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Dante Vivo
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
- GenresBiography
340 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1933
About the author
Giovanni Papini
236 books252 followersGiovanni Papini was an Italian journalist, essayist, literary critic, poet, and novelist.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 19, 2023
Ladies and gentlemen with your permission I wanted to tell you about what for me has been the best book of December with permission of "Elizabeth the Crusader Queen" by William Thomas Walsh https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... (I thank the writer Susan Furlong https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... for recommending another book by this author https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... ), and " Go ahead, let's go" of St. John Paul II https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8.... It must be said that with the permission of Paul Feval's "White Wolf" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... this book has been the best reading of December, and in fact I considered it the sixth best non-fiction reading of the year 2022. Two things must be pointed out it is very curious that all the five that I have put in December have been non-fiction books. We must also recognize the enormous success that Italian writers had last year including Alessandro Manzoni https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , which gave me mixed emotions. I read very good "The Leopard" by Lampedussa https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., which he repeated twice with "Chameleon", and "History of tomorrow" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... (which besides being one of the first cases of uchrony, or alternative history that I know is a very good book) Curzio Malaparte https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , until, and I am ashamed to confess it. I liked Alberto Moravia with "El que mira" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... But if I had to say who was the best Italian writer of last year I would have no doubt, and I would say that it is the Florentine Giovanni Papini. He was already seen with the second part of "Gog" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... which is one of the favorite books of my friend Professor Manuel Alfonseca https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (we refer to "Black Book" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... ), which was left in no man's land due to the high quality of books read this year.
But Papini stood out with his own light (at least according to my criteria) thanks to this book "Dante Vivo" for me a biography of Dante https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... perfect. Without false modesty it seems to me frankly very difficult, frankly almost impossible to write a better biography of Dante than this one. If you have not read Papini, I recommend his life of Jesus Christ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... (with great justice in this case included among the 1001 books that must be read before dying), which is extraordinary. But I admit that I liked this life of Dante even more. Papini himself was right in his prologue to speak of Dante it was necessary to be Florentine, artist, and writer. I want to remember that Papini himself brilliantly emulated Dante by writing a posthumous work called The Last Judgment, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... that it was a judgment of all men. An enormously ambitious work, which only someone like Papini could have carried out. I always tell this anecdote, but it is to demonstrate the great culture, and the vast knowledge that Papini possessed before he stopped being an atheist, pessimist, almost close to nihilistic positions, and self-destructive. Papini wanted to emulate Flamarion https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., and publish an Encyclopedia, or compendium of universal knowledge, and by his knowledge he could have achieved it.
He brilliantly analyzed the lights, and shadows of previous biographies of Carducci https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., Pascoli, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., and Benedetto Croce https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (in Croce's case he censured the Italian liberal for leaving Christianity for dead). For Papini Dante is three things a Prophet, an artist, and a theologian came to buy him with writers like Claudel https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (for his mysticism), Leon Bloy https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (for his eschatology, his passion for the apocalypse. Very accurate by the way this comparison (demonstrating his knowledge of Catholic fiction), and Valery https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . It tells us about its mystical nature. Relations with Brunetto Latino https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., with Beatriz (the authentic, the dreamed, and the one that is the fruit of his work, as the user of goodreads can appreciate at all levels), with Guido Cavalcanti https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (demonstrating that his influence was not so important, nor did it have so much weight, and that they were not as friends as they seemed despite the praise he paid him). He spoke of the great duality that existed in Dante as a scholastic Reginald of Pipperno (who was the right hand of St. Thomas Aquinas), Aegidius Romano, Celano https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (although more than Franciscan what he actually was is Thomistic), and the heterodox influence of Joachim of Fiore https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (and his famous three ages of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Millenarians, and Apocalyptics who would end with the Age of the Holy Spirit and a new Age in which monks would correct the abuses of the Church, and restore holiness to the world), Olivi, Clareno and Ubertino de Casale, who surely the Goodreads user will know from the novel "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (with Dulcino, and Segarelli), although it is more interesting in my opinion "Eifelheim" by Michael Flynn https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . Coming together in Joanic character, and the scholastic. He mentions Dante as a warrior poet his struggles against Arezzo (the battle of Campaldino in that ancient conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines), and Pisa. His political evolution, his struggles against Boniface VIII (who came to hold him hostage, and who according to Papini embodied everything that Dante hated, awakening a schizophrenic duality if on the one hand he seemed a corrupt, simoniac, and simoniac Pope on the other hand he felt hurt that Philip IV inflicted that mockery through the Colonna considering him a new suffering Christ, but his aversion was more important than his commiseration), and the Capetians (he had a great hatred for Charles of Valois, and the black Guelphs, who practically forced him into exile from Florence). His alliance, and idealization of Henry VII Luxemburg for whom he wrote Monarchia, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... and incited him to attack Florence (this never appears in Papini's biography, but it is my thing that this makes Dante a traitor against his city. In fact, Dante wanted to get even with Florence, and enter as a conqueror, and be asked for forgiveness.) However, Henry VII will fail, and his political illusions will be shattered. Henry VII's failure was mainly due to Florence rather than to the kingdom of Naples. His love-hate relationship against Florence, and the rest of the Italian cities he lashes out at as a Biblical Prophet. He comments on his decline, and how at the end of his life he surrounded himself with vulgar people to whom he brought misfortune.
