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The Young Inferno
Can our hoodie-clad hero make it through the nine circles of Hell and back again? Will he find love with his soul mate, Beatrice? In this red-hot retelling of Dante’s Inferno, readers discover the city of Dis, where everybody disses everybody; meet Frankenstein, the lovesick bouncer with the bling; come face-to-face with the Furies, a gang of T-shirt-wearing, snake-haired females; and encounter a host of gluttons, bigots, and plunderers from the world of history and politics. Rich with lively references, from Shakespeare and Wagner to the Bible and Beauty and the Beast, The Young Inferno updates Dante’s 14th-century masterpiece for a 21st-century audience. John Agard, one of the funniest and most popular poets in Britain today, offers an ambitious, energetic retelling in verse that sings with wit and originality while remaining true to the original text. Satoshi Kitamura’s deliciously wicked, avant-garde artwork is a brilliant depiction of Dante’s vision, and a delight for readers young and old.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2008
1 person is currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
John Agard
115 books37 followersJohn Agard was born in Guyana and emigrated to Britain in 1977. He has worked as an actor and a performer with a jazz group and spent several years as a lecturer for the Commonwealth Institute, travelling all over Britain giving talks, performances and workshops. He has visited literally thousands of schools and enjoys the live contact and the joy of children responding although it can be hard work.
John Agard started writing poems when he was about 16 - some of these early efforts were published in his school magazine. Many of his poems now are composed while looking out of train windows.
"Try the best with what you have right now
If you don't have horse, then ride cow."
It is in his poetry that John Agard makes his greatest contribution to children's literature. Like the best authors, he brings something unique to children's experience - a view of the world tempered by his own childhood, a feeling for the rhythms and cadences of its language, and a sophisticated understanding of the advantages and limitations of several forms of English. That he can make the "standard" forms work superbly is evident from many of his poems for adults. For children, with whom he communicates more directly, the lyrical Guyanese forms serve his purposes to perfection.
Agard is not a literary poet but also a performing poet and has a strong sense of his audience. When he writes for children, he seems to see them sitting at his feet. He is more interested in the ideas and words he is delivering to them than in the creation of complex fictional characters with whom his readers might engage. He lives in Sussex and is married to Grace Nichols, a respected Caribbean poet and co-author of a collection of Caribbean nursery rhymes, NO HICKORY, NO DICKORY, NO DOCK.
John Agard started writing poems when he was about 16 - some of these early efforts were published in his school magazine. Many of his poems now are composed while looking out of train windows.
"Try the best with what you have right now
If you don't have horse, then ride cow."
It is in his poetry that John Agard makes his greatest contribution to children's literature. Like the best authors, he brings something unique to children's experience - a view of the world tempered by his own childhood, a feeling for the rhythms and cadences of its language, and a sophisticated understanding of the advantages and limitations of several forms of English. That he can make the "standard" forms work superbly is evident from many of his poems for adults. For children, with whom he communicates more directly, the lyrical Guyanese forms serve his purposes to perfection.
Agard is not a literary poet but also a performing poet and has a strong sense of his audience. When he writes for children, he seems to see them sitting at his feet. He is more interested in the ideas and words he is delivering to them than in the creation of complex fictional characters with whom his readers might engage. He lives in Sussex and is married to Grace Nichols, a respected Caribbean poet and co-author of a collection of Caribbean nursery rhymes, NO HICKORY, NO DICKORY, NO DOCK.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 8, 2020
Not a fan. The author changes so many things that it’s not really helpful in understanding the original, if that is the goal. First, the poetry form. I appreciate the effort to keep the rhyming scheme, but it ends up just making it confusing. Additionally, other than the name Dante and the setting of Hell, it really doesn’t have much to do with the original Inferno. He even switches Virgil out for Aesop as a guide. The characters in eacc circle are completely different. The book also doesn’t give a very close description of the circles in hell. The author changes the “sins” and makes no effort to introduce either the mythological references nor contemporary history of the orignal. If you’re looking for an easier, younger, version that keeps the elements but is more like a plot summary, I would suggest Dante’s Divine Comedy, As Told for Young People by Joseph Tusiani.
July 25, 2014
SUMMARY:
This book is a combination of a contemporary hooded-kids travel through the 9-layers of Dante's hell presented in poetry with the bold black-and-white graphics of a picture book. Instead of Virgil and the boy's guide, Aesop guides the boy. And yes, some of Aesop's fables are entwined in several of the layers of hell, especially when teaching about indifference, mercy and gratitude. This book is filled with wonderful vocabulary, excellent poetry and the modern way of connecting the middle reader to a classic.
AGES: Grades 5 and up
COPYRIGHT: 2009
PUBLISHER: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
RATIONALE: Classes can read this side-by-side with a summary of the real Dante's Inferno, creating either a Venn diagram or a T-Chart to identify the similarities and differences between the two books. This would be an excellent introductory activity to give students cultural background for when they do have to read Dante's inferno in either the 11th or 12th grades.
