jaksta

In response to rosa's comment, I would like to point out that Durling's translations are set in parallel with the Italian. As a student of Latin, it is wonderful to be able to spot tricolon crescenses and apostrophes and all sorts of other figures I thought I would never talk about outside of a Vergil class (any guesses as to why Vergil figures so greatly into Dante's style and content. You get 3 guesses and the first 2 don't count). I liked this book a lot less than Inferno. It is a lot less accessible: lots of medieval astrology which is irritating on its own, but I think I had a deeper issues. In Puirgatory people are punished for vices which I do not think should be punished. Most of the Sins in Hell are still sins today (murder, rape, theft) though some are not by most people (homosexuality is a big one). But many of the vices in Purgatory are not comfortable for me (I don't buy excommunication, why should covetous people have their eyes sown shut?). Here's hoping Paradiso is better. By the way, Durling is a hilarious and fascinating translator, I would specifically recommended these editions.

2022-10-29 03:26