Papini masterfully comments on his great works. He does not avoid Dante's defects, his political fanaticism, his arrogance, cruelty to his enemies (he comes to enjoy watching his enemies burned), and his lack of charity, his contradictions with the Gospel, that he did not like children. However, Papini makes a portrait of his biography (not only does this in fact this biography only a quarter speaks of the biographical adventures of Dante, touching any aspect of his life. It is a very complete book, which leaves no subject untouched). You get to compare Dante with Savonarola https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... Very balanced, and thoughtful, finally Papini chooses to decide his fate, and in this Papini and I agree on the destination that we would reserve for Dante. Because I would also have placed him where Papini places him, finally. An outstanding work, magnificently written. For me Papini not only has a memory, and enormous knowledge, but also has one of the best prose I have read to a writer. Luminous, and igneous like a flame, which makes the heart of the reader burn. It's a perfect book that I can't put any to, but. My grade is (5/5).
But Papini stood out with his own light (at least according to my criteria) thanks to this book "Dante Vivo" for me a biography of Dante https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... perfect. Without false modesty it seems to me frankly very difficult, frankly almost impossible to write a better biography of Dante than this one. If you have not read Papini, I recommend his life of Jesus Christ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... (with great justice in this case included among the 1001 books that must be read before dying), which is extraordinary. But I admit that I liked this life of Dante even more. Papini himself was right in his prologue to speak of Dante it was necessary to be Florentine, artist, and writer. I want to remember that Papini himself brilliantly emulated Dante by writing a posthumous work called The Last Judgment, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... that it was a judgment of all men. An enormously ambitious work, which only someone like Papini could have carried out. I always tell this anecdote, but it is to demonstrate the great culture, and the vast knowledge that Papini possessed before he stopped being an atheist, pessimist, almost close to nihilistic positions, and self-destructive. Papini wanted to emulate Flamarion https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., and publish an Encyclopedia, or compendium of universal knowledge, and by his knowledge he could have achieved it.
He brilliantly analyzed the lights, and shadows of previous biographies of Carducci https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., Pascoli, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., and Benedetto Croce https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (in Croce's case he censured the Italian liberal for leaving Christianity for dead). For Papini Dante is three things a Prophet, an artist, and a theologian came to buy him with writers like Claudel https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (for his mysticism), Leon Bloy https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (for his eschatology, his passion for the apocalypse. Very accurate by the way this comparison (demonstrating his knowledge of Catholic fiction), and Valery https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . It tells us about its mystical nature. Relations with Brunetto Latino https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., with Beatriz (the authentic, the dreamed, and the one that is the fruit of his work, as the user of goodreads can appreciate at all levels), with Guido Cavalcanti https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (demonstrating that his influence was not so important, nor did it have so much weight, and that they were not as friends as they seemed despite the praise he paid him). He spoke of the great duality that existed in Dante as a scholastic Reginald of Pipperno (who was the right hand of St. Thomas Aquinas), Aegidius Romano, Celano https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (although more than Franciscan what he actually was is Thomistic), and the heterodox influence of Joachim of Fiore https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (and his famous three ages of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Millenarians, and Apocalyptics who would end with the Age of the Holy Spirit and a new Age in which monks would correct the abuses of the Church, and restore holiness to the world), Olivi, Clareno and Ubertino de Casale, who surely the Goodreads user will know from the novel "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (with Dulcino, and Segarelli), although it is more interesting in my opinion "Eifelheim" by Michael Flynn https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . Coming together in Joanic character, and the scholastic. He mentions Dante as a warrior poet his struggles against Arezzo (the battle of Campaldino in that ancient conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines), and Pisa. His political evolution, his struggles against Boniface VIII (who came to hold him hostage, and who according to Papini embodied everything that Dante hated, awakening a schizophrenic duality if on the one hand he seemed a corrupt, simoniac, and simoniac Pope on the other hand he felt hurt that Philip IV inflicted that mockery through the Colonna considering him a new suffering Christ, but his aversion was more important than his commiseration), and the Capetians (he had a great hatred for Charles of Valois, and the black Guelphs, who practically forced him into exile from Florence). His alliance, and idealization of Henry VII Luxemburg for whom he wrote Monarchia, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... and incited him to attack Florence (this never appears in Papini's biography, but it is my thing that this makes Dante a traitor against his city. In fact, Dante wanted to get even with Florence, and enter as a conqueror, and be asked for forgiveness.) However, Henry VII will fail, and his political illusions will be shattered. Henry VII's failure was mainly due to Florence rather than to the kingdom of Naples. His love-hate relationship against Florence, and the rest of the Italian cities he lashes out at as a Biblical Prophet. He comments on his decline, and how at the end of his life he surrounded himself with vulgar people to whom he brought misfortune.
