What do you think?
Rate this book
My Visit to Hell
My Visit to Hell By Paul Thigpen Nearly seven hundred years ago the Italian poet Dante wrote The Inferno , an epic tale of the fate awaiting doomed souls in the underworld. Now, the story continues… Thomas Travis had always thought the toughest streets in the ghettos of Atlanta were next door to hell. But he didn’t know just how close they were until the threat of racial violence sent him fleeing down the stairs of an abandoned building…only to fall headlong into a tortured realm of fire and ice, the place of the damned. The only chance of escape was to trust the strange elderly woman who met him there and insisted on being his guide. She claimed to know the way out, but it would lead through all the terrifying circles of divine judgment, each one deeper and more tormenting than the last. In the lowest pit, the Lord of Darkness himself lay in wait. Thomas had lived a godless life, and now there was hell to pay. If his soul could be purged on the journey, he just might make it. But the odds were against him. In hell, the only guarantee is justice…and the only way out is down. About the Author PAUL THIGPEN, PhD, is an award-winning journalist and the best-selling author of more than twenty-five books, including A Dictionary of Quotes from the Saints, Blood of the Martyrs, and Seed of the Church . He is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale University and also holds a doctorate in historical theology from Emory University.
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2007
19 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Paul Thigpen
62 books71 followersPaul Thigpen, Ph.D., is the editor of TAN Books. An award-winning journalist and best-selling author, he has published forty-two books. His work has been translated into twelve languages and circulated worldwide.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 14, 2012
I read Paul Thigpen’s My Visit To Hell for a couple of reasons. One is a secret - and yeah, I’m gonna keep it a secret for a while; I can do that. The other reason is that I’ve been fascinated with Dante’s Inferno since my early Dungeons & Dragons days - and Thigpen’s novel promised to be a somewhat faithful retelling and/or update of the epic classic. Which it, thankfully, was.
I bought the trade paperback without knowing much about Thigpen. I didn’t know that he was a converted Catholic with an evangelical background (and I think he was still a Protestant evangelical when he first wrote My Visit To Hell). I also didn’t know that Hell was actually touted as a “Christian” novel.
I won’t say that I WOULDN’T have read the book had I known. I consider myself a Christian - a dismally bad one, but one nonetheless. Plus, I’m the kind of reader who believes that to become a better reader, thinker, and ultimately, writer, one needs to read expansively and inclusively. I mean, I TRIED to read Ulysses. On the other end of the scale, I TRIED to read R.A. Salvatore’s shitty-ass Drizzt Do’Urden fantasy novels.
I’ve certainly read “Christian” literature before - and not just C.S. Lewis’s brilliant work. Hell, I read Paul McHenry’s terrible, terrible, terrible Code Name: Antidote. You can ask some of my closest friends about that time in my life - you’ll love some of the answers.
Paul Thigpen’s novel is much more readable, interesting, and imaginative than CN:A, but it still got on my nerves to read a book like that. And by “like that”, I mean a book filled with less than savory characters who are in tense, less than pleasant situations, who still never, ever, never, ever say ONE swear word. Not one.
Not one “shit”. Not one “fuck”. Not one “asshole”. Not even a “bitch” or “cocksucker” or a “damn”. Unless you count “damned” as referring to the cursed individuals in Hell. And, of course, there’s the word Hell itself.
Other than that though, in Thigpen’s world, not even the nasty rapists and murderers who inhabit Hell are willing to say anything remotely blue. While I understand Thigpen’s audience and publisher, and their need to keep it “clean,” I found it ridiculous and incessantly annoying that - while people were running around naked, getting graphically blasted by fire and radiation, getting hacked to pieces by horrific demons and torturers, NOT ONE OF THEM EVER SAID A SWEAR WORD.
I think the nastiest thing anyone was called was “bucko.” Even the demons kept it clean.
Were that the worst thing I could say about the novel, though, I think I could give it a glowing recommendation. After all, no swearing is a pretty minor nitpick, no matter how annoying it was.
