A Reading of Dante's Inferno

by Wallace Fowlie

Literary Studies, Classic Literature, Italian Studies

237 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 1981

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply brilliant study of Dante's Inferno. It brings it to life with even greater vividness and explains and cross-references, illuminating more obscure points to those like me who don't happen to be scholars of Classical Greek literature or mediaeval Florentine/Italian politics and culture. I highly recommend this for anyone wishing to enrich, expand, and deepen their appreciation and understanding of this amazing work.

[Alex Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dante’s poem is an impossible task to tackle alone, even for the most experienced reader, which makes it really intimidating to approach. However, if you have a guide to help you crack this literary shell, a world of beauty, order and meaning awaits you! Fowlie is just such a guide. His detailed, line by line insight is divided into 34 succinct and easy to read chapters that detail the most important points of each canto, as well as a list of talking points at the end of each chapter. This is the perfect introduction for the serious reader.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good reading guide, but I don’t think it’s necessary if you’re reading it alongside an annotated translation like I did with Hollander. However, this would be very helpful if you’re just reading the source text or a translation with no notes.

[Doodles McC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A translation I read as a teenager. Quite heavy going. Difficult. I think every Christian student would benefit from reading a simple translation of Dante's Inferno, with a compendium to help explain the symbolism and issues covered.