just started reading the divine comedy!
By bison-summer
I knew it was supposed to be a big deal, but I didn’t expect it to hit this hard. I’m only in Inferno and I’m already pretty sure it’s gonna end up as one of my favorites.
Reader discussion: The divine comedy
Public reader discussion about The divine comedy in the WeRead Catalog by Dante Alighieri.
Books so impactful that people have literally dedicated their lives to studying them (or the author)
By hidden_wren
I’m just starting 2666 and I can’t stop thinking about what Benno von Archimboldi’s books even are like, since the following he gets seems so intense. It’s not like they just casually read him—these people apparently studied German and wrote journal-style stuff about him. My impression is that his writing must be pretty accessible to reel in younger academics, but also dense enough that they can dig into it like a real grad-level project. Does that even make sense? I’m kind of guessing here, but I was curious.
Can I gush about the Divine Comedy for a bit?
By ProseProse
My first semester at a liberal arts college, we all had to take a “seminar” class to get introduced to the whole liberal arts thing. Every freshman did a different angle—some class was all Washington/Jefferson, another was based around U2, and somehow mine was straight-up Dante’s Divine Comedy. I’d heard about it in high school and I always meant to read it, but never did. Then I actually had a class where we read the three parts, and yeah… I couldn’t stop. The pictures in it, the references, the theology—it all kind of braid together in a way that makes it really hard to look away. There are a bunch of scenes that stuck with me, but the ones people always talk about are the ones like Satan getting trapped in ice, like waist-deep, flapping his bat-wings and trying to “be like the Most High,” but every time he flaps the wind just freezes him tighter. He’s crying the whole time too, because he wants to climb up to heaven, and pride is basically what keeps him trapped in the mess he made. And then there’s Dante using fire for sins that God specifically punishes, like when he talks to the Pope who did simony and the guy is stuck in the ground for it—then the flames burn his feet and the whole fire/tongues thing is almost like a reverse Pentecost. Also, I thought the Epicureans section was wild: Farinata and Cavalcanti sharing one tomb, like they live in these graves together but act like they’re alone. They talk to Dante one after another and just keep going like the other person isn’t there, which is such an odd choice. I know most people mostly brag about the Inferno, but honestly it feels like that’s only the surface. Purgatorio and Paradiso hit way differently. In Purgatory, people are suffering, sure, but they’re not wallowing the way you’d expect, because they know they’ll get to heaven. Even the vibe in the conversations feels more like encouragement than jealousy. There’s that earthquake moment too where everyone cries out “Glory to God in the highest!” and Dante’s confused until someone explains that all of Heaven and Purgatory cheers every time even one soul gets saved. That image just feels so… genuinely hopeful. Nobody’s bitter that someone else gets through. And Paradiso… wow. Dante meets Bonaventure (a Franciscan) and also Thomas Aquinas (a Dominican), and it’s kind of like the story sidelines all the old fighting they had on earth. The rivalry just gets inverted into praise—Franciscans praising Dominic and Dominicans praising Francis—and it made me think about how pointless the whole Guelph vs Guibelline kind of drama is once you’re looking from way above it. Even when Justinian tells Dante “Caesar I was, and am Justinian,” it feels like the titles are gone but the person stays the same. It’s such a weirdly human detail in the middle of this huge cosmic thing. Then there’s the part where Dante reaches the Fixed Stars and Peter, James, and John kind of quiz him—faith, hope, and love/charity—and Dante passes, I guess? After that he moves through stuff like the Primum Mobile, which is basically tied up with Aquinas’s ideas about the “first moved” thing, and it makes your head spin a little. And yeah, people call it the Summa in verse, and I can see why. By the time he gets to the Empyrean and sees God, the “rose” image is the most epic thing in the whole poem. It also surprised me, because earlier I thought there was this kind of hierarchy even in heaven, but when heaven folds up like a rose and you’re seeing everything from God’s perspective, it’s like the hierarchy concept just doesn’t work the same way. Everything is with and around God. And it even makes the universe feel Deocentric instead of geocentric—at least that’s how it comes across to me from that moment. I mean, I do get why people love the Inferno—there’s fun in seeing famous sinners and honestly a little schadenfreude in watching them get what’s coming. But the whole Comedy is bigger than that. As Dante goes up, everything gets bigger too—Hell shrinks and shrinks until it’s barely anything. It ended up becoming my favorite book. It kind of pulled together so much of the stuff I’d been exposed to growing up—literature, philosophy, art, history, religion—and somehow helped me see how it all connects, like from a wider angle. I really do recommend it, even though I know not everyone is going to have the same reaction depending on their background. But if you want to understand the West, it feels like Dante is trying really hard to pack a whole worldview into one work. One last confession: as a freshman, I signed up for the Washington/Jefferson seminar because that was the one I wanted. I ended up in the Dante class instead. Apparently too many priority applicants got into Washington/Jefferson first, so I missed it. It’s crazy to think how one little scheduling thing can basically rewrite your whole semester—probably all of us have had that moment where you can’t believe something small changed so much.