And I WILL give it this limited praise: Even though the not-swearing thing was annoying, even though it distressed me to no end that Thigpen reveled in saying CUSS instead of CURSE or SWEAR (he’s a Southern writer, too, folks), and even though some passages were sophomoric and trite, the book entertained me. Occasionally, the scenery was inspired. For instance, the level of Hell for suicides was creepy and sad in perfect proportions.
This brings us, though, to the title of this post and my greatest criticism of Thigpen’s novel: in a book that could have been sooo interesting, and for Christian readers so inspirational, and for non-Christians so informational, Thigpen decided to dwell overly long on certain evangelical “hot topics” that would likely have stopped many people - those who don’t already believe as he does - from reading further.
Can you name two topics which evangelical or “devout” Christians tend to dwell on that turn people off - so much so that people who might otherwise be receptive to the POSSIBILITY of a divine “God” and an encompassing plan for the universe say, “Fuck that - you guys are a bunch of hateful-ass judgmental bitches,” and either dismiss or reject altogether the entire premise of Christianity or religion in general?
If you said ABORTION or HOMOSEXUALITY, then take the pie - it’s yours.
What the fuck is it with “Christians” who set aside the most crucial of all God’s commands - that YOU LOVE GOD, AND THEN TREAT OTHER PEOPLE AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED - in favor of bile and vitriol, and the condemnation of circumstances and lifestyles that they do not understand, or even care to try to understand? No wonder so many people reject religion - it’s hard to believe in a God who cares more about what you do with your own body than He does what you do to other people.
I finished Thigpen’s novel for three reasons: 1) because I’m a believer, I’m straight, and I’ve never been involved in making an abortion decision, so I was able to swallow my disgust at how much he dwelled on those topics 2) because I was curious, and 3) because I’m a completionist. Had I lacked any of those characteristics, I probably would have set My Visit To Hell aside and started on the stack of Hulk comics I have on my bedside table.
Lemme give you a bit of context. In Dante’s Inferno, and in Thigpen’s interpretation of it, Hell consists of ever-deepening circular levels, and the deeper you go, the more heinous the sin, until you reach the bottom where Satan himself is half-buried in ice, his upper half still able to reach and grab and chew. This lowest Hell, the Ninth Circle, is called Cocytus, and therein dwell the worst sinners imaginable - the traitors. In Inferno, we see Satan gnawing perpetually on the three worst traitors in Dante’s world: Brutus, Cassius, and of course, Judas Iscariot.
So, here you go: Circle Seven is the place for the violent - those who were violent to others (murderers and tyrants), those who were violent to themselves (suicides), and those who were violent against nature and God. Now, both Dante and Thigpen relegate gay people to this Circle - in fact, they’re placed in a deeper ring than both the murders and the suicides.
Let me ask you something. When you think of violence, do you think about gay people? Does Neil Patrick Harris make you shudder with terror at how he’s going to gut you with his codpiece? Do you think that the average gay guy deserves a place in Hell that’s DEEPER than Saddam Hussein’s? Than Ted Bundy’s?
Dante put what he called sodomites in that level of Hell because he lived in a medieval age and had a medieval mindset. Thigpen… well….
What Dante NEVER mentioned was abortion. But guess where Thigpen placed the parents of aborted fetuses? In Cocytus, just a little ways away from Satan himself. Even saying that abortion was murder, and putting the parents of aborted fetuses on the Seventh Circle wasn’t enough for Thigpen. Nope. Ninth Circle: traitors to family.
And it wasn’t that Thigpen offhandedly mentioned, “Yeah, that’s where the abortion parents are. Yeah, that’s where the gays are.” He DWELLED on it. Not exhaustively, but enough that you knew he was trying to make a point.
