The second volume of Oxford's new Divine Comedy presents the Italian text of the Purgatorio and, on facing pages, a new prose translation. Continui...
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Oct 15, 2011
Manny
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For the Celebrity Death Match Review Tournament, Les Trois Mousquetaires (31) versus The Divine Comedy (26)
- Welcome to Purgatory. Name, please?
- Ah, D'Artagnan. I think there might have been some kind of...
- We'll deal with that in a moment. Could we just start by taking care of the Deadly Sins paperwork?
- Um...
- Thank you. Number one, Pride. Any offences?
- Look, obviously I'm pretty damn cool, but, you know...
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- Welcome to Purgatory. Name, please?
- Ah, D'Artagnan. I think there might have been some kind of...
- We'll deal with that in a moment. Could we just start by taking care of the Deadly Sins paperwork?
- Um...
- Thank you. Number one, Pride. Any offences?
- Look, obviously I'm pretty damn cool, but, you know...
More...
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Nov 12, 2011
CDM REVIEW - FINAL: Pooh v Inferno
Virgil points out to Pooh where Mary Poppins and Mrs B hang out nowadays - all the rocks were gleamingly clean. ZING The clink of gin bottles with the cackles of laughter indicate a good time was being had by all. Yes, it is a party atomosphere since the Beatles taught the Cavern how to ::Fab:Four:A:Go:Go::
A glimpse through a cavern entrance shows Ophelia trying to confiscate the knitting needles away from Lady M when her back is turned. More...
Virgil points out to Pooh where Mary Poppins and Mrs B hang out nowadays - all the rocks were gleamingly clean. ZING The clink of gin bottles with the cackles of laughter indicate a good time was being had by all. Yes, it is a party atomosphere since the Beatles taught the Cavern how to ::Fab:Four:A:Go:Go::
A glimpse through a cavern entrance shows Ophelia trying to confiscate the knitting needles away from Lady M when her back is turned. More...
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Mar 02, 2009
Jon
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I'm apparently reading the Divine Comedy backwards this time, since I finished the Paradiso on Dec 31, and then read this one for our church faith exploration book club. This is probably the edition I would recommend to anybody trying the Comedy--the notes are thorough (maybe too thorough) and usually to the point. Hollander does not suffer fools gladly, though, and his dismissal of other scholars can be a bit abrupt. The translation is sometimes quite wonderful, and as far as I can tell, accura
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Aug 12, 2011
Emily
rated it: 
An enthralling allegory of sin, redemption, and the ultimate enlightenment. The sweet, tragic story is of a language long dead and gone, but true poetry that tears the heart and singes the soul. Shakespeare is the language of love, while Dante is the extreme in dealing with death.
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Jul 29, 2009
Michael
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In "Inferno", Dante began a spiritual odyssey, accompanied by the ancient Roman poet Virgil, which led them through the horrors of Hell and ended with a cliffhanger of sorts; Dante and Virgil climbing down through the frozen lake of Cocytus to reach the center of the earth. From there, they must turn around and begin climbing up a passage that leads back to the surface. Having surveyed the landscape of Hell and witnessed firsthand the results of unrepentant sin, and having learned mu
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May 06, 2008
Michael
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Having been raised Protestant, my religious sect was quite scornful of 'Purgatory' as a concept. Protestants believe in instantaneous 'forgiveness' upon request (which of course makes sinning a 'no penalty' action) and as it turns out, so do Catholics--except that Priests tend to exercise some control over that process--assigning 'penance' as warranted. Protestants find this idea repellant, but oddly, spend a lot of time living with secret guilt. A Catholic person, who has done their penance,
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Oct 07, 2008
Craig
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This is probably better written than the more popular Inferno, and, though less intriguing/exciting than the obviously dark Inferno, Purgatorio exhibits wonderful writings addressing love, sin, and philosophies of existence. Also included are the seven corresponding levels on purgatory mountain to those levels in hell and the sins to be purged also reflect those exemplars in hell. The difference being that in purgatory, one has a chance at salvation and entrance to paradise (in hell, one has c
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Aug 27, 2011
Mark
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I first read excerpts from Inferno when I was a freshman in high school, and I finished Inferno when I was a senior. I was spellbound by its graphic imagery and the compelling story of a man's journey through Hell to purge himself of earthly sins. Due to my positive experience with Inferno, I became interested in someday finishing the Divine Comdey. I decided to do that this school, since I will teach excerpts from Inferno.