AWARDS:
Library Media Connection starred 11/01/09
Wilson's Junior High School 10/01/10
Publishers Weekly 07/27/09
Wilson's Senior High School 02/01/11
School Library Journal starred 08/01/09
Wilson's Senior High School 10/01/11
This book is a combination of a contemporary hooded-kids travel through the 9-layers of Dante's hell presented in poetry with the bold black-and-white graphics of a picture book. Instead of Virgil and the boy's guide, Aesop guides the boy. And yes, some of Aesop's fables are entwined in several of the layers of hell, especially when teaching about indifference, mercy and gratitude. This book is filled with wonderful vocabulary, excellent poetry and the modern way of connecting the middle reader to a classic.
AGES: Grades 5 and up
COPYRIGHT: 2009
PUBLISHER: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
RATIONALE: Classes can read this side-by-side with a summary of the real Dante's Inferno, creating either a Venn diagram or a T-Chart to identify the similarities and differences between the two books. This would be an excellent introductory activity to give students cultural background for when they do have to read Dante's inferno in either the 11th or 12th grades.
AWARDS:
Library Media Connection starred 11/01/09
Wilson's Junior High School 10/01/10
Publishers Weekly 07/27/09
Wilson's Senior High School 02/01/11
School Library Journal starred 08/01/09
Wilson's Senior High School 10/01/11
August 18, 2025
I am a big fan of John Agard and find his poetry poignant and innovative in a way that when at its best deeply moves my being into a place of empathy and compassion. This retelling of Inferno manages to capture some that Agard magic - yet it falls short due to form. Unfortunately the amount of space Agard has given himself in this book isn’t sufficient to capture the inferno nor to add his modern twist onto it. Which leads to a book that is neither faithful to the original nor interesting in its twist.
Having said the above, I can see that this could be a good way for young people to engage in Agards poetry as the comic style is truly wonderful (Satoshi Kitamura does an incredible job illustrating!).
Having said the above, I can see that this could be a good way for young people to engage in Agards poetry as the comic style is truly wonderful (Satoshi Kitamura does an incredible job illustrating!).
May 9, 2017
This was a great graphic enjoyed it a lot. Review to come.
February 22, 2023
Easy introduction to Dante.
March 26, 2014
The Young Inferno is a graphic novel written by John Agard and illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura. It is about Dante's Inferno and the 9 circles of hell. I really loved this book because firstly the graphic design element and the illustrations were so cool. I really loved the style and I thought it helped bring a lot of character to the book. I think that writing an easier and for some people, more interesting version of a classic makes it much more appealing. It was definitely easier to read than the original...and it also makes me want to read the original.
What's interesting about the book is that it takes the main ideas and themes of Dante's Inferno, and Agard incorporates them into modern day events. Like the usage of cell-phones or relationships..Which may sound odd, but it makes the book much more enticing. I loved the syntax and diction that are used. Agard uses a lot of rhyme and small poems that make the book interesting.
I love reading classics, and reading this made me appreciate them even more. I recommend this book for grade levels of 7+ and to stop at grade 12, unless you are having trouble with the classic. The book is simply written and uses simple diction to help readers understand. My favorite part was the illustrations!
What's interesting about the book is that it takes the main ideas and themes of Dante's Inferno, and Agard incorporates them into modern day events. Like the usage of cell-phones or relationships..Which may sound odd, but it makes the book much more enticing. I loved the syntax and diction that are used. Agard uses a lot of rhyme and small poems that make the book interesting.
I love reading classics, and reading this made me appreciate them even more. I recommend this book for grade levels of 7+ and to stop at grade 12, unless you are having trouble with the classic. The book is simply written and uses simple diction to help readers understand. My favorite part was the illustrations!
January 28, 2016
At first, I was impressed with Agard's attempt to keep the integrity of Dante's Inferno while updating for a modern crowd. For example, Agard writes in verse broken into cantos, yet the poet-guide is Aesop rather than Virgil, and many of the tales are framed through the Fables rather than the Aeneid. There is a fabulous scene with Beatrice, taking place at 9 o'clock, but as the story progresses less attention seems given to the individual cantos and plot continuity goes right out the window. A nice attempt, I would have liked to see it more well-developed.
July 16, 2014
The Young Inferno was a pretty cool book, written in rhyme with awesome comic type illustrations. It used modern day equivalents to make the story more familiar to youth, which is the purpose of the story.
Unfortunately, I don't understand Dante's Inferno any more now than I did prior to reading this adaptation.
A short read, worth it for any teen to have a grasp on the Circles of Hell, and the Inferno.
Unfortunately, I don't understand Dante's Inferno any more now than I did prior to reading this adaptation.
A short read, worth it for any teen to have a grasp on the Circles of Hell, and the Inferno.
December 4, 2016
As a lover of Dante's Inferno, I found this variation interesting. I liked the graphic images that followed each layer and to see where the authors believe certain sinners belong within the layers of hell.
December 6, 2010
I can barely remember a thing about this GN a little less than a year after reading it. Not a great sign.
January 25, 2010
3 stars for the writing plus 1 for the illustrations. not having read Dante's Inferno, I can't say how faithful it is. but I finished this thinking I had gotten a good feel for the original.
April 2, 2010
All I have to say is that if u read Dante's Inferno and you have any sense of humour, you should read this.
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July 31, 2011It is the cute and clever (and not incorrect) summary of Dante's Inferno. If the original is too dense then this is a good place to start.
July 25, 2015
I can't take a book seriously that doesn't know who Frankenstein is. Plus the ending was .....really weird and kind of sexist?
August 8, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews