's impossible. I've seen at least one English translation that rhymes lines 1 and 3 for each stanza, but in Coach Alighieri's calcio match that's still like playing with extra wide goals and no out-of-bounds. Dante's rhyme scheme is ABA BCB CDC... etc. Che pazzo!

But for all Inferno's artistry, I am still left wondering what Dante's intention was in writing it. I do not think it was simply to have fun populating Hell with his political rivals and curating their eternal torments, as I've often heard. If that were the case, he might as well have just scribbled on a bathroom wall instead of composing 4,500 lines of strictly structured verse. Nor can it be such a conventional reason as calling his readership to repentance or asking "Why would a good God make Hell?" Even the character of Dante gives us no clues as to how to respond, since he himself responds to the plight of damned souls now with fainting, now with tears, now with delighted approval. Maybe making us feel the stark reality of Hell - the stench, the moans, the exhausting uphill climbs and sheer drops, the heat, the chill - is reason enough to write.

A review like this couldn't be considered flattery, could it? Nah, I don't think so. That's a load of crap...

[Anja · Rating 3 out of 5]

“At grief so deep the tongue must wag in vain; the language of our sense and memory lacks the vocabulary of such pain.”

[Lieke van der Linden · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t care about ancient rich Italians who have petty disputes about politics that have nothing to do with anything but themselves. But go off I guess?

[Dominique Malinowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

obviously glad i read it but fucking hell (lol), never have i been happier to be done with a book. impossible to get through without notes and google unless you’re happy to just understand surface level context. currently considering if i hate myself enough to pick up rest of the divine comedy

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for this weird book, I went into this knowing it wasn't going to be for me but knew I wanted to read it as it's used in context in so many books I read. Can confirm I was right and not really for me. I enjoyed it but can't really condone a book where half the pages are notes to help you understand it.

[Becki]

Surprisingly homoerotic

[Ange · Rating 3 out of 5]

A long read for me since there is so much going on and a wild amount of name dropping. It was so nice to finally read and understand the references made in general pop culture!

[Sgarvey272 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both a universal classic and intimately personal, coming to this through the Modernists you can see why they loved him so much with his weaving intertextuality.

Though I read in translation a little glance at the rhyme scheme and you can appreciate how terza Rima creates this rippling effect of expansion mirrored in how themes mentioned in one canto will then be expanded in the next one which is gorgeously satisfying.

The canto on the sodomites contains such a touching tribute to Dante’s teacher, assumedly homosexual, who while damned to hell is honoured with ‘quelli che vince, non colui che perde.’

There’s also the “I did not know death had undone so many” line, here used to refer to actual dead people rather than Eliot’s use on the living. I think by this time we are so inundated with imagery of modern society making walking corpses of people that Dante’s use for awe at seeing how many actually are dead is more impactful and harrowing than Eliot’s.

The canto on Ulysses is another massive highlight, just a perfect addition to his story and maybe the first example of that death-drive travel-lust that we see in a debased form with “suicide rightism” (see the great Max Read article) and in a more lovely (in my eyes) in the ramblin’ man archetype of country and folk music. It reminded me of the folk song “House Carpenter” (Dave Van Ronk does the best version)

I will definitely have to read a different translation as I would like to read it in rhyme and agree with a previous reviewer that the translation of devil and place names into clash-of-clans goblin names like rottenpockets and snotsniffgutglob etc kills the vibe a bit.
‘

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah. I first heard about inferno years ago reading inferno by Dan brown and thought that’s cool. Then never thought of it again. Then again during hoziers interviews and stuff for unreal unearthed. And now two years later I finally decided to read it. My big aha moment came in canto 31 line 142-3. It kind of all clicked. How the sinners never asked forgiveness, Satan doesn’t rule but is ruled in Dante’s hell. Satans grasp for power is punished by endless meaninglessness and inability to progress. Sin is love abused and manipulated or ignored. Perfection is then love administered perfectly to oneself and others. This book really floored me and the build up was fascinatingly disgusting and provoking on the way to that final aha moment. I also loved the line in canto 30 lines 142-144. It served as a good reminder that shame or guilt should be a conduit to changing for the better but it shouldn’t lock us as we are. If we find ourselves at that point the it has to be let go of so we can move forward.

[James Cornwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting topic and really gruesome descriptions of hell, some cool philosophy concept but was kind of dull in parts, I loved him talking tk the philosophers he met along the way though, and very cool that he met the fates.
I am not sure why all the famous philosophers are in hell though, or why Chiron is there when he's a trainer of heroes?

Also loved that there are sections of hell for every little crime, makes me terrified to ever do anything wrong 😅

[Bree]

Through me you go to the grief-wracked city.
Through me to everlasting pain you go.
Through me you go and pass among lost souls.
Justice inspired my exalted Creator.
I am a creature of the Holiest Power,
Of Wisdom in the Highest and of Primal Love.
Nothing til I was made was made, only eternal beings. And I endure eternally.
Surrender as you enter every hope you have.

[Drozzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the sake of God and yourself, do not read this translation, it is a slop made of a completely senseless mixture of modernized and original language, why in the name of all that is good would you translate an italian name in Inferno of all books as ”Johnny”? It was so utterly jarring that i could not bear to read more.

[Chris Turnbull · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed some aspects of the story but I’d definitely say this book isn’t my cup of tea. I found it quite difficult to follow at certain points and as a result I think I’ve missed some philosophical lessons. Also Dante is so condescending and such a dick. Virgil=GOAT

[☆ isabelle ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very obsessed with the fact that Dante wrote this whole epic poem and just put himself in there as the main character. Bro basically wrote a 200 page self insert fanfiction about him falling in love with Virgil and then meeting god. Icon behaviour.

[David Geracioti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally decided to commit to reading Inferno and I’m so glad I did! It’s way more approachable than I expected (I think this particular translation is a good one for casual readers). It’s definitely challenging but very rewarding. The writing is potent and vivid. I’m excited for Purgatorio next!

[hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had read this during the 14th century, maybe I would have understood all the tea

[Rachel McPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Now we came out, and once more saw the stars”

Really tricky to get into at first but it read more naturally as time went on.

[Richard Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll reread this one after doing some background reading. I was surprised that this translation doesn’t include the line “abandon all hope ye who enter here”.

[kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots going on in Venice in the 1300s and Dante really wants to talk about it

[Jacob Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too advanced for me at the moment to fully grasp and appreciate: it contains many classical references and is very lexisly intense. Will be worth a revisit at some point.

[Ryan Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phenomenal passages and incredible ideas in the book. I only put three stars because a lot of the Roman/greek reference were lost on me.

[Elpltt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Palate cleanser from all the fairy porn

[Heather Neumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

good plot. translation seemed less reverent than other translations

[urgirleve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love that he's more or less the first guy who wrote a self insert fanfic. Honestly props to him. He's a real hater, this has shown me that I haven't hated to my full potential.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story on its own is very interesting (and sometimes a bit gruesome) to read. Unfortunately this version was translated poorly and made the book hard to get through, quite disappointing.

[Amberly Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d fart too if that were me.