Dante' Purgatorio is an allegory that examines, among oth More...
Dante' Purgatorio is an allegory that examines, among oth More...
Aug 08, 2011
Bev
rated it: 
After what seems like forever, I have finished Dante's The Divine Comedy II: Purgatory (trans by Dorothy L Sayers). This was a much more difficult read for me. First of all, there is less action. In Hell, there is constant movement from level to level and Virgil and Dante are continually observing punishment in action. There is also, of course, the horrible fascination with watching the punishment fit the crime. Because Hell is set in eternity, there is no time and therefore no time limit on act
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Jun 14, 2011
Justin
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There are two kinds of people who read Dante. The first kind gets all excited about people stuck head down in piles of shit, and wishes that the adulterers and libertines could just keep on doing what they did in the real world, because it's so romantic. The second kind gets all excited about griffins pulling chariots, the relationship between the political and the religious, and the neoplatonic ascent from beautiful woman to Beauty and God. I am the second kind; I can see the pull of the first
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Oct 29, 2011
Harmonybites
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This is the second part of Dante's Divine Comedy. The first took us through Hell, and this part takes us through Purgatory--the realm where Catholics believe those souls not saints spend time purging their sins before entering Heaven. And that's the key difference: Hope. Dante famously has the gateway into Hell read "Abandon All Hope." The punishments in Hell are purposeless and its denizens are without hope they'll ever see an end. So Purgatory is less dark, less grotesque, and alas,
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Jan 10, 2011
Kate
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Inferno showed us the punishments (torments, rather) of the damned. As much as you might have pitied these souls you can't help but feel (in most cases) that it's all well and good that they suffered since they were evil people and they deserved it. They did bring it on themselves, mostly. Limbo is another issue.
Purgatory brings more sufferings but this is suffering that hurts more to the reader. These are people who are happily bearing their punishment because once they are purifi More...
Purgatory brings more sufferings but this is suffering that hurts more to the reader. These are people who are happily bearing their punishment because once they are purifi More...
Aug 04, 2011
Andi
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I found this piece of work to be absolutely mesmerizing. I had to read Purgatorio for a college course, but once I started, I was pleasantly surprised by how enlightening it was. It was far from "light reading" and took careful analysis, but the messages and meanings derived from it made that extra time so worthwhile. I especially enjoyed how it was written in its original text, which made it even more thought provoking and powerful. Although the numerous historical and religious refer
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Jan 23, 2012
Martin
rated it:
Having thoroughly enjoyed volume one; Inferno, I had hoped that Purgatory would stand up to my rather high expectations. In story I suppose it did, our pilgrim and his guide climb the mountain of purgatory, traversing the seven terraces of cardinal sin; wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony. I did find it a bit odd that these seven sins would be cleansed through purgatory, rather than punished in hell, but who am I to question the master poet of Italy?
This translation More...
This translation More...
Feb 22, 2011
Courtney
rated it:
This is truly an epic tale.
I decided that I wanted to start 2009 out right, reading as much as I could. I'm not sure what made me choose this book, but I'm glad that I did. I awoke New Years day and grabbed it from the shelf. And, to say the least, I couldn't put it down until I was done.
The tale flows so beautifully, as it follows Dante through each layer of Purgatory. The imagery is amazing, leading the reader to easily envision each step of Dante's journey. The trials More...
I decided that I wanted to start 2009 out right, reading as much as I could. I'm not sure what made me choose this book, but I'm glad that I did. I awoke New Years day and grabbed it from the shelf. And, to say the least, I couldn't put it down until I was done.
The tale flows so beautifully, as it follows Dante through each layer of Purgatory. The imagery is amazing, leading the reader to easily envision each step of Dante's journey. The trials More...
Jan 31, 2011
Jesse
rated it:
Dante's Purgatory is the most quintessential part of The Divine Comedy, since the ideas behind Heaven and Hell were already developed by the Greeks. Most people in the West, like the cynical pessimist Schopenhauer, prefer to read the Inferno only, declaring it to be the most real, most compelling section, etc. If you enjoy suffering, i.e. if you are a fascist, you will say so, of course. Those more mature will proceed to Purgatory, which, as anti-Christian as I am, actually proves Dante's theolo
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Aug 01, 2011
If Dante knew how hard it would be for modern readers to interpret his Commedia, he would have invoked a beautitude of Jesus sung by the angels just for us...."blessed are those who persevere reading Purgatorio...."
