La divine comédie

398 pages

Published April 15, 1841 by C. Gosselin.

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4 stars (2 reviews)

The Divine Comedy (Italian: Divina Commedia) is an epic poem by Dante Alighieri, begun c. 1308 and completed 1320, a year before his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature[1] and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature.[2] The poem's imaginative vision of the afterlife is representative of the medieval world-view as it had developed in the Western Church by the 14th century. It helped establish the Tuscan language, in which it is written, as the standardized Italian language.[3] It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.

On the surface, the poem describes Dante's travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise or Heaven;[4] but at a deeper level, it represents, allegorically, the soul's journey towards God.[5] At this deeper level, Dante draws on medieval Christian theology and philosophy, especially Thomistic philosophy and the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas.[6] Consequently, …

44 editions

One of the most important books written for western literature

5 stars

The Divine Comedy is a great book that was written 700 years ago. Inferno is the worst of the three (still so interesting) because the writing gets progressively better as each section goes. People who do not like it do not have the mental power to grasp the beautifully written book. To fully understand the "religious oddity," do some research in which the time it was written-this will help you understand the political and cultural/religious aspects of the book. Virgil's passing through the fire for Dante not to be alone in Purgatorio is an emotional weight and showcases how good Dante was in writing, even by modern standards. I would also recommend getting a good translation, which will also help. Don't read this book if you are trying to be "smart." Read it because you want to understand the political and cultural times of medieval Italy and how we as …