Working from Dante's "Inferno" to draw out the reality behind the fantasy, author Kim Paffenroth unfolds the horrifying true events that led Dante to fictionalize the account of his lost years ... For seventeen years of his life, the exact whereabouts of the medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri are unknown to modern scholars. It is known that during this time he traveled as an exile across Europe, working on his epic poem, "The Divine Comedy." In his masterpiece he describes a journey through the three realms of the afterlife. The most famous of its three volumes, "Inferno," describes hell. During his lost wanderings, Dante stumbled upon an infestation of the living dead. The unspeakable acts he witnessed--cannibalism, live burnings, evisceration, crucifixion, and dozens more--became the basis of all the horrors described in Inferno. Afraid to be labeled a madman, Dante made the terrors he experienced into a more "believable" account of an otherworldly adventure filled with demons and mythological monsters. But at last, the real story can finally be told.
Valley of the Dead (The Truth Behind Dante's Inferno)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Ursula K. Raphael
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Unlike the humorous, spliced-together novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Valley of the Dead is a serious original story inspired by Dante's Inferno (the first volume of The Divine Comedy). Kim Paffenroth, a professor of Religous Studies, best known for his zombie series Dying to Live (third installment coming out in October 2010) and Orpheus and the Pearl, explains in his prologue how he came to the realization that Dante must have actually seen the horrors described in Inferno. Paffenroth presents us with the story of how Dante survived a zombie plague, revealing the lessons that he learned while Dante was in exile.
One of the most disturbing charcteristics of this novel is that the zombies are absolutely not frightening compared to what the living do to one another. I would go so far as to say some of the human survivors lost their souls long before the plague cuaght up with them. It is interesting to note that even back in history the army was of no help to the villagers, and made matters worse.
If you have read any of Paffenroth's work with Permuted Press, don't expect any similarities.... Read more ›
One of the most disturbing charcteristics of this novel is that the zombies are absolutely not frightening compared to what the living do to one another. I would go so far as to say some of the human survivors lost their souls long before the plague cuaght up with them. It is interesting to note that even back in history the army was of no help to the villagers, and made matters worse.
If you have read any of Paffenroth's work with Permuted Press, don't expect any similarities.... Read more ›
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I came across this when looking for my next zombie fix on Audible. As a fan of some Permuted Press authors (most namely the late ZA Recht and his Plague of the Dead: The Morningstar Strain I was stunned and slightly ashamed to have not come across Kim Paffenroth before.
In "Valley of the Dead" Paffenroth takes the theory that to have written what he did in Dante: Inferno (Penguin Classics), Aligheri must have seen the horror of the undead first hand for himself.
However as the other reviewer, what is truly horrifying is the way in this novel, how the living decide to treat one another in the face of the dead. Of course, in most zombie fiction you get your marrauders and raiders, general bad guys looking to profiteer from the chaos. Paffenroth uses the brutality of the fictional world to take this to a whole new level.
This is eminently readable, and in Audible format, the narrator has a pleasing tone and pace, not spoiling the visuals or the atmosphere.
Definitely recommended, and I will certainly be seeking out Paffenroth's Permuted Press works after reading this accomplished piece of fiction.
In "Valley of the Dead" Paffenroth takes the theory that to have written what he did in Dante: Inferno (Penguin Classics), Aligheri must have seen the horror of the undead first hand for himself.
However as the other reviewer, what is truly horrifying is the way in this novel, how the living decide to treat one another in the face of the dead. Of course, in most zombie fiction you get your marrauders and raiders, general bad guys looking to profiteer from the chaos. Paffenroth uses the brutality of the fictional world to take this to a whole new level.
This is eminently readable, and in Audible format, the narrator has a pleasing tone and pace, not spoiling the visuals or the atmosphere.
Definitely recommended, and I will certainly be seeking out Paffenroth's Permuted Press works after reading this accomplished piece of fiction.
By Sarah Hague
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dante has been forced to leave his beloved Florence. He is wandering north-east on his faithful horse depressed at his exile, loss of love, and lack of direction. This book recounts the story of his 'road trip' along which he finds enlightenment.
It comes from a number of sources - from the people he meets along the way, the ones who join him on his travels, the sights he sees and what he experiences. He has never met the un-dead before. They seem to have been contained in a single valley, the valley of the dead, and rise up from time to time like a plague of pestilence.
Through his experiences, Dante's attitude towards others changes, from admiring the courage beauty and intelligence of a simple pregnant peasant girl, to abhorring the arrogance and cruelty of those who should know better. You would think that the zombies would represent the worst of subhuman behaviour, but in fact, they are merely lost and desperate, agonizing in their un-dead state. The worst of human and indeed subhuman behaviour witnessed by Dante comes from those humans still alive, and the different ways they choose to kill, torment, provoke, abuse and exploit the zombies.
This is an absolutely fascinating book. It is not a sensationalist zombie-fest, but a thought-provoking, intellectual examination of the human condition punctuated by the most gruesome descriptions of death and destruction. It is also very well written and a joy to read as a piece of literature.
It comes from a number of sources - from the people he meets along the way, the ones who join him on his travels, the sights he sees and what he experiences. He has never met the un-dead before. They seem to have been contained in a single valley, the valley of the dead, and rise up from time to time like a plague of pestilence.
Through his experiences, Dante's attitude towards others changes, from admiring the courage beauty and intelligence of a simple pregnant peasant girl, to abhorring the arrogance and cruelty of those who should know better. You would think that the zombies would represent the worst of subhuman behaviour, but in fact, they are merely lost and desperate, agonizing in their un-dead state. The worst of human and indeed subhuman behaviour witnessed by Dante comes from those humans still alive, and the different ways they choose to kill, torment, provoke, abuse and exploit the zombies.
This is an absolutely fascinating book. It is not a sensationalist zombie-fest, but a thought-provoking, intellectual examination of the human condition punctuated by the most gruesome descriptions of death and destruction. It is also very well written and a joy to read as a piece of literature.
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