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This splendid verse translation by Allen Mandelbaum provides an entirely fresh experience of Dante's great poem of penance and hope. As Dante ascends the Mount of Purgatory toward the Earthly Paradise and his beloved Beatrice, through "that second kingdom in which the human soul is cleansed of sin," all the passion and suffering, poetry and philosophy are rendered with the immediacy of a poet of our own age. With extensive notes and commentary prepared especially for this edition.
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Per correr miglior acque alza le vele omai la navicella del mio ingegno, che lascia dietro a se mar si crudele; e cantero di quel secondo regno dove l'umano spirito si purga e di salire al ciel diventa degno. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Per correr miglior acque alza le vele omai la navicella del mio ingegno, che lascia dietro a se mar si crudele; e cantero di quel secondo regno dove l'umano spirito si purga e di salire al ciel diventa degno. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
As a translation of the second part of Dante's Divine Comedy, this is very well done. The book cover has a nice simple design (marred only by Bantam's wrap-around imprint at the top, and even that doesn't look out of place at a distance).
The text itself is presumably well-translated; Allen Mandelbaum has a very good reputation. Not being able to read Italian myself, I can't confirm this, but the resulting English text is certainly very compelling and poetic. If you can read Italian, you will be able to confirm the translation as the English version is presented side-by-side with the original text. A nice feature that doesn't impede reading it in English at all.
The book also contains a set of comprehensive notes on Dante's references to then-topical events, as well as an informative introduction. Both are reasonably well-done, though I'd recommend leaving the introduction until after you've read the book itself, as it does spoil some of the surprises.
As to the work itself, well, it's part of Dante's Divine Comedy and it's deservedly a classic. Elegantly written and affecting; some of the references may be a little dated but the emotional and spiritual heart of the book is timeless. In my opinion, this is the best book of the Comedy, but you should read them all in sequence to get the full effect.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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5 reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
The Best Translation for the Student of Italian
22 Aug 2007
Format:Mass Market Paperback
There are two things that set this edition of Dante's
Purgatorio apart. The first is the evocative 1982 translation
by Allen Mandelbaum. The Italian government itself has
showered prizes on Mandelbaum and indeed, from an Italian
perspective this is also the best translation available. It
has a fidelity to the Italian that is all the more jealously
guarded because, for modern Italian speakers, Dante's
14th contury language is not so remote.
The second is that the original Italian text is supplied
side by side with the translation. For the student of Italian
or any non-native speaker, this is an arrangement that
facilitates the appreciation of the lyricism of the original
because you are not distracted by the only slightly archaic
language.
Mandelbaum's notes are illuminating and the illustrations by
Barry Moser are inventive and evocative masterpieces.
When the Italian comedian Robert Benigni visited the U.S.
to accept his Oscars for La Vita e Bella, the story was that
the only person he wanted to meet was the famed Dantista,
Allen Mandelbaum.
--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005
Purgatorio apart. The first is the evocative 1982 translation
by Allen Mandelbaum. The Italian government itself has
showered prizes on Mandelbaum and indeed, from an Italian
perspective this is also the best translation available. It
has a fidelity to the Italian that is all the more jealously
guarded because, for modern Italian speakers, Dante's
14th contury language is not so remote.
The second is that the original Italian text is supplied
side by side with the translation. For the student of Italian
or any non-native speaker, this is an arrangement that
facilitates the appreciation of the lyricism of the original
because you are not distracted by the only slightly archaic
language.
Mandelbaum's notes are illuminating and the illustrations by
Barry Moser are inventive and evocative masterpieces.
When the Italian comedian Robert Benigni visited the U.S.
to accept his Oscars for La Vita e Bella, the story was that
the only person he wanted to meet was the famed Dantista,
Allen Mandelbaum.
--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Another Classic Masterfully Translated
28 Jun 2005
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The second of three books that compose the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri's "Purgatorio" is a continuation of his epic Cantos. Having seen Satan with their own eyes, Dante and Virgil once again breathe fresh air as they surface through an opening in a cliff. Their adventure then carries them to the mountain island of Purgatory where Dante hears tales of woe and sees some familiar faces, all the while drawing nearer to his beloved Beatrice.
Often overlooked as the middle story, Purgatorio is, in its own rights, a classic. It would be my recommendation, however, to read it in order so as not to confuse yourself and to miss out on any of the important events that occur.
What makes this edition so special is the wonderful translation done by Allen Mandelbaum. The notes that are provided make understanding not only the language but the plot and its nuances much easier and consequently much more enjoyable. This is easily the best version on the market today for the casual reader.
Often overlooked as the middle story, Purgatorio is, in its own rights, a classic. It would be my recommendation, however, to read it in order so as not to confuse yourself and to miss out on any of the important events that occur.
