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Title: The Inferno of Dante: A New Verse Translation by Dante Alighieri, Robert Pinsky, Nicole Pinsky, Dante, John Freccero ISBN: 0374524521 Publisher: Noonday Press Pub. Date: 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $10.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.51
Rating: 5
Summary: A most readable Dante.
Comment: It goes without saying that The Inferno is one of the great masterpieces of Western culture. That being the case, Pinksy, not Dante, is the focus of my review. This was the third translation of The Inferno that I have read (Mandelbaum and Ciardi being the others), and it is by far the most graceful of the group. I was particularly impressed with his handling of that ever present problem: the rhyme scheme. His solution to the problem is fluid and faithful to the original text (something Mandelbaum's rhyme-free translation lacks), without being distracting (as I found Ciardi's to be). But, what is truly amazing is that he is able to maintain this scheme without ever sounding forced or contrived. This allows Pinsky's tranlsation to remain first and foremost, a poem, which is so crucial in realizing the true genious of Dante's work. I was also pleased with Pinsky's decision to put a line of white space between each triplet. This really helped to accentuate the pacing and structure that make terza rima so important. The inclusion of the Italian text is also a nice touch. Finally, the notes are concise and informative. While Mandelbaum's notes seemed to me a little too thorough, often glossing the obvious, these give pertinent information without ever condescending to the reader. My only complaint would be that Pinksy stopped at the Inferno. I firmly believe that one must experience a work of art in its entirety in order to fully experience its brilliance. This is very true of the Divine Comedy. While there are certainly plenty of Purgatorios and Paradisos out there, I would very much have liked to have been able to maintain the continuity of a single translator. While there is a long list of translators who provide this option, I regret that Pinksy is not among them.
Rating: 4
Summary: Summary of the Inferno
Comment: Dante's Inferno grips the reader throughout the journey to Inferno, or hell. With Virgil as his guide, Dante the author stars himself as the main character: a timid, curious man traveling among spirits through the nine levels of hell. On his journey he comes across every imaginable type of sinner, from the unbaptized to barrators to betrayers. He makes it through beasts, monsters, rivers, fires, and taunting spirits with the help of his master. Dante, as author, combines ancient mythological references with Christian beliefs to form a background and adventures for his Inferno; which reflect the lifestyle in Italy during a time of political and secular corruption. Pinsky translated this superb piece of literature with grace, transforming the Italian rhyme into a pleasing English translation with a terza rima scheme. A marvelous job indeed.
Rating: 5
Summary: My high school students found this a real page turner
Comment: It says a lot that of all the books we read during the year in a rigorous English curriculum, many of my best readers picked the Pinksy Inferno as their favorite book of the year. I'm a Mandelbaum fan too (I still like his Aeneid since it's by far the closest to Virgil's Latin and was even helpful when I worked on translating books 4 and 6), but I prefer Pinsky's rendition of Dante's poem. It makes the text alive for generations of new readers. My class appreciated Nicole Pinsky's notes at the end of the book which add greatly to students' comprehension of historical background and context. Hats off to Pinsky for a great work of art that has made Dante more accessible to a new generation of potential fans.
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Title: The Tragical History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Pelican Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare, A. R. Braunmuller ISBN: 0140714545 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 2001 List Price(USD): $3.95 |
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Title: Great Dialogues of Plato by Plato, W. H. D. Rouse ISBN: 0451527453 Publisher: Signet Classic Pub. Date: 1999 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
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Title: The Professor's House (Vintage Classic) by Willa Cather ISBN: 0679731806 Publisher: Vintage Books Pub. Date: 1990 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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Title: Billy Budd and Other Stories (Penguin Classics) by Herman Melville ISBN: 0140390537 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 1989 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: Gilgamesh: A New Rendering in English Verse by David Ferry ISBN: 0374523835 Publisher: Noonday Press Pub. Date: 1993 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
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