[Discussion] Discovery Read | Historical Fiction | The Divine Comedy by Dante | Inferno: Cantos 17-25
By SnowSecret
Hope everyone who was celebrating had a nice Easter. Also… is it just me or is it getting a little hot and sticky in here? Because this week in Hell they just keep sinking deeper. Let’s move on, I guess. So after Geryon shows up and does the whole fraud thing, Dante ends up flying with Virgil to the eighth circle. And it’s not like it gets better—just different kinds of punishment for different fraudsters. The panderers and seducers are marching around in circles like it’s some awful game, and then the flatterers are literally covered in poop. I’m not even surprised anymore, but it still feels unreal. Then you get to the simoniacs and I swear Dante goes into full rage mode about them. They’re stuffed head down in tubes with their feet on fire, and it’s just gross and cruel. He even mentions Pope Nicholas III, which is… yeah. After that it’s fortune tellers with their heads backwards, and they’re crying while Dante cries too, until Virgil chews him out. The Manto story about the marsh and Mantua building over her bones is weirdly specific, and then Michael Scott gets name-dropped, which made me do a double take because it’s not the same vibe as the modern reference people might think of. Next bolgia is the grafters drowning in boiling pitch, demons grabbing them with hooks, and everyone keeps getting thrown around. Then the Navarrese shows up, demons notice him, chaos happens in the pitch, and somehow they manage to get out. That whole bit is just running on panic. And then the hypocrites—heavy robes on the outside, and deceit underneath. Two “Jovial Friars” tell their story and it’s brutal. Virgil is mad the demon lied to him, and honestly… what else would you expect? Finally, thieves. Snakes bind them up, someone gets attacked until they burst into flames, and then they get re-formed. It’s basically punishment reset buttons. Vanni Fucci is involved, he’s furious and curses God, and then Cacus and this whole transformation/turning people into reptiles thing happens, which is as insane as it sounds. So yeah. No comfort, no relief. Just more layers of messed up. Join me next week, I guess.
Is Dante's Inferno worth a read?
By SnowSecret
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I honestly haven’t seen anyone say anything bad about it yet, so I’m pretty sure I’m going to read it. Appreciate it!
I want to read the divine comedy, what books should i read to prepare for it
By BadgerBookworm
I’m interested in reading The Divine Comedy since it’s been on my mind for a while, but I know it’s supposed to be pretty hard. I’m thinking I should read a few other things first to get myself ready. Since it’s poetry, maybe there are some beginner-friendly poetry books to start with? I’m not totally sure, but I’d love any suggestions.
Dante Alighieri is a case of writer being fundamental for creation of national identity. Is there any other writer with similar importance?
By thunder-scarf9
Most people seem to already know Dante as the guy who basically “invented” the Italian language—like the Italian version of Shakespeare, I guess. But I also feel like there’s more to it than that, because he’s often credited (maybe a bit too much, yeah) with shaping a modern Italian sense of identity too, not just words. It’s a pretty common idea: that Italy wasn’t built by a warlord, but by a poet. So yeah, it makes you wonder what Italy would even be like without him. That got me thinking—are there any other writers who have that same kind of reputation? The only one I can think of is Ferdowsi from Iran, the author of the Shahnameh. I’ve seen him talked about as someone who helped keep Iranian identity and the Persian language alive after the Arab conquest.
Why is Inferno talked about so much more than the rest in the Divine Comedy?
By narrow_epilogue
Why do people call it “Dante’s Inferno” instead of its real name?
What is your favorite translation of The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, and Why?
