Dante's Inferno (Dramatization) Audio CD – Audiobook, November 17, 2009

I highly recommend this translation of Dante's Inferno. For many years, Ciardi's translation has been the standard and it has much to recommend it. But Ciardi's rhymed stanzas are looser, wordier, and less faithful to the original than Thornton's blank verse. Thornton brings us closer to what Dante wrote. And the excellent notes at the end of each canto help bring this masterpiece to life for a modern reader.

With decades of study and meticulous craftsmanship, Dr. Peter Thornton has offered his translation of “The Inferno.” I do not know Italian, but I have read a couple of other translations of “The Inferno,” and I found this one the best for several reasons. First, the poetry is vivid. I felt like orange flames and the stench of Sulphur were my companions as much as were Dante and Virgil.The verse itself is a second reason I liked this translation. The meter – iambic pentameter, the ordinary meter of the English language – does not intrude into the poetry itself. That is, I wasn’t conscious of stretching of words or awkward diction for the sake of the meter.You can enjoy the translation without bothering to read the footnotes, but once you start, you are off on another journey, equally absorbing – this one through contemporary (to Dante) Florentine history, Christian metaphors and allusions, Roman legend and mythology, and Catholic scholars from Augustine on.Read the translation; savor the footnotes. There’s always room for a fresh version of hell.

THANK YOU !! I've been trying to expose my kids to more of the classics. But every translation of the Divine Comedy I've come across has been so difficult that I couldn't even get through Hell (felt like hell trying to read it). UNTIL NOW !!! Thank you Mr. Douglas Neff for this translation. It keeps all the flavor, tension, and character; and stays true to the original story. Reading this translation, I find myself more absorbed and engaged in trying to understand what Dante was trying to get across, and why he picked certain persons for certain levels, and doing research into some of the people, places, vices, etc. that he talks about, instead of spending hours trying to decipher the actual language of the translation. My 7 year old is totally engaged, while at the same time, my 15 year old and I are getting into some very interesting discussions (Dante put Pope Celestine V with those souls who neither heaven nor hell want, because he resigned as Pope . . . I wonder what that means for old former pope Benedict XVI / cardinal Ratzinger who just did the same thing). And none of us are getting ground down by having to stop and try and translate the language.I cannot encourage you strongly enough to get this book. You will not be disappointed. I'm now trying to find a comparable translation of Purgatory and Paradise so we can complete the story.

I was pretty disappointed in this translation. It’s more concerned with political correctness than with providing a modern translation, (unless of course you consider the insidious pervasiveness of political correctness in society today). I figured I’d gut it out but when I got to Canto XXVIII and saw that he removed any reference to Mohammad, Ali or Islam, that was it for me. What a waste, I ended up purchasing John Sinclair’s translation, and I’m glad I did.

This masterpiece of medieval poetry is offered in an English verse translation from the mid-19th century. This matters because rendering Italian verse into English verse forces the translator into all sorts of contortions -- including using unusual and archaic words, changing the logical order of words in sentences, etc., in order to keep rhymes and prosody -- in addition to the use of words that were common in English 150 years ago but aren't anymore. This makes it quite hard to read. At the same time, there is a sense that this translation gets closer to the original complexity of the language -- a modern Italian speaker might find the same problems in the original from 700 years ago! The abundant footnotes are crucial to understanding the references Dante makes to his contemporaries, and the backstory of why they are now in hell. Without those, the text would often be impenetrable. Overall, this book is a double tour de force -- by author and translator. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because there must be easier to understand translations around, either more recent or less burdened by the demands of verse.

Dante Alighieri's `The Inferno` is one of the classic pieces of literature that makes a `must read`. The poem structure (and the style) makes it not the easier piece to read, but the narrative and it's meaningfulness is worthwhile.What I like about the Amazon Classics edition was the introduction. It not only added pages to the book, but meaning as well. It presents Alighieri's life, and the political, religious and social environment at that time, giving many insights into what inspired the book. The footnotes in the book are also very well documented and useful in understanding `The Inferno`.

I had never read Dante's Inferno before, even in college, and always wished I had. As a big horror/thriller/drama fan, Dante is often referenced and used as a structure for many similar novels. I was lucky to find this version, since obviously, the original is in Italian, and most English-translations are still full of words that we simply don't use anymore or understand. It does really help to have a healthy background on Roman/Greek history. This was the only thing I had some trouble with, as it has been many years since I studied this aspect of history. Due to all the famous Roman and Greek figures met along the way, and the references to this period, it will help other readers to maybe keep a history reference at hand if you also do not remember a lot of it.

Pinsky's translation really brought the Inferno to life for me. Having been disapponted with Sisson's translation (OUP), I was hooked with Pinsky's: I found the power, tangibility and (relative) clarity I was hoping for. When it comes to notes, however, Mark Musa's (Penguin) are preferrable. After having read Pinsky's Inferno, I obviously had to read the rest of the Comedy. I found two wonderful translations, in Merwin (Purgatorio) and Musa (Paradise). As Indicated I find the latter's notes to be unsurpassed troughout The Divine Comedy.Although the Comedy (naturally) contains scholastic elements, the poem's originality, coupled with its existential dimension, make sure The Divine Comedy still resonates.

This is a review of the hardcover illustrated Classic Edition of Dante's Inferno published by Barnes & Noble 2018 (Fall River Press)Buy this for its 70 superb and beautifully reproduced illustrations, even if Longfellow's translation with its archaic flourishes is not your cup of tea. For a modern English translation also buy the Penguin version by Musa with its extensive notes.

There are a lot of similarities in the inferno and religious beliefs of others with respect to sinners and those destined for hell. A good account.

I could hardly believe how awful this was! Looks like it was put together by someone who knows nothing about page/book design. There are footnotes all over the place, in same size text, no indentations to indicate when the summaries end and text proper begins, etc. I could go on. It is an insult to a great classic, and I hope that some of the other editions are better. I will AVOID 'Kindle Editions' in future!!!! But will try another one, perhaps ...... the Kindle is such a great idea, so I'm optimistic that if people give honest feedback they will perhaps get their act together and offer books which are actually readable.

A bit heavy for a two week holiday read but well worth it just to say you read the book