The Dante Club: A Novel
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Review
"Matthew Pearl is the new shining star of literary fiction -- a heady, inventive, and immensely gifted author. With intricate plots, classical themes, and erudite characters...what's not to love?"
-Dan Brown
"Working on a vast canvas, Mr. Pearl keeps this mystery sparkling with erudition... with this captivating brain teaser as his debut novel, seems also to have put his life's work on the line in melding scholarship with mystery. He does justice to both." -Janet Maslin, "The New York Times
""Audacious and captivating."
-Adrienne Miller, "Esquire
""Mr. Pearl's triumph is mixing these two cultures: wealthy, cultivated men of letters faced with the mysterious and seedy streets of a 19th-century Boston... creating not just a page-turner but a beguiling look at the U.S. in an era when elites shaped the course of learning and publishing. With this story of the Dante Club's own descent into hell, Mr. Pearl's book will delight the Dante novice and expert alike." -Kimb --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
-Dan Brown
"Working on a vast canvas, Mr. Pearl keeps this mystery sparkling with erudition... with this captivating brain teaser as his debut novel, seems also to have put his life's work on the line in melding scholarship with mystery. He does justice to both." -Janet Maslin, "The New York Times
""Audacious and captivating."
-Adrienne Miller, "Esquire
""Mr. Pearl's triumph is mixing these two cultures: wealthy, cultivated men of letters faced with the mysterious and seedy streets of a 19th-century Boston... creating not just a page-turner but a beguiling look at the U.S. in an era when elites shaped the course of learning and publishing. With this story of the Dante Club's own descent into hell, Mr. Pearl's book will delight the Dante novice and expert alike." -Kimb --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Times Literary Supplement, January 30, 2004
"Pearl's scholarly background is evident in the erudite detail he weaves into his fictional narrative, adding texture and complexity"
--This text refers to the
Paperback
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
"I do not profess to understand this strange pattern, but we cannot escape its implication"
17 Dec 2006
Format:Paperback
"The Dante Club", Matthew Pearl's first novel, is the kind of book that manages to combine suspense, history and literature successfully, engaging the reader and making him care about what is going to happen next.
The story takes place in 1865 Boston, where a group of friends that include poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, writer and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes and poet James Russell Lowell, among others, decide to form a Dante Club in order to produce an English translation of Dante's "Divine Comedy". Many people are against this endeavour, as they believe Dante's "Divine Comedy" to be dangerous reading material, but our academics are steadfast in their devotion to Dante. However, they begin to get nervous when a madman that seems to be delivering the punishments Dante Alighieri talks about in his "Inferno" (= "Hell", one of the three books in which the "Divine Comedy" is divided) starts killing people in Boston. Trying to avoid a death blow to Dante's reputation even before the American public can read his translated works, the members of the Dante Club decide to catch the killer by themselves. That is easier said than done, but makes for a very entertaining book.
From my point of view, "The Dante Club" is a perfect choice for Dante's fans, but also for those that just want to buy something interesting to read in their spare time. If you already love Dante, you will enjoy the way in which Matthew Pearl makes the "Divine Comedy" an integral part of this book; if you are new to Dante's works, you will learn about him and his books at the same time you read an original whodunit. In any case, you are highly likely to love "The Dante Club". Of course, recommended!
Belen Alcat
The story takes place in 1865 Boston, where a group of friends that include poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, writer and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes and poet James Russell Lowell, among others, decide to form a Dante Club in order to produce an English translation of Dante's "Divine Comedy". Many people are against this endeavour, as they believe Dante's "Divine Comedy" to be dangerous reading material, but our academics are steadfast in their devotion to Dante. However, they begin to get nervous when a madman that seems to be delivering the punishments Dante Alighieri talks about in his "Inferno" (= "Hell", one of the three books in which the "Divine Comedy" is divided) starts killing people in Boston. Trying to avoid a death blow to Dante's reputation even before the American public can read his translated works, the members of the Dante Club decide to catch the killer by themselves. That is easier said than done, but makes for a very entertaining book.
From my point of view, "The Dante Club" is a perfect choice for Dante's fans, but also for those that just want to buy something interesting to read in their spare time. If you already love Dante, you will enjoy the way in which Matthew Pearl makes the "Divine Comedy" an integral part of this book; if you are new to Dante's works, you will learn about him and his books at the same time you read an original whodunit. In any case, you are highly likely to love "The Dante Club". Of course, recommended!
Belen Alcat
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Every once in a while a novel comes along and is simply stunning in every way. The last novel I was this excited about was Donna Tartt's The Secret History, and in my opinion this novel is just as good as. For those of you like me who knew nothing (and I mean nothing) about Dante, this novel offers a fascinating introduction of Dante and his work. Think of the combination, we have Dante, an insightful look into 19th Century history, a setting in smouldering Boston that you can almost smell, a killer on the loose more sadistic than any other indiviudal I have come across in print, a group of unlikely heroes using 19th century detective work, and you have a mix that is simply unbeatable. I simply could not put this book down. I read it waiting for public transport, travelling on public transport, getting off public transport, walking to and from work, and last thing at night. Give it a try, you'll have bitten every fingernail off, by the time you get to the last chapter.
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book probably falls into the category of a thriller, but it is oh so much more. It is literate and poetic, but in a dynamic way. There are threads of poetry running from Dante to Longfellow and his friends who are some of the greatest minds of their day.
They are the most unlikely of heroes, but I loved their characters. They may be getting on a bit in years, but they are clever, brave and resourcful in tracking down the fiend who murders his victims using methods of punishment taken from Dante's inferno. These are also people who have a great friendship and affection for each other and you feel part of that circle of friends.
I had many theories as to the identity of the murderer, but I truly didn't guess who it was until the exciting climax of the book.
I did not want the book to end and I have been making up for that by reading poems by Longfellow that I had forgotten that I knew. These include his wonderful translation of the Divine Comedy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good but may be an aquired taste
The reviews of this novel are very mixed but personally I loved it, particulary the characters and the setting (in time and geography). Read more
Published 3 months ago by Leven1
Very classy entertainment
I simply do not understand why this has got so many poor reviews. It works, superbly, on so many levels: it is of course a thriller (and yes I love thrillers) but it is also a... Read more
Published 6 months ago by mike y
Highly entertaining historical detective story
This book is a real page turner, rich with historical detail, which brings 1860's Massachusetts to life. Read more
Published 11 months ago by colette
I paid for a new book but got 2nd hand
I paid extra for a supposed new book. It is obviously not new because it has a photo of a cottage which was being used as a bookmark by the previous owner! Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr. S. L. Webster
Tough to get through.
According to my normal reading habits, a book of this size would normally take me just over a week to get through. Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2010 by S. Mohammed
Overdeveloped and lacking in finesse
In theory this has the capacity to be a wonderfully interesting work. Certainly the author has gone to great lengths to study and understand his subject. Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2009 by Sean M. Anderson
The Dante Club
Proof that a literary degree does not make a good author. Slow pacing, flat characters that are at times difficult to distinguish from each other. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2008 by Rich
Mmm...could have been better
The basic premise of this book was excellent and had the makings of a really good read. However, I was quite disappointed with the finished result. Read more
Published on 30 April 2008 by Net
The amateur detective society translates Dante
It's 1865, the Civil War has just ended, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the other members of the Dante Club are translating Dante's "Divine Comedy" for the 600th anniversary of... Read more
Published on 5 Oct 2007 by Thomas Paul
Sometimes less is more
The author undoubtedly knows his stuff when it comes to 19th century American history, not to mention his Dante and the concept of the story, which has already been outlined in... Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2007 by C. A. Gallagher
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