Papini masterfully comments on his great works. He does not avoid Dante's defects, his political fanaticism, his arrogance, cruelty to his enemies (he comes to enjoy watching his enemies burned), and his lack of charity, his contradictions with the Gospel, that he did not like children. However, Papini makes a portrait of his biography (not only does this in fact this biography only a quarter speaks of the biographical adventures of Dante, touching any aspect of his life. It is a very complete book, which leaves no subject untouched). You get to compare Dante with Savonarola https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... Very balanced, and thoughtful, finally Papini chooses to decide his fate, and in this Papini and I agree on the destination that we would reserve for Dante. Because I would also have placed him where Papini places him, finally. An outstanding work, magnificently written. For me Papini not only has a memory, and enormous knowledge, but also has one of the best prose I have read to a writer. Luminous, and igneous like a flame, which makes the heart of the reader burn. It's a perfect book that I can't put any to, but. My grade is (5/5).
September 8, 2025
Iskreno me knjiga oduševila, a utisak je dodatno pojačan jer sam je čitao dok sam putovao po Toskani. Papini kao Firentinac razume kako grad diše i kako ljudi u njemu funkcionišu. Dosta knjiga raznih autora sam pročitao koji se bave Danteovom biografijom na jedan hroničarski, hronološki način: od Bokača, preko Brunija, Vilanija , pa do savremenih kao što su Toynbee, Barbero, vrhunski Santagata, Took i Reynoldsova, ali mi se čini da Papini jedini nepristrasno pristupa razgovoru o Danteu i ne romantizuje niti idealizuje neke trenutke koje većina biografa glorifikuje. Štaviše, on ih argumentovano raskrinkava i svodi na puke pretpostavke usled nedostatka validnih dokaza.
U prvom delu knjige je po jedno poglavlje posvetio ljudima koji su bili u Danteovoj okolini i sa kojima je imao najviše interakcija: Gvidu Kavalkantiju, Ćinu od Pistoje, meseru Brunetu Latiniju, papi Bonifaciju VIII i nekim vladarima koji su Danteu bili ktitori.
U drugom delu knjige kontemplira o različitim temama kojih se Dante dotiče kako u Komediji tako i u Vita Nuova, Gozbi i Monarhiji: strah, (samo)pouzdanje, ponos, sagrešenije, osvetu, glorifikaciju i apoteozu Beatričinu itd.
Treći deo mi je uz prvi najzanimljiviji, jer iz svog nepristrasnog a opet zainteresovanog ugla Papini govori o nekim misterijama oko kojih se razni –olozi i dan-danas spore u vezi sa njihovim značenjima i tumačenjima. Među njima – najzanimljiviji mi je odnos VELTRO-DXV – jedan je duhovni mesija a drugi svetovni. Što će mnogo više da razradi u Monarhiji.
Velika preporuka je ova knjiga, jer je pisana i za –ologe ali i za „plebs“ koji voli Dantea i poznaje iole dobro njegov rad da ove rasprave prati bez većih poteškoća.
U prvom delu knjige je po jedno poglavlje posvetio ljudima koji su bili u Danteovoj okolini i sa kojima je imao najviše interakcija: Gvidu Kavalkantiju, Ćinu od Pistoje, meseru Brunetu Latiniju, papi Bonifaciju VIII i nekim vladarima koji su Danteu bili ktitori.
U drugom delu knjige kontemplira o različitim temama kojih se Dante dotiče kako u Komediji tako i u Vita Nuova, Gozbi i Monarhiji: strah, (samo)pouzdanje, ponos, sagrešenije, osvetu, glorifikaciju i apoteozu Beatričinu itd.
Treći deo mi je uz prvi najzanimljiviji, jer iz svog nepristrasnog a opet zainteresovanog ugla Papini govori o nekim misterijama oko kojih se razni –olozi i dan-danas spore u vezi sa njihovim značenjima i tumačenjima. Među njima – najzanimljiviji mi je odnos VELTRO-DXV – jedan je duhovni mesija a drugi svetovni. Što će mnogo više da razradi u Monarhiji.
Velika preporuka je ova knjiga, jer je pisana i za –ologe ali i za „plebs“ koji voli Dantea i poznaje iole dobro njegov rad da ove rasprave prati bez većih poteškoća.
October 31, 2024
Biografía viva, de pasión latente mas siempre sobria. Papini es uno de los muy pocos que por medio de la fe y el amor alcanzó una unión espiritual con nuestro digno poeta, nuestro digno profeta, nuestro soberbio demiurgo de Fiorenza.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews