Overview

Journey with Dante into the bowels of the earth and the profoundest depths of the human soul. The Inferno, the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy, has captivated readers for over seven centuries. This modern translation in terza rima captures the true essence of the Italian poem. This edition also includes: Notes: A single page of commentary for each canto, providing enough context for the modern reader to follow Dante's historical references and literary allusions, without getting bogged down by excessive notes. More extensive notes can be found, at no additional cost, on the book's companion website (Dante's Afterlife). Bibliography and Further Reading: A detailed list of relevant primary and secondary sources (including online and multimedia resources), with short descriptions of each. Glossary: Concise descriptions and phonetic pronunciation guides for every person and place in the book. For each time a person or place is mentioned in the text, a canto and line number is provided in the glossary. It's easy to look up someone you're unfamiliar with, and it's equally easy to see where Dante refers to them in the text (even if they're unnamed). Illustrations, Maps, and Diagrams: Over a dozen original images and diagrams created by the translator, including a map of medieval Florence, a map of Tuscany and northern Italy, maps of Dante's Hell, a zodiac showing the positions of the planets at the start of Dante's journey, a timeline and schematic of the journey, and more. Dante's Afterlife: For readers and students of Dante who want to explore beyond the confines of the book, J. Simon Harris has created a companion website called Dante's Afterlife (a QR code and url are found at the back of the book). Here, the translator will publish extended commentary on the poem, historical background (a history of the Guelphs and Ghibellines, and the life of Dante), unique images, brief essays, translations of Dante's lyric poems and those of his contemporaries, and more. The website will be added to continually, and it will always remain free of charg

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The book is translated by J. Simon Harris in such a way that you can understand what Dante's original vision was. The very detailed illustrations of not only Florence but also the circles of hell were fascinating. No one has ever translated Dante's vision quite like this. You will gain a new respect for the poet. - Anelynde Smit, Readers' Favorite

Author Information

Dante Alighieri is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets ever to have lived. He grew up in Florence, Italy, in the late thirteenth century. While his lyric poetry earned him some fame as a young man, he also served the city as a soldier and politician. In 1301, his political adversaries took control of Florence and exiled him along with other leaders of his party. Cut off from his family and material holdings, Dante was forced to wander Italy, surviving at the mercy of gracious benefactors. It was during this most difficult trial of his life that he began writing his masterpiece, the Divine Comedy. In his final years, he settled in Ravenna, where he was reunited with his children. In 1321, not long after completing the final lines of his great epic poem, he died. To this day, his body has never returned to Florence, the beloved city of his birth that cast him away. J. Simon Harris lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife Ashley, their son Luke, and their dogs Hallie and Lucy. In addition to literature and poetry, he loves science (and works as a scientist), videogames, movies, the outdoors, and most of all spending time with his family. He has translated poetry into English from Italian, Spanish, Ancient Greek, Old English, and Provencal. He is currently working on a translation of Dante's Vita Nuova, and a translation of Homer's Iliad in hexameter verse (and of course, he's eager to start work on Purgatory). Much of his work, including translations and original poetry, is showcased on his blog.

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