Purgatorio is way more complex and interesting than the Inferno - but it requires a lot more effort to read it. I am glad to be done. I will admit that I had help from The Teaching Company DVDs on Dante's Commedia. I almost feel like I should start it all over again wit More...
Purgatorio is way more complex and interesting than the Inferno - but it requires a lot more effort to read it. I am glad to be done. I will admit that I had help from The Teaching Company DVDs on Dante's Commedia. I almost feel like I should start it all over again wit More...
Aug 23, 2010
Jed
rated it:
A goodn! Starts out sort of strangely, and you get the feeling that Dante sort of had to shove a lot of filler into this one to reach his ultimate structural goal, but it gets downright gorgeous at the top of the mountain. Also, this guy Ciardi, who does the translation and footnotes, is fantastic. If he were alive, I would transfer to Rutgers (I think) to take one of his courses. There is a beautiful sense to the idea of the soul ascending the mountain, being made "pure, perfect for the st
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Dec 30, 2009
Gabriel Luis
rated it:
O "Purgatório", segundo livro da Divina Comédia, é um tanto menos atraente que o "Inferno". Praticamente todo o sofrimento e o sensacionalismo do primeiro são substituídos por divagações religiosas e nostalgia neste, e as referências à cultura greco-romana são excessivas.
Entretanto, é interessante notar a diferença entre um e outro. No inferno, as pessoas estão com raiva e ressentimento por estarem queimando na pós-vida. Já no purgatório, elas querem ficar o maior tempo More...
Entretanto, é interessante notar a diferença entre um e outro. No inferno, as pessoas estão com raiva e ressentimento por estarem queimando na pós-vida. Já no purgatório, elas querem ficar o maior tempo More...
Jan 12, 2011
Edie
rated it:
Durling's translation may not be the most poetic of all attempts, but his precision is worth the occasional clunkiness of phrasing. Indeed, having the original Italian text beside the English preserves much of Dante's beautiful rhyming tercets and his sometimes vicious puns. Durling & Martinez's notes, too, provide most of the necessary historical and literary insight needed to understand the text.
As for the story itself, it should be a must-read for everyone. Purgatorio is a tale of r More...
As for the story itself, it should be a must-read for everyone. Purgatorio is a tale of r More...
Nov 22, 2010
Venus
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در سراسر این کتاب غالباً شاعر مطلبی مشروح را در یک یا دو جمله خلاصه کرده و این ایجاز در عین آنکه قدرت و تسلط عجیب او را در زبان و نظم میرساند، اثر وی را بصورت یکی از پیچیدهترین آثار ادبی جهان در آورده است.
بسیاری از اشعار «کمدی الهی » امروز در ایتالیا و اروپا ضرب المثل شدهاند، و درست به همان صورت که ما به هر مناسبت از حافظ و سعدی نقل قول میکنیم در ایتالیا از کمدی الهی شاهد میآورند. بعضی از این اشعار از ایتالیا فراتر رفته و صورت بینالمللی پیدا کردهاند و از آن جمله میتوان شعر بسیار معر More...
بسیاری از اشعار «کمدی الهی » امروز در ایتالیا و اروپا ضرب المثل شدهاند، و درست به همان صورت که ما به هر مناسبت از حافظ و سعدی نقل قول میکنیم در ایتالیا از کمدی الهی شاهد میآورند. بعضی از این اشعار از ایتالیا فراتر رفته و صورت بینالمللی پیدا کردهاند و از آن جمله میتوان شعر بسیار معر More...