By island_electric
I’m about to start The Divine Comedy for the first time, and I’m not sure which English version people usually prefer. I’m cool with using different translations for each part if that makes sense—Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradisio. What I really care about is getting the emotional/symbolic vibe Dante was going for. For Inferno, I want the darkest, most intense one. For Paradisio, I want something that feels really high and emotional. And for Purgatorio… I’m hoping to find the most boring, dull option, honestly. Any suggestions?
How did Dante's contemporaries that he put in hell react to his work and its growing popularity?
By paper_tide
It feels like part of the Divine Comedy has people who weren’t real historical figures—like Filippo Argenti and Guido Guerra—yet they’re treated as if they were alive, or at least they had close relatives who were around when Dante was writing. But do we have any idea how any of those people or their families reacted to it? I’m guessing the anger would’ve been pretty personal, kind of separate from things like “this is blasphemous” or “the language is too harsh,” if that makes sense.
Dante's Divine Comedy: Key Cantos and favorite passages?
By muglynx8739
I’m reading the Divine Comedy in English for the first time, kind of solo, and I’m enjoying it, but a lot of it just doesn’t stick with me right away. I’m only about halfway through Purgatory, and I already feel like I’ll end up coming back to it again and again over the years, but I also think if I had a few key parts to zero in on, I’d get more out of this first pass instead of it all washing over me. Does anyone have suggestions for sections that feel especially important thematically or in terms of meaning/interpretation? Or even just the parts that personally hit you the hardest?
Reading Dante's "Divine Comedy", question about the difference between two of the circles of hell.
By blueCougar4
So I can’t stop thinking about this part and it feels kind of basic, but also confusing: why do the “prodigals” in the 4th circle get treated differently than the spendthrifts in the second ring of the 7th? Like aren’t they both just… throwing away money? I’m trying to give Dante the benefit of the doubt and follow how he’s organizing everything, especially when Virgil explains that injustice comes in different types—force vs fraud—and that fraud is somehow worse, and that’s why the circles are laid out the way they are. He also breaks wrongdoing down into a few categories (incontinence vs malice vs something more brutal), and the incontinence one supposedly offends God the least. From what I’m getting, the earlier circles are basically people who can’t control themselves (no real willpower), and then later circles are more about people who choose the bad thing on purpose. That part kind of tracks with how we think about stuff today—like premeditated violence being “worse” than something more impulsive. But then it gets weird when he applies that idea to money. When you’re “wasting” your money, what’s the actual difference between being unrestrained about it and doing it with intention? What would it even mean to thoughtfully waste your cash? Like, are we talking about different attitudes or different levels of awareness, or something? I’m just not sure how the distinction is supposed to work in real life.
How does one read The Divine Comedy?
By HardcoverVolume74
I’m having a hard time with this one, it’s just so hazy. My eyes move over the lines and I can tell there’s a story in there somewhere, but the actual words aren’t really landing. The setting seems to shift whenever it wants, and it’s so loosely sketched that I can barely tell where Dante is meant to be most of the time. I’ve read difficult prose before, like The Peregrine by J A Baker, and really liked it, but this... I just can’t make it click. Stuff happens and then seems to come from nowhere, with no clear reason or payoff. The poetry gives this feeling of motion, but the characters hardly seem to move at all. They all feel important beyond the book, but how they connect to the plot isn’t really clear to me. I’m very tempted to just give up and go look for a summary.
Salvador Dalí’s 100 Illustrations of Dante’s The Divine Comedy
By hardcoverStorm
Looks like this has all the illustrations in one place.
Question about The Divine Comedy.
By Heron_Patient2507
Hey everyone—quick question about reading *The Divine Comedy*. English is my second language. After I moved to the States, a friend told me I’d probably really like it, but honestly I’m really struggling. I can read in English just fine in general. I usually go for pretty straightforward novels and stories—fantasy, sci-fi, regular fiction—so it’s not like I get stuck with the language often. But with *The Divine Comedy*, it takes me forever to get through even a single page. Sometimes I can barely pronounce the words, and then understanding them feels even harder. I’m not sure what to do to make this better. Like, is there a way I should improve my English so I can actually read something like this? Or should I start with other stuff that’s closer to my level and move up? My English has gotten a lot better since I came here, and I don’t have any issues with college textbooks or the other series I’ve read. But once I started *The Divine Comedy*, I got frustrated and stopped. Now I’m reading Terry Pratchett’s Discworld (and also a programming book). I really want to go back and finish *The Divine Comedy*—or at least work on my English enough that I can handle it. I’ve never been the kind of person who quits a book without finishing, so it’s kind of bothering me. Any advice would be appreciated.
