Purgatory (The Divine Comedy)

Item arrived way much EARLIER than expected and it is as described. Happy buyer in here. Thank you very much for an excellent service. Will highly recommend this seller.

For my money there is simply no more worthy version of Dante's Divine Comedy than Esloen's translations

Many readers enjoy the Inferno but proceed no farther. Late in the Inferno (canto xxx), Virgil admonishes Dante to stop watching and enjoying the brawling damned. Rather than fixate on the entertainment of hell, readers also should lift their attention and go with the poets to Purgatory. The Purgatorio "is arguably the product of Dante's most brilliant poetic conception," Esolen says, because although "there were visions of Hell before Dante's, however far they fall short of his[, t]here were no visions of Purgatory." Dante captures well the meaning of the doctrine of Purgatory, the efficacy or prayers for the dead, and joyful suffering, portraying them with great understanding, artistry, and depth. Esolen's notes are respectful and explanatory, complementing and complimenting Dante. Purgatory is an easier read than is the Inferno, and it should be as we move from the heavy darkness of hell into the light. While Esolen's translation of the Inferno would have benefited from a schematic of hell, the ascent of Mount Purgatorio is more easily visualized and needs no such aid. I found

Needed book for online class.

One of the three parts of The Divine Comedy translated by Anthony Esolen. Well written and the notes and added information make the book even more useful

A friend and I read the whole of Dr. Esolen's beautiful translation of Dante's Divine Comedy (I am copying this review to the other two canticles) over a few months, along with the DVD lecture series on it that Dr. Esolen has made, which is available through different vendors. I HIGHLY recommend the project to anyone, particularly Catholics, because while the footnotes and endnotes are outstanding, the lecture series really brings it home to our lives and spirituality. We did this exercise because Bishop Barron had commented how fruitful the Divine Comedy was for his spiritual life and ministry. Having a lecture series and set of matching translations by a consummate scholar and faithful Catholic, who translated Dante's great Catholic opus into a work that can be appreciated by today's students, is a precious pearl beyond price, and I am so grateful I was able to have and use it. (The OCD in me wishes that the books had coordinated covers, but I don't judge a book by its cover!)

Esolen’s notes are excellent and provide a deep understanding of this great work!

Great translation of the Divine Comedy, excellent notes. Highly recommend.

The second part of Dante’s Divine Comedy. I enjoyed this book very much.

Anthony Esolen is one of the finest minds today. This translation is just what you need.

Item arrived way much EARLIER than expected and it is as described. Happy buyer in here. Thank you very much for an excellent service. Will highly recommend this seller.

For my money there is simply no more worthy version of Dante's Divine Comedy than Esloen's translations

Many readers enjoy the Inferno but proceed no farther. Late in the Inferno (canto xxx), Virgil admonishes Dante to stop watching and enjoying the brawling damned. Rather than fixate on the entertainment of hell, readers also should lift their attention and go with the poets to Purgatory. The Purgatorio "is arguably the product of Dante's most brilliant poetic conception," Esolen says, because although "there were visions of Hell before Dante's, however far they fall short of his[, t]here were no visions of Purgatory." Dante captures well the meaning of the doctrine of Purgatory, the efficacy or prayers for the dead, and joyful suffering, portraying them with great understanding, artistry, and depth. Esolen's notes are respectful and explanatory, complementing and complimenting Dante. Purgatory is an easier read than is the Inferno, and it should be as we move from the heavy darkness of hell into the light. While Esolen's translation of the Inferno would have benefited from a schematic of hell, the ascent of Mount Purgatorio is more easily visualized and needs no such aid. I found

Needed book for online class.

One of the three parts of The Divine Comedy translated by Anthony Esolen. Well written and the notes and added information make the book even more useful

A friend and I read the whole of Dr. Esolen's beautiful translation of Dante's Divine Comedy (I am copying this review to the other two canticles) over a few months, along with the DVD lecture series on it that Dr. Esolen has made, which is available through different vendors. I HIGHLY recommend the project to anyone, particularly Catholics, because while the footnotes and endnotes are outstanding, the lecture series really brings it home to our lives and spirituality. We did this exercise because Bishop Barron had commented how fruitful the Divine Comedy was for his spiritual life and ministry. Having a lecture series and set of matching translations by a consummate scholar and faithful Catholic, who translated Dante's great Catholic opus into a work that can be appreciated by today's students, is a precious pearl beyond price, and I am so grateful I was able to have and use it. (The OCD in me wishes that the books had coordinated covers, but I don't judge a book by its cover!)

Esolen’s notes are excellent and provide a deep understanding of this great work!

Great translation of the Divine Comedy, excellent notes. Highly recommend.

The second part of Dante’s Divine Comedy. I enjoyed this book very much.

Anthony Esolen is one of the finest minds today. This translation is just what you need.

This was an excellent version of Purgatory. It was very readable, and I found the extensive notes on each canto to be very helpful. My questions were frequently answered there, like how Cato got into purgatory while Virgil was excluded. I liked that the translator didn't force everything into an awkward rhyme, although there were many rhyming lines. He decided to do rhymes when they worked but not to force it and instead stick with the original meter. That choice worked very well. Purgatory isn't exactly a quick read, but this translation was comparatively quick. I was able to move through it at a good pace because it was so readable.

Excellent presentation and translation! The original Italian appears on the left-hand pages, while Esolen's translation appears on the right-hand pages. Excellent translation, and there are appendices in the back of the book to further explain the true meanings of events and persons in the Divine Comedy. I highly recommend this!