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Title: Inferno - English/Italian translation
ISBN: 0385496974
Author:
Dante
Publicate Date: 2000-12-26
Publish: 2000-12-26
List Price: $35.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $299.99
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $63.45
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1: I have four copies of The Inferno. This is my favorite.
It is what it is- another translation of Dante's Inferno. In my initial reading of the Inferno, I found that you need a large knowledge of the papacy around 1300 and more historic and mythological characters. I later found this translation, which I thought had an excellent section of end notes. It made it easy to read not just for the poetic properties or the vivid imagery of a fictional Hell, but for the knowledge as well. It also helped me view the irony of his work by teaching me why a certain character was being punished in the way that he/she was.
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2: Very good translation, great notes
Hollander's translations is one of my top 3 favorites. It's a nice blend of structure, meaning, and clarity. This edition also has the Italian on the facing page, a very nice addition. What really sets this version apart for me is the commentary. The notes are very comprehensive (for a smaller volume), well written, and just really interesting. After Singleton, this version has my favorite commentary. All in all, the translation, notes, and Italian make this a very strong edition.The Inferno
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3: favorite translation
I really recommend this particular translation of the Inferno by the Hollanders. I looked for a long time for one that I could not only understand but was as close to Dante's original text as possible. If I ever learn Italian, I will have the original in this same book! I have just ordered the Hollander's translation of Purgatory and Paradise because I liked their translation so well. Also, their notes are very helpful.
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4: brilliant translation
This is a very satisfying translation. It does not attempt rhyme so it can reproduce the rhythms of the original without distorting the meaning for the sake of English rhymes. The notes are breathtaking in their scope and thoroughness. It would probably be a good idea for readers new to Inferno to go through it once without the notes soas to be carried along by the poem, and then a second time reading the notes to examine closely the building blocks of Dante's genius.
For all its scholarship, this book is pleasant to deal with physically -- nice typeface, well laid-out pages, not too heavy in the hand. You can actually read it in bed without crushing your abdomen.
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5: el mezzo camnin something or other
I'm pretty sure this is what anyone that doesn't speak Italian wants out of an Inferno translation.
1. There's facing page Italian so you can do the Milton thing. You really can understand what the Italian is saying, and when you read it, you can get some idea of what an incredible achievement the Comedy really was. The poetry itself is astounding, but you have to read the Italian to get it - and to understand why it's untranslatable.
2. The translation is fairly literal. This time, the translation is there to tell you what the Italian actually says instead of serving as a clever solution to the poetic problems posed by translation. Nobody is going to pull off a translation into a Germanic language that conveys Dante's vowel heavy Italian rhyming. We would not translate Palestrina into Bach, please give up on this.
3. The notes are written to interpret the poem. Instead of merely providing historical background to the obscure personages, the notes provide readings across the past 700 years on difficult lines. That's one heck of a resource. I wish I had that for poets in English; I might actually read the stuff.
4. There's actually literary criticism. One of the revelations from the critical work here is how much Dante is making fun of the Virgil character. You see him get mad, plot and scheme, become boastful. It's really pretty hilarious. I never got a sense of that before, but it's pretty obvious once you start looking for it. That adds a completely different flavor to the poem. Like most great works, part of the reason it's great is because it's funny. Maybe not Milton. Screw Milton.
I've always liked the Inferno, but I feel like I must have been missing huge themes. Not even really sure why I liked it. Read this, you'll have a whole new take on the poem. I'm waiting on the next two volumes.
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