And by making that point, he distracted me from the other points he might have been trying to make. In doing so, he lost an opportunity. He could have given me a story that scared me so badly I had bad dreams - I mean, what’s more potentially frightening than a place of eternal torment and freaky shit? He COULD have given me - and think this was his intent - a story of redemption and salvation, one that pulled at my heart strings and made me exult at the main character’s rebirth and reawakening. But alas, Thigpen’s writing simply wasn’t powerful enough to overcome the things he threw in there that distracted me from his point, and he would have lost me had I not been determined to finish.
In the end, though I can’t say My Visit to Hell was in fact, a visit to Hell, it certainly wasn’t a cakewalk either.
I bought the trade paperback without knowing much about Thigpen. I didn’t know that he was a converted Catholic with an evangelical background (and I think he was still a Protestant evangelical when he first wrote My Visit To Hell). I also didn’t know that Hell was actually touted as a “Christian” novel.
I won’t say that I WOULDN’T have read the book had I known. I consider myself a Christian - a dismally bad one, but one nonetheless. Plus, I’m the kind of reader who believes that to become a better reader, thinker, and ultimately, writer, one needs to read expansively and inclusively. I mean, I TRIED to read Ulysses. On the other end of the scale, I TRIED to read R.A. Salvatore’s shitty-ass Drizzt Do’Urden fantasy novels.
I’ve certainly read “Christian” literature before - and not just C.S. Lewis’s brilliant work. Hell, I read Paul McHenry’s terrible, terrible, terrible Code Name: Antidote. You can ask some of my closest friends about that time in my life - you’ll love some of the answers.
Paul Thigpen’s novel is much more readable, interesting, and imaginative than CN:A, but it still got on my nerves to read a book like that. And by “like that”, I mean a book filled with less than savory characters who are in tense, less than pleasant situations, who still never, ever, never, ever say ONE swear word. Not one.
Not one “shit”. Not one “fuck”. Not one “asshole”. Not even a “bitch” or “cocksucker” or a “damn”. Unless you count “damned” as referring to the cursed individuals in Hell. And, of course, there’s the word Hell itself.
Other than that though, in Thigpen’s world, not even the nasty rapists and murderers who inhabit Hell are willing to say anything remotely blue. While I understand Thigpen’s audience and publisher, and their need to keep it “clean,” I found it ridiculous and incessantly annoying that - while people were running around naked, getting graphically blasted by fire and radiation, getting hacked to pieces by horrific demons and torturers, NOT ONE OF THEM EVER SAID A SWEAR WORD.
I think the nastiest thing anyone was called was “bucko.” Even the demons kept it clean.
Were that the worst thing I could say about the novel, though, I think I could give it a glowing recommendation. After all, no swearing is a pretty minor nitpick, no matter how annoying it was.
And I WILL give it this limited praise: Even though the not-swearing thing was annoying, even though it distressed me to no end that Thigpen reveled in saying CUSS instead of CURSE or SWEAR (he’s a Southern writer, too, folks), and even though some passages were sophomoric and trite, the book entertained me. Occasionally, the scenery was inspired. For instance, the level of Hell for suicides was creepy and sad in perfect proportions.
This brings us, though, to the title of this post and my greatest criticism of Thigpen’s novel: in a book that could have been sooo interesting, and for Christian readers so inspirational, and for non-Christians so informational, Thigpen decided to dwell overly long on certain evangelical “hot topics” that would likely have stopped many people - those who don’t already believe as he does - from reading further.
Can you name two topics which evangelical or “devout” Christians tend to dwell on that turn people off - so much so that people who might otherwise be receptive to the POSSIBILITY of a divine “God” and an encompassing plan for the universe say, “Fuck that - you guys are a bunch of hateful-ass judgmental bitches,” and either dismiss or reject altogether the entire premise of Christianity or religion in general?
If you said ABORTION or HOMOSEXUALITY, then take the pie - it’s yours.