Oct 22, 2011
Bob
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The second volume of The Divine Comedy concerns Dante's climb through purgatory, still guided by Virgil, until he meets with Beatrice toward the end of this stage. The poem is focused on the nature of sin, contrasting examples of vice and virtue, and particularly on the perversions of love that result in sin - selfish love, harmful love, excessive love, or misguided love. Like the other volumes, Dante really needs to be read with a good guidebook, as many of the references are obscure politica
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Feb 26, 2011
Brittany
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This was probably a 3 1/2. I liked it more than Inferno, but I think that's because the subject matter was more pleasant. The downside is I couldn't get a translation by the same guy who did Inferno, so this book didn't have as much help for me, like summaries at the beginning of each canto. Poetry was always more difficult for me, so I was left feeling a little more lost this time. However, the story was still interesting and the writing beautiful. I look forward to finishing the Divine Co
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Dec 07, 2011
Alexis
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Dante's epic journey continues as he and Virgil ascend through the seven levels of Purgatory (corresponding to the seven deadly sins), where souls must suffer and be purified before entering Paradise. The imagery here is not quite as vivid as that in Inferno, and the torments less horrifying. Which makes sense, since the souls in Purgatory have been saved and will (eventually) make their way to Heaven, unlike the souls of the damned in Hell.
In Inferno, the souls were classified acc More...
In Inferno, the souls were classified acc More...
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Jun 28, 2011
Alex
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In the second volume of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Dante continues his journey from hell into purgatory, continuing to be guided by the skilled hand and mind of Virgil. Dante must climb up the Mount of Purgatory, beginning at the bottom with Ante-Purgatory, then the seven terraces – seven levels of suffering and spiritual growth – as associated with the seven deadly sins; at the very top is Earthly paradise. Just as in the first volume, Inferno, Dante continues to discuss politics and
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Sep 29, 2010
Briana
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I will say this for Dante: he certainly knows how to make Purgatory a solid-sounding place. I don't want to get into the doctrinal implications for either side, but Dante almost makes me believe that something like Purgatory exists. Almost.
Purgatory is soooooo much more enigmatic than Inferno. The theology gets way more complicated, and Dante decided to make things even harder with all of the symbolism that expresses that theology.
Plus, Virgil leaves, how sad is that? A More...
Purgatory is soooooo much more enigmatic than Inferno. The theology gets way more complicated, and Dante decided to make things even harder with all of the symbolism that expresses that theology.
Plus, Virgil leaves, how sad is that? A More...
Oct 14, 2010
Venus
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خود دانته حکایت میکند که روزی در خیابان زنی را دید که او را به زن دیگری که همراهش بود نشان داد و گفت: «این همان کسی است که به جهنم رفته و برگشته است» - و آن دیگری با تعجب بدو نگریست و جواب داد :«ببین : هنوز هم در سر و رویش اثر دودههای جهنم پیداست»؛ و دانته مینویسد «وقتی که این حرف را شنیدم، دانستم که بدانچه میخواستهام رسیدهام ، یعنی توانستهام با بکار بردن زبان مردم بجای زبان لاتین، آنچه را که برای عامه قابل درک نبود در دسترس همه قرار دهم»
از بعد از انتشار «کمدی الهی» این اثر مقیاس و م More...
از بعد از انتشار «کمدی الهی» این اثر مقیاس و م More...
Feb 22, 2009
Rod
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The Hollanders once again do a fine job of pulling the reader along, with a clear translation and very helpful notes that help to clarify Dante's context. I just dipped into them when I had a particular question. (Can't imagine how long it would take to read them all). Things I learned about Purgatory:
Thomas Merton's autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, borrows it's title from Dante's vision of Mt. Purgatory.
The Garden of Eden is preserved at the peak of the mountain.
N More...
Thomas Merton's autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, borrows it's title from Dante's vision of Mt. Purgatory.
The Garden of Eden is preserved at the peak of the mountain.
N More...
May 14, 2008
Michael
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Purgatory is my favorite of the three books that make up The Divine Comedy. Heaven is, well, boring. There are only so many things that you can do with perfected souls enjoying glory and paradise. Hell is fun--it is certainly interesting to see how Dante manages to broil popes, slice up sinners, and generally torture those whose lives didn't measure up to his standards. But by itself, the Inferno simply depresses me. Purgatory is where the real action is: the souls of people toiling and sufferin
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Feb 03, 2008
Monica
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In this installment of the Divine Comedy, we find Dante and his guide, the poet Virgil, have emerged from the pits of Hell. They are now climbing the mountain of Purgatory. There are eleven stairs Dante must climb in order to cleanse himself and reach the Earthly Paradise before heading onto Paradise. The first four levels are in Ante-Purgatory. They are the late repentants: The Excommunicates; The Indolent; Those Who Died by Violence Without Last Rites; and The Valley of the Rulers. Then are th
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