Divine Comedy + Decameron discussion

Hi!

I'm getting motivated to read Purgatorio, but I'm worried about its reputation of being basically gibberish. I did find the map located in the Canto 35 thread, which helps a lot.

Does anyone have some basic tips for what I should look for/expect in this book? What are the broad ideas I should be trying to connect to?

Phil, you may want to consider picking up a copy of Lectura Dantis: Purgatorio, A Canto-by-Canto Commentary. It had essays by leading critics and scholars that will lead you through the work.

Phil wrote: "Hi!

I'm getting motivated to read Purgatorio, but I'm worried about its reputation of being basically gibberish. I did find the map located in the Canto 35 thread, which helps a lot.

Does anyone ..."

Also, the edition pictured has copious notes in the back. While it can be a bit bothersome flipping back and forth, they´re very helpful. A working knowledge of Catholicism and the Bible, help, too, but these end notes really make things very clear.

You might try the translation at www.divinedotcomedy.org There are links to the free audio book of this version, which is the most readable I know, and the amazon page has a large sample of the text.