What the fuck is it with “Christians” who set aside the most crucial of all God’s commands - that YOU LOVE GOD, AND THEN TREAT OTHER PEOPLE AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED - in favor of bile and vitriol, and the condemnation of circumstances and lifestyles that they do not understand, or even care to try to understand? No wonder so many people reject religion - it’s hard to believe in a God who cares more about what you do with your own body than He does what you do to other people.
I finished Thigpen’s novel for three reasons: 1) because I’m a believer, I’m straight, and I’ve never been involved in making an abortion decision, so I was able to swallow my disgust at how much he dwelled on those topics 2) because I was curious, and 3) because I’m a completionist. Had I lacked any of those characteristics, I probably would have set My Visit To Hell aside and started on the stack of Hulk comics I have on my bedside table.
Lemme give you a bit of context. In Dante’s Inferno, and in Thigpen’s interpretation of it, Hell consists of ever-deepening circular levels, and the deeper you go, the more heinous the sin, until you reach the bottom where Satan himself is half-buried in ice, his upper half still able to reach and grab and chew. This lowest Hell, the Ninth Circle, is called Cocytus, and therein dwell the worst sinners imaginable - the traitors. In Inferno, we see Satan gnawing perpetually on the three worst traitors in Dante’s world: Brutus, Cassius, and of course, Judas Iscariot.
So, here you go: Circle Seven is the place for the violent - those who were violent to others (murderers and tyrants), those who were violent to themselves (suicides), and those who were violent against nature and God. Now, both Dante and Thigpen relegate gay people to this Circle - in fact, they’re placed in a deeper ring than both the murders and the suicides.
Let me ask you something. When you think of violence, do you think about gay people? Does Neil Patrick Harris make you shudder with terror at how he’s going to gut you with his codpiece? Do you think that the average gay guy deserves a place in Hell that’s DEEPER than Saddam Hussein’s? Than Ted Bundy’s?
Dante put what he called sodomites in that level of Hell because he lived in a medieval age and had a medieval mindset. Thigpen… well….
What Dante NEVER mentioned was abortion. But guess where Thigpen placed the parents of aborted fetuses? In Cocytus, just a little ways away from Satan himself. Even saying that abortion was murder, and putting the parents of aborted fetuses on the Seventh Circle wasn’t enough for Thigpen. Nope. Ninth Circle: traitors to family.
And it wasn’t that Thigpen offhandedly mentioned, “Yeah, that’s where the abortion parents are. Yeah, that’s where the gays are.” He DWELLED on it. Not exhaustively, but enough that you knew he was trying to make a point.
And by making that point, he distracted me from the other points he might have been trying to make. In doing so, he lost an opportunity. He could have given me a story that scared me so badly I had bad dreams - I mean, what’s more potentially frightening than a place of eternal torment and freaky shit? He COULD have given me - and think this was his intent - a story of redemption and salvation, one that pulled at my heart strings and made me exult at the main character’s rebirth and reawakening. But alas, Thigpen’s writing simply wasn’t powerful enough to overcome the things he threw in there that distracted me from his point, and he would have lost me had I not been determined to finish.
In the end, though I can’t say My Visit to Hell was in fact, a visit to Hell, it certainly wasn’t a cakewalk either.
Read
July 1, 2008This is an extremely difficult book to review. I'm not even going to try to give it a rating--none of the definitions of the ratings come close to fitting. I did not 'like it' or 'really like it'. I would not call it amazing. Truthfully, I don't know what I would call it. As I sit here after just having finished it, I'm not even sure what I'm going to write.
My Visit to Hell is touted as a modern-day adaptation of Dante's Inferno but it is more intense -- or at least it was for me -- than Dante for several reasons. For one thing, obviously, because I understood it better. Although I had many aides in reading my translation of Inferno I still had difficulties with basic comprehension. So far, I have only read it twice and both times were several years ago. I am probably due for another go.
For another thing, the situations, characters, specific examples of sin, etc. described in MVtH are modern and thus more familiar. At one point in the story, the main character wonders, 'Why does hell look so much like the inner city of the twenty-first century?'
