The Divine Comedy (Everyman's Library CLASSICS) Hardcover – International Edition, January 1, 1995

I’ve tried reading The Divine Comedy before but didn’t get that far. I couldn’t even remember which translation it was.Late 2018 I decided it’s about time to revisit this classic so I did a little research. It winds up like most translated classics that the search for a translation involves more reading and research than the actual work. This applies to some of the books in this year’s reading list such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Tolstoy’s War And Peace And Anna Karenina, Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo, Hugo’s Les Miserables, Dostoevsky’s, etc etc.I decided on the Dorothy L Sayers translation for two reasons: She stuck to the terza rima format used by Dante AND she uses archaic language (thou, thine, tee). Unfortunately, the DLS translation was so rich it was difficult to digest. Her version is definitely not a beginner’s Commedia. If anybody would ask me if hers is a version to start Dante, I would suggest reading an accessible translation (such as Ciardi) and come back to DLS which is what eventually happened in my case.I couldn’t finish the DLS and decided to read the Allen Mandelbaum translation instead. As of this time, I’ve finally finished The Inferno. The brilliant thing was after reading a canto from Mandelbaum, I would read the same canto by Ciardi which for me makes for a flat translation. Then when I read DLS, then I realize how brilliant Ms Sayers work is!Now this is not a review of DLS. I found Mandelbaum’s translation poetic and flows better. Ciardi’s advantage is the rhyming scheme but it’s too direct and informal for me (not to offend Ciardi fans but I will probably read his version some day).This edition for the Everyman’s Library is highly recommended. The construction of these books are amazing. Paper and print are high quality. Size is perfect for a hardbound book. These are an affordable way to collect and build a library. Will definitely buy other works from The Everymans Library! I bought a used copy so the dust jacket has a tear along the spine area but I’m not deducting any star because the rest of the book is intact.

This is an excellent poetic translation into English but I feel that it needs to be read bearing in mind the Italianate expressiveness of the original. This book is a very accessible size, and it is wonderful to have 42 of the illustrations by Sandro Botticelli commissioned by Lorenzo de Medici reproduced here. The exquisite draughtsmanship is a pure joy to behold, but some of works have printed with a heavy tone which is not visible on the originals.There are very interesting chronological charts of political and religious events which influenced the life of Dante, and later Botticelli, and a very good explanatory introduction.On the whole this compacted masterpiece of illustration and verse is excellent value for money and deserves a place in anyone's collection.

Son really enjoyed the book. He reads a lot so I've been sending him ones on his to read list.

Our son hates to read, but he wanted this book to compare it to a video game, "Inferno", or something like that. He is enjoying reading the book. I read part, but he absconded with it, so now I'll have to wait until he's finished.

This The Divine Comedy (Everyman's Library Classics) is the book that I should have ordered, not the disgraceful edition The Divine Comedy: Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso which I posted a warning about. This is a beautifully-translated, well-printed example of classically good book-making. And you can get it right now from Amazon UK!

Gorgeous, gorgeous book. Beautiful cloth boards. Amazing illustrations. Not enough of a Dante scholar to comment intelligently on the particular translation, though it appears to be highly-regarded.

The book was supposed to be new , but came with no dust jacket.

Obviously it is a classic, but the translation and the way the publishers have prepared the text is stellar. I highly recommend it.

A good hard-bound edition of a modern translation by Mandelbaum with notes. A pleasure to hold & read.... what's more, for some reason it was cheaper than the paperback on Amazon

A great read.

Dante was an exile in his own time. In his great work, he descends to the underworld where he encounters his poetic hero Virgil who guides him through the circles of Hell, up Mount Purgatory, and to the gates of Paradise, where his role is taken by Dante's vision of the Ideal, Beatrice. In Paradise Dante meets the spirits of the blessed.This is a magnificent work, considered by some the joint centre of the Western Canon along with Shakespeare. It is peerless among works of literature, offering a lifetime of deep reading. Mandelbaum is to be congratulated on producing a direct, lively, musical translation which leads the eye and the mind ever onward. The presentation is first-rate, pleasing to the eye and hard-wearing, and comes with many of Boticelli's illustrations. I have tried and failed with other translations, but Mandelbaum's is eminently readable.

Very good book..... Very good paper quality..... Print quality is very good..... The hard bound cover is exceptionally good.... The book also contains illustrations..... The translation is good and easy to understand.....

Before reading each Canto it helps a great deal if you read the notes to that Canto at the back of the book. Otherwise you won't really understand what he's talking about or referring to.Another thing which annoys me is the many names Dante refers to in the book; of people, places, etc. from that period of time which he lived in and those who were known to him personally. As a reader you can relate very little - unless you're an expert in middle-age Italy.