I bought a book from a local store. The book is "The Inferno" written by Dante Alighieri. It's a classic literature, a poetry, famed for its divine comedy, and it's not really my type genre at first but I'm satisfied after reading it. Ask me why I bought the book? I stumble upon to a video streaming site and found an animated film based from a game in Playstation Portable (PSP). For more details about the game titled "Dante's Inferno" for PSP, see product details below:
The animated film that I'm talking about is based from the game promoted above. I have no idea that it was based from the book not until I've watched the film. I realized this was Dante Alighieri's story of divine comedy after watching the film (i reminisced the literature subject, college days). And because of my amusement after watching the film, It drives me to search and research about the book. About the animated film, see details below:
I've been to a local bookstore, and found titles of Dante Alighieri's book with different publishers. I compared which of the publishers is better and with good analysis I find Signet Classics (Penguin Group) a good one. What I like about the book is that it has a notes in every end of cantos (chapter), the notes is a further comprehension of what the chapter is all about. You know, reading a poem with so in-depth meaning, so metaphorical, various mythical, and quite biblical is a pain. Thanks to the translator of the book John Ciardi, I find it easy to understand the meaning of every stanza in every cantos. Buy a copy at Amazon.com, see product below:
Samples:
The Inferno:
Reading "The Inferno" will let you foresaw the image of hell. "The Inferno" is a story of Dante's journey in hell with the company of Virgil. The Dante in the story is the same name of Dante Alighieri which is the author of the book. About his company Virgil (a roman poet) - he is kind of a consciousness of Dante. Dante's journey is like a snake & ladder game where he steps level-by-level where every level is called "Circle". Every circle has their specific purposes for sinners. If for example you committed a murder against someone then you'll be in "Circle VII: Round One" which you will take a spa of boiling blood. Every circle has their sub-levels with different punishment depending on the degree of your sin. And in some circles sub-levels has different names (refer to figure "The Classification of Sin in Lower Hell" below).
In the book, Dante's description of hell are blended with mythological characters mostly coming from Greek mythology. Greeks in the time of Dante Alighieri were pagans in the eyes of the Christians so it's natural to see a Minotaur, Charon, etc. in the book.
Dante wrote "The Inferno" comprehensively as if he went there. He even add an illustrations and maps. If you are reading books by heart, you will notice it, you'll notice Dante's vast imagination blended with faith to God. See the images below, sample illustration from the "The Inferno":
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| Hell - First Seven Circles Reviewer's Note: "Familiarize the map. In case you go to hell you'll not miss directions." |
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| The Classification of Sin in Lower Hell Reviewer's Note: Check your sin here and see what punishment hell can offer to you. |
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| Hell - Eighth Circle Reviewer's Note: Sub-level of the previous Circle, it means you are near from the location of Satan. |
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| Hell - Ninth Circle (Cocytus) - Satan Reviewer's Note: This is Dante's description of Satan - three faces: with face of Judas Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius. The essential explanation about the three faced beast is that it is seen as perversions of the qualities of the Trinity according from the book. |
Dante's journey doesn't end here because it is kind of trilogy thing. Dante Alighieri wrote three books, and "The Inferno" is just the first. The second would be followed by Purgatory and I need to read it in some time. And also I bet you know the last one - the heaven? No, the third is "Paradiso" the end part of the book.
So see you then in my next book review. ^_^