Like Inferno this book tells of a journey down from the 'highest' to the lowest levels of hell. The traveler, a young agnostic named Thomas, and his guide, an 18th century slave woman named Capopia, were not mere wayfarers through the netherworld; they were in fact in as much jeopardy from its horrors as any of the poor souls they found there. This was a deviation from Dante's more passive experience.
Professor Thigpen deals with sin and the circles, for the most part, as Dante did. He expends a great deal of description on the sort of punishment each sin merits and indeed, they do seem to to 'fit' in an eerie, gruesome sort of way.
It is a compelling read and the author's arguments for hell, justice and eternal punishment are sound. Nevertheless, I do not recall the sin of 'fear', i.e., the absence of Love being dealt with anywhere in this fictional hell. And all the while I was reading I kept hearing the Lord's words, "Fear not!" in the back of my mind. Not that we should accept or like sin, but that we shouldn't let fear of it overpower us as a book like this might cause some weak-minded souls to do.
His Goodness, Grace, Love and Mercy will prevail!
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
My friend, Lucy, sent me a Zenit article including an interview with this author and this seemed a book well worth reading. I want to read it as soon as I clear up some other books I'm in the middle of.
My Visit to Hell is touted as a modern-day adaptation of Dante's Inferno but it is more intense -- or at least it was for me -- than Dante for several reasons. For one thing, obviously, because I understood it better. Although I had many aides in reading my translation of Inferno I still had difficulties with basic comprehension. So far, I have only read it twice and both times were several years ago. I am probably due for another go.
For another thing, the situations, characters, specific examples of sin, etc. described in MVtH are modern and thus more familiar. At one point in the story, the main character wonders, 'Why does hell look so much like the inner city of the twenty-first century?'
Like Inferno this book tells of a journey down from the 'highest' to the lowest levels of hell. The traveler, a young agnostic named Thomas, and his guide, an 18th century slave woman named Capopia, were not mere wayfarers through the netherworld; they were in fact in as much jeopardy from its horrors as any of the poor souls they found there. This was a deviation from Dante's more passive experience.
Professor Thigpen deals with sin and the circles, for the most part, as Dante did. He expends a great deal of description on the sort of punishment each sin merits and indeed, they do seem to to 'fit' in an eerie, gruesome sort of way.
It is a compelling read and the author's arguments for hell, justice and eternal punishment are sound. Nevertheless, I do not recall the sin of 'fear', i.e., the absence of Love being dealt with anywhere in this fictional hell. And all the while I was reading I kept hearing the Lord's words, "Fear not!" in the back of my mind. Not that we should accept or like sin, but that we shouldn't let fear of it overpower us as a book like this might cause some weak-minded souls to do.
His Goodness, Grace, Love and Mercy will prevail!
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
My friend, Lucy, sent me a Zenit article including an interview with this author and this seemed a book well worth reading. I want to read it as soon as I clear up some other books I'm in the middle of.
July 24, 2008
Ok. I'm a Cathleprod. That means Catholic, raised as Protestant, which also means I don't buy into "The church" on either side. They are, after all, divinely sanctioned, run by humans, with plenty of options for good and bad. And in the end, WE are whatever church we belong to, not the "leadership" who are into power, no matter what church.
What does this have to do with the book? I am really annoyed by folks who bash their respective version of Christian ethics and "Dassendos" on me. I am a Christian by definition, but I certainly accept the fact I don't know everything, and would never dain to damn my fellow heathen humans to hell because they don't believe like I do. That's God's business. Unfortunately, this book is a fundementalist version of Dante's inferno, and as such this guy is busy telling us who's in hell for what reason. Grow up, bud. This is not an inspired work; it is an interesting story, and has a lot going for it, except where the author chooses why and who ends up where at what level. I can tell which version of the holy book this guy uses (after all, I do live in the "Bible Belt of the USA" and have heard the same arguements before. Anymore, I just smile and say "whatever", because your version of the book has proven myriad flaws from the orginal translation.