Interested in best translation for The Divine Comedy
By ProudPocket3
I’ve been trying to figure out what translation of Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy to go with, and honestly there are so many different opinions about which one stays closest to what the original poetry is really trying to do. I want to read the whole thing, not just Inferno, so I’m kind of looking for options that don’t end up adding too much of their own interpretation. Any suggestions would be really appreciated—I'm just not sure what’s “truest.”
I'n looking for a novelization in modern language of Dante Alighieri's entire "The (Divine) Comedy"
By MotionBandor1983
This feels like such a huge, complicated work—basically the big deal for both the Italian language and for Alighieri—so I’m really curious about it. But wow, getting through it is no joke. I was wondering if anyone out there has turned what Dante is describing across his 100 songs (the Canti) into a normal fiction novel, like how it would be written today. So I could read that first and actually get what he’s talking about before I dig into the original, without having to struggle with it for what feels like forever. If anyone knows of something like that, I’d really appreciate it—thanks!
The Divine Comedy is really bothering me.
By orangeTiger9
This book keeps getting suggested to me, so I finally picked it up. At first, I was really into it — the different parts of Hell and Limbo were super interesting, and the writing was gorgeous. But once I got farther in, especially into the deeper circles, it started to bother me. I kept thinking I’d run into people who’d done truly awful things, but a lot of them seem to be getting the most horrifying punishment possible for stuff that feels weirdly minor, and it lasts forever. Like in the 8th circle, in one of the Bolgias, there’s this punishment where people are stuck in darkness with horrible boils, and they can’t move, and they’re insanely thirsty all the time. One guy is there for counterfeiting coins, which, sure, was bad because he basically wrecked Florence’s economy, but the person next to him is getting the same brutal treatment just because he happened to be on the losing side of the Trojan War. He complains about it to the guy beside him, but I guess that’s just that. Dante really seems to hate the Greeks since Virgil is his guy and he’s all about Aeneas and the Roman Empire stuff, which Dante obviously approves of too. And that’s the part that’s bugging me: anyone Dante doesn’t like seems to get punished forever just for being in the wrong place or situation. Fought for the Trojans? Hell. Went against the Roman Empire? Hell. Not from Florence and lied once? Hell. Florentine but the wrong political faction? Hell. Different religion? Probably Hell, unless you happen to be Roman or Trojan or something. And apparently Mohammed does not get any mercy either. I’m honestly having a hard time connecting with the whole thing when the main attitude seems to be that all of this is totally fair and holy. Every time Dante starts feeling bad for someone suffering, Virgil basically tells him he’s wrong to care because it’s all God’s will. He even runs into one of his close friends who’s being punished for being gay, and he’s not supposed to pity him or do anything about it. It just feels so unfair. I don’t know if I can even finish it because of that. So, does it get better? Am I missing something here? I know it was written in the Middle Ages, but surely not everyone in Florence was that extreme about religion, so I’m having a really hard time letting the author off the hook for being so smug and harsh with all his sinners. Why does Dante get this amazing tour of the afterlife, while everybody else is stuck in tar or having their feet burned off forever? I just don’t see the justice in it.
A question about The Divine Comedy
By espressowonder2006
I’m on Canto 8 and I can’t really figure out where Beatrice is supposed to be on the “map.” She’s the one who asks Virgil to guide Dante in the Inferno, so I’m thinking she should be somewhere higher if she’s going to help guide him through Paradise later, but right now Dante and Virgil are just going deeper and deeper into the Inferno. Maybe I’ll understand more later, but I keep worrying I’m missing something important, and it kinda freaks me out a bit. Can someone just tell me if I’m off?
Different version of Dante’s Divine Comedy vary *greatly* in length?
By Hidden_Panther696
I’ve been getting ready to finally read the Divine Comedy, and I keep seeing people rave about both Hollander and Ciardi. But when I look at the editions, I notice something weird: Ciardi’s three parts seem to be in one volume, about 930 pages total, while Hollander is broken up into three separate volumes, each around 800 pages (so like 2400 pages altogether). That’s a huge difference. Does that mean Ciardi’s version leaves out a lot of the original somehow? And if not, why would it be that much shorter? Since Ciardi’s is so well-liked, I’m just not sure—what do you think?