Review: Hell Hath No Fury

The Divine Comedy: Inferno

Dante Alighieri

295 pp.

Modern Library Edition  1996

ISBN 0-679-60209-7

If hell is anything like Dante’s Inferno, I definitely don’t want to go. I don’t want to burn for all eternity anyway, but in this allegory and tale of immorality, hell is a cyclical walk down too long a fiery road.

In this classic and well-loved poem, Dante finds he’s gone from the “straight way” of salvation and into the throws of human worldliness. With this straying comes an awakening of his wrong and his desire to get back on the path of righteousness. As his journey begins, he ruminates on his falling away and is joined by the Roman poet Virgil. The poet guides Dante through a series of nine circles of hell, each populated with its own ghastly hordes. The two meet a host of damned souls from sinners who have committed “minor” offenses like lukewarm stances on good and evil to those devoured by their sins such as fraud and hypocrisy. Each circle is broken into several smaller circles with descriptions structured through cantos, making for long journey from the darkness to the light.

While Inferno boasts some powerful imagery (e.g. the High Priest Ciaphas is crucified lying down so others can walk all over him, symbolizing the weight of universal sin as well as a representation of Christ’s crucifixion) and is a stand out commentary about maintaining spiritual salvation while living in a an immoral world, I drowned in the construction of the text. I remembered why I didn’t care for Beowulf. Poetry in this long form makes for trudging and gaps for lapses in attention. I read the Modern Library Edition with over 290 pages worth of text and annotations. I’m not sure if that makes any difference. I attempted to read as much as I could between the poem and the annotations, but found myself floundering in the rhythm. That made it difficult to visualize the ever damning environment; it was at times overwhelming to digest. The premise is amazing. The questions it raises are poignant. The packaging was its downfall for me. Maybe I’ll read it in another format or from another edition. Maybe my review will change. Or maybe not. Either way, here’s to staying on the straight and narrow and avoiding the fiery pit.

Share your thoughts below. (There’s nothing like the exchange of ideas.) Keep in touch and join me Saturday, May 13 for ruminations on Poul Anderson’s 1972 classic, There Will Be Time. I can’t wait to share with you!