Huff. Pardon me while I go here: Grape juice, when put in a wine skin in the heat of the summer, turns to alcoho-containing wine. It's basic Physics. Yet, guys like this author put down the basic tenant of Trans-substantiation. Pttttttth. I would rather not have to deal with the holier than thou attitude. We're all sinners and have opportunity to redeem ourselves. And that is what is missing from this book... It's interesting, but not my thing.
What does this have to do with the book? I am really annoyed by folks who bash their respective version of Christian ethics and "Dassendos" on me. I am a Christian by definition, but I certainly accept the fact I don't know everything, and would never dain to damn my fellow heathen humans to hell because they don't believe like I do. That's God's business. Unfortunately, this book is a fundementalist version of Dante's inferno, and as such this guy is busy telling us who's in hell for what reason. Grow up, bud. This is not an inspired work; it is an interesting story, and has a lot going for it, except where the author chooses why and who ends up where at what level. I can tell which version of the holy book this guy uses (after all, I do live in the "Bible Belt of the USA" and have heard the same arguements before. Anymore, I just smile and say "whatever", because your version of the book has proven myriad flaws from the orginal translation.
Huff. Pardon me while I go here: Grape juice, when put in a wine skin in the heat of the summer, turns to alcoho-containing wine. It's basic Physics. Yet, guys like this author put down the basic tenant of Trans-substantiation. Pttttttth. I would rather not have to deal with the holier than thou attitude. We're all sinners and have opportunity to redeem ourselves. And that is what is missing from this book... It's interesting, but not my thing.
May 21, 2013
I picked this up for three bucks in my parents' podunk town because I needed something to pass the time. A modern take on Dante? That has to be worth at least $3, right? Um...maybe not.
I went with two stars because...well, I guess the descriptions of hell were creative and that's about all I can say positive about this book.
If Thigpen's goal was reinterprate Dante's Inferno into a judgemental piece that condemns anyone and everyone to Hell for just about any reason you can think of, then SUCCESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED!
TIME FOR A QUIZ:
QUESTION:
Which of the following are the worst sins one can commit and therefore punishable in the deepest and most cruel circles of hell?
A) Murderers, serial killers, and dictators
B) Homosexuals and parents of aborted babies
C) Used car salespersons and wall street bankers
ANSWER:
If you thought Sadam Hussein or Hitler would be in the worst circles of Hell - YOU FAIL. Sorry, friend. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. That worst circle - the darkest, most harsh punishments for the worst offenders against God? Apparently falling in love with someone of the same sex or deciding not to bring a child into the world that you can't properly care for is SO MUCH WORSE than, say, the mass genocide of hundreds of thousands of people. Who knew?
You know that old saying about finding the biggest sinners in the first few pews at church? I have no doubt that Thigpen can be found sitting among them, believing so deeply that everyone he judges is damned for all eternity and forgetting that pesky little part of the Bible about not judging.
Do yourself a favor and skip this one unless you need to be reminded why religion and greed are the basis for all modern wars.
I went with two stars because...well, I guess the descriptions of hell were creative and that's about all I can say positive about this book.
If Thigpen's goal was reinterprate Dante's Inferno into a judgemental piece that condemns anyone and everyone to Hell for just about any reason you can think of, then SUCCESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED!
TIME FOR A QUIZ:
QUESTION:
Which of the following are the worst sins one can commit and therefore punishable in the deepest and most cruel circles of hell?
A) Murderers, serial killers, and dictators
B) Homosexuals and parents of aborted babies
C) Used car salespersons and wall street bankers
ANSWER:
If you thought Sadam Hussein or Hitler would be in the worst circles of Hell - YOU FAIL. Sorry, friend. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. That worst circle - the darkest, most harsh punishments for the worst offenders against God? Apparently falling in love with someone of the same sex or deciding not to bring a child into the world that you can't properly care for is SO MUCH WORSE than, say, the mass genocide of hundreds of thousands of people. Who knew?
