Comparing to the original

[Jessica]

I read this book only after finishing Dante Alighieri's Dante Alighieri Inferno Inferno and I found it a lighter but still fascinating tour of Hell. Niven's emphasis was fixed on how each punishment was "fitting" which is a different concept than Dante's "contrapasso". While Dante gives people in Hell exactly what they wanted in life (total attachedment for the lustful, bareness for the homosexuals--[note: Niven's stance on homosexuality was much more satisfying for this Ally]) Niven gives them what is "fitting" for their sins (may favorite is the environmentalist who knew that nuclear power was safe but continued to destroy the plants for political power and so was doomed to bicycle to keep a smog-producing motor from spewing onto him).