What makes this edition so special is the wonderful translation done by Allen Mandelbaum. The notes that are provided make understanding not only the language but the plot and its nuances much easier and consequently much more enjoyable. This is easily the best version on the market today for the casual reader.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
A stint in Purgatorio
10 Aug 2010
Format:Mass Market Paperback
"To course across more kindly waters now/my talent's little vessel lifts her sails/leaving behind herself a sea so cruel..."
Having finished his tour of hell and its residents, Dante Alighieri turns his attention to a more cheerful (if less juicy) supernatural realm. "Purgatorio" is less famous than its predecessor, but it's still a beautiful piece of work that explores the mindset not of the damned, but of sinners who are undergoing a divine cleansing -- beautiful, hopeful and a little sad.
Outside of Hell, Dante and Virgil encounter a small boat piloted by an angel and filled with human souls -- and unlike the damned, they're eager to find "the mountain." And as Hell had circles of damnation, Purgatory has terraces that the redeemable souls climb on their way towards Heaven, and none of the people there will leave their terrace until they are cleansed.
And the sins that are cleansed here are the seven deadly ones: the proud, the envious, the wrathful, the greedy, the lazy, the gluttonous, and the lustful. But as Dante moves slowly through the terraces, he finds himself gaining a new tour guide as he approaches Heaven...
I'll say this openly: the second part of the "Divine Comedy" is simply not as deliciously entertaining as "Inferno" -- it was kind of fun to see Dante skewering the corrupt people of his time, and describing the sort of grotesque punishments they merited. But while not as fun, "Purgatorio" is a more transcendent, hopeful kind of story since all the souls there will eventually be cleansed and make their way to Heaven.
As a result, "Purgatorio" is filled with a kind of eager anticipation -- there's flowers, stars, dancing, angelic ferrymen, mythic Grecian rivers and an army of souls who are all-too-eager to get to Purgatory so their purification can start. Alighieri's timeless poetry has a silken quality, from beginning to end ("But here, since I am yours, o holy Muses/may this poem rise again from Hell's dead realm/and may Calliope rise somewhat here/accompanying my singing...") and it's crammed with classical references and Christian symbolism (the Sun's part in advancing the soiled souls).
And the trip through Purgatory seems to have a strong effect on Dante's self-insert, who appears less repulsed and more fascinated by what he sees there. It's hard not to feel sorry for him when the paternal Virgil exits the Comedy, but at least he has someone else appears to guide him.
The middle part of the Divine Comedy isn't as juicy as "Inferno," but the beauty of Dante Alighieri's writing makes up for it."Purgatorio" is a must read... and then on to Paradise.
Having finished his tour of hell and its residents, Dante Alighieri turns his attention to a more cheerful (if less juicy) supernatural realm. "Purgatorio" is less famous than its predecessor, but it's still a beautiful piece of work that explores the mindset not of the damned, but of sinners who are undergoing a divine cleansing -- beautiful, hopeful and a little sad.
Outside of Hell, Dante and Virgil encounter a small boat piloted by an angel and filled with human souls -- and unlike the damned, they're eager to find "the mountain." And as Hell had circles of damnation, Purgatory has terraces that the redeemable souls climb on their way towards Heaven, and none of the people there will leave their terrace until they are cleansed.
And the sins that are cleansed here are the seven deadly ones: the proud, the envious, the wrathful, the greedy, the lazy, the gluttonous, and the lustful. But as Dante moves slowly through the terraces, he finds himself gaining a new tour guide as he approaches Heaven...
I'll say this openly: the second part of the "Divine Comedy" is simply not as deliciously entertaining as "Inferno" -- it was kind of fun to see Dante skewering the corrupt people of his time, and describing the sort of grotesque punishments they merited. But while not as fun, "Purgatorio" is a more transcendent, hopeful kind of story since all the souls there will eventually be cleansed and make their way to Heaven.
As a result, "Purgatorio" is filled with a kind of eager anticipation -- there's flowers, stars, dancing, angelic ferrymen, mythic Grecian rivers and an army of souls who are all-too-eager to get to Purgatory so their purification can start. Alighieri's timeless poetry has a silken quality, from beginning to end ("But here, since I am yours, o holy Muses/may this poem rise again from Hell's dead realm/and may Calliope rise somewhat here/accompanying my singing...") and it's crammed with classical references and Christian symbolism (the Sun's part in advancing the soiled souls).
And the trip through Purgatory seems to have a strong effect on Dante's self-insert, who appears less repulsed and more fascinated by what he sees there. It's hard not to feel sorry for him when the paternal Virgil exits the Comedy, but at least he has someone else appears to guide him.
The middle part of the Divine Comedy isn't as juicy as "Inferno," but the beauty of Dante Alighieri's writing makes up for it."Purgatorio" is a must read... and then on to Paradise.
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