You know that old saying about finding the biggest sinners in the first few pews at church? I have no doubt that Thigpen can be found sitting among them, believing so deeply that everyone he judges is damned for all eternity and forgetting that pesky little part of the Bible about not judging.
Do yourself a favor and skip this one unless you need to be reminded why religion and greed are the basis for all modern wars.
May 13, 2015
A modernization of Inferno can be interesting, but this is too closely derivative of Dante, and something which Inferno did better.
As for the commenter above who complained about the absence of "swearing"... there are plenty of foonting turlingdromes for you to read who think they are so Belgium clever spewing out a joojoflop load of srizonified gutter epithets all the srizonified time. Or go watch "The Thick of It". Or just walk around the streets for a while. I don't see why it should bother you so much that some of us can get a few hours without being subjected to it.
As for the commenter above who complained about the absence of "swearing"... there are plenty of foonting turlingdromes for you to read who think they are so Belgium clever spewing out a joojoflop load of srizonified gutter epithets all the srizonified time. Or go watch "The Thick of It". Or just walk around the streets for a while. I don't see why it should bother you so much that some of us can get a few hours without being subjected to it.
May 19, 2019
Thought-provoking journey with a few surprise twists.
Mr. Thigpen's theology is spot on, even when his story-telling gets formulaic. He rescues those moments with outlines of truth that we all need to take seriously, and if anyone gets through the entire book without asking themselves "Oh, my gosh! Is that me?", I would be surprised. All in all, a very decent read.
Mr. Thigpen's theology is spot on, even when his story-telling gets formulaic. He rescues those moments with outlines of truth that we all need to take seriously, and if anyone gets through the entire book without asking themselves "Oh, my gosh! Is that me?", I would be surprised. All in all, a very decent read.
June 4, 2017
A very Dante flavored tour of hell, though modernized for how our cultures and technologies have altered the states and circles of hell.
July 18, 2017
Very good.
March 7, 2024
A very good book, would recommend it to anyone.
August 16, 2014
The Inferno was one of the only books on my required reading list that I actually enjoyed during high school, so when I heard someone had adapted the classic poem for modern audiences I was eager to get my hands on it. I will say this: I got what I payed for, and while I did like the book this is one instance where the sum of it's parts was greater than the whole.
One of the biggest problems can be found in the title: "My VISIT to hell." While the audience is meant to assume the events of the book did happen it doesn't change the fact that Thomas didn't actually die, he simply dreamed the whole thing. I would label this as a spoiler but early on they specifically state that he is still alive, effectively removing all tension from the rest of the book. We know he will reach the final circle, and when he does he will repent and wake up a changed man. Despite how graphic and bold the book was at times, in the end they neutered it by completely removing any real stakes. Not to mention the fact that there is the very real possibility he will choose to either forget or ignore this new information down the line. I also question many of the "updates" made to the various circles; I suppose it's interesting, in theory, but for a prison that exists outside of time it struck me as odd that hell and its inhabitants were portrayed as being in a constant state of flux, physically changing to be more in keeping with the times.
However, I do appreciate the fact that rather than simply preach to the audience (which was a big problem with the Inferno), Thigpen was more focused on exploring and developing the characters. That's not to say he didn't get on his soapbox one or two dozen times, but fitting it into the context of Thomas' redemption story arc definitely helped (and any story where hell is featured will no doubt contain some level of judgement).
All in all, I do recommend it for believers as it will most likely help them sort out their priorities-but anyone else will probably be offended.
