Purgatorio: The Divine Comedy

by Dante Alighieri, Carissa Hale (Illustrator), Joe Carlson (Translator)

How does it feel to be made holy?

Dante’s Purgatorio follows the pilgrim as he emerges from the grit and grime of Hell, and comes to the shores of sanctification, the mountain where souls are made holy and beautiful. Join Dante as he climbs the various terraces of the mountain; encounter with him the various trials and hardships that refine God’s redeemed, preparing them for glory; learn what it means to hunger for righteousness and to rest in mercy; join the communion of saints who rejoice in their light, momentary afflictions, and find solace in the trials, as they are conformed to the image of their Lord. In this new translation of the second canticle of Dante’s Divine Comedy , poet and author Joe Carlson continues to render the epic poem in a fresh blank verse, filled with the wonder and beauty of the original Italian, while maintaining a readability students and scholars alike will appreciate.

Genres: Poetry

372 pages, Paperback

Published December 20, 2022

About the author

Dante Alighieri, or simply Dante (May 14/June 13 1265 – September 13/14, 1321), is one of the greatest poets in the Italian language; with the story-teller, Boccaccio, and the poet, Petrarch, he forms the classic trio of Italian authors. Dante Alighieri was born in the city-state Florence in 1265. He first saw the woman, or rather the child, who was to become the poetic love of his life when he was almost nine years old and she was some months younger. In fact, Beatrice married another man, Simone di' Bardi, and died when Dante was 25, so their relationship existed almost entirely in Dante's imagination, but she nonetheless plays an extremely important role in his poetry. Dante attributed all the heavenly virtues to her soul and imagined, in his masterpiece The Divine Comedy, that she was his guardian angel who alternately berated and encouraged him on his search for salvation.

Politics as well as love deeply influenced Dante's literary and emotional life. Renaissance Florence was a thriving, but not a peaceful city: different opposing factions continually struggled for dominance there. The Guelfs and the Ghibellines were the two major factions, and in fact that division was important in all of Italy and other countries as well. The Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor were political rivals for much of this time period, and in general the Guelfs were in favor of the Pope, while the Ghibellines supported Imperial power. By 1289 in the battle of Campaldino the Ghibellines largely disappeared from Florence. Peace, however, did not insue. Instead, the Guelf party divided between the Whites and the Blacks (Dante was a White Guelf). The Whites were more opposed to Papal power than the Blacks, and tended to favor the emperor, so in fact the preoccupations of the White Guelfs were much like those of the defeated Ghibellines. In this divisive atmosphere Dante rose to a position of leadership. in 1302, while he was in Rome on a diplomatic mission to the Pope, the Blacks in Florence seized power with the help of the French (and pro-Pope) Charles of Valois. The Blacks exiled Dante, confiscating his goods and condemning him to be burned if he should return to Florence.

Dante never returned to Florence. He wandered from city to city, depending on noble patrons there. Between 1302 and 1304 some attempts were made by the exiled Whites to retrieve their position in Florence, but none of these succeeded and Dante contented himself with hoping for the appearance of a new powerful Holy Roman Emperor who would unite the country and banish strife. Henry VII was elected Emperor in 1308, and indeed laid seige to Florence in 1312, but was defeated, and he died a year later, destroying Dante's hopes. Dante passed from court to court, writing passionate political and moral epistles and finishing his Divine Comedy, which contains the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. He finally died in Ravenna in 1321.

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Carlson’s translation was my first introduction to Dante’s Divine Comedy, so I have no other translations to compare his to. The summary at the beginning of each canto is helpful. Reading Dr. Carlson’s Reader’s Guide was a huge benefit to me.

[Carson Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much, MUCH better than Inferno.
I feel like Dante started Inferno as a child and somehow had grown up by the end of Purgatorio. His writing improves, his prose improves, and the book is actually genuinely powerful for the first time. The last nine cantos are absolutely based. I can't wait to get into Paradiso now.

[Joshua Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlson did a fantastic job translating this book and giving notes to help me understand it. In particular, the unpacking of apocalyptic imagery in the last 3 was very helpful and illuminating.

[Rachel N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlson does a superb job making a difficult text accessible for new readers. I'm reading The Divine Comedy with my high school son and look forward to reading it again and again. As for reviewing the profound genius that is Danté... well, you'll just have to pick up Carlson's translation along with his reader's guide, and dive into the deep end yourself.

Now, on to Paradiso.

[Danielle Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My last two readings of the Divine Comedy left me not as enthralled by Purgatorio, but this time around, Joe Carlson's translation and notes brought it alive for me.

[Bill Stutzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this edition as part of my 100 days of Dante this year. Carlson's translation grew on me. I particularly appreciated the notes in his reader's guide. Dante's poetry is so very rich, and the Comedy is worthy of reading over and over unto deeper love and understanding.

[Abby Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dante would have loved One Direction fanfics, change my mind.