One of the biggest problems can be found in the title: "My VISIT to hell." While the audience is meant to assume the events of the book did happen it doesn't change the fact that Thomas didn't actually die, he simply dreamed the whole thing. I would label this as a spoiler but early on they specifically state that he is still alive, effectively removing all tension from the rest of the book. We know he will reach the final circle, and when he does he will repent and wake up a changed man. Despite how graphic and bold the book was at times, in the end they neutered it by completely removing any real stakes. Not to mention the fact that there is the very real possibility he will choose to either forget or ignore this new information down the line. I also question many of the "updates" made to the various circles; I suppose it's interesting, in theory, but for a prison that exists outside of time it struck me as odd that hell and its inhabitants were portrayed as being in a constant state of flux, physically changing to be more in keeping with the times.
However, I do appreciate the fact that rather than simply preach to the audience (which was a big problem with the Inferno), Thigpen was more focused on exploring and developing the characters. That's not to say he didn't get on his soapbox one or two dozen times, but fitting it into the context of Thomas' redemption story arc definitely helped (and any story where hell is featured will no doubt contain some level of judgement).
All in all, I do recommend it for believers as it will most likely help them sort out their priorities-but anyone else will probably be offended.
May 29, 2013
As the beginning says, this book is only fiction and Mr. Thigpen wasn't trying to state his opinion of what Hell looks like or burden the ones that have committed the sins described; He said he was taking all of the scriptures that involved sins and the description of Hell. As well with taking Dante's Inferno and making into the 21st century look. I like this book. A lot to say the least. As Capopia said in the end, it did bring me closer to the love of God. It showed me lessons and made me look at certain things in a different perspective. Most of all, I liked the twist when it came to Capopia. She had a vast knowledge of God and even wanted him though she belonged to the deepest part of Hell. I would definitely read it again and if there was ever a movie, I'd see it. Great book all and all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2013
This very interesting and thought-provoking read is based on Dante’s Inferno. At first, I wasn’t sure that I would like it, as I often dislike modernized versions of literature, but this book quickly piqued my interest—and held it—until the end. I, as many people, have my own theories of Heaven and Hell. This book doesn’t take those theories away. It simply gives you a new slant on the subject. I also enjoyed how Thigpen gives “food for thought” through the damned souls. Somehow, there’s poetic justice behind some of those souls having a special place in hell reserved just for them (such as advertisers, television evangelists, etc)! Definitely a book worth reading because I found myself not only thinking and reflecting, but I also found humor and satisfaction/justification within the pages.
January 31, 2010
A modern version of Dante's "Inferno". I normally shy away from "modern versions", but this one is a compelling read that keeps the feel and the humor of the original, showing how relevant it is to today's times. Compared to the original, this has more plot which will make you care more about the main character and his guide.
While reading this book, I enjoyed myself reviewing my "Inferno". It brought back memories of the Dante class I took in college.
I'd recommend this book both to those who loved Dante's "Inferno" and to those who want an introduction to it.
While reading this book, I enjoyed myself reviewing my "Inferno". It brought back memories of the Dante class I took in college.
I'd recommend this book both to those who loved Dante's "Inferno" and to those who want an introduction to it.
March 28, 2015
This book was pretty scary. I had more than one nightmare while reading it. You have to keep in mind though that this is one man's vision of hell otherwise it might be a huge turnoff to some people. Especially people who support gay rights or abortion. So it can be preachy at times and not a lot of forgiveness from the author's point of view.
November 13, 2015
I can't finish it (read about 100 pages) and I'm a "finish what I start" person, so that's pretty bad. It's true to Dante (circles of hell), but the examples are ridiculous (watching too much TV, for example). I was hoping for a satirical or maybe humorous approach (like Lamb by Christopher Moore ) but I should have looked at the author profile; my bad.
July 1, 2012
Reading again!
November 2, 2017
Very thought provoking book. I enjoyed it.
May 26, 2013
A decent "remake" to Dante's Inferno. Great imagination and I liked seeing how the character developed throughout his journey.
May 16, 2013
Wow. Another take on Dante's Inferno but in modern time. Bob
August 3, 2013
I really enjoyed this book, although I wasn't sure when I first started reading it. I liked hearing someone else's idea on what is like and although to me it wasn't scary, it was still enjoyable
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews