Dante's Purgatorio (the Divine Comedy, Volume 2, Purgatory) | 
pick• 544 pages • first pub 1472 • fiction • classics • poetry • challenging • reflective • slow-paced • 5 Stars
We know what happens in Hell.. But what about Purgatory Dante's Inferno revealed some titillating details about the punishments inflicted on sinners - but in a way, we already knew what happens to people in Hell. ⬇️
The power that perceives the course of time
is not the power that captures all the mind;
the former has no force — the latter binds.
Purgatorio Canto IV (1-12)
Four great events surrounding recent NYRB Classics next week. Half of these are free. I signed up for 3, but am honestly interested in all of them:
https://www.ptreyesbooks.com/event/nathaniel-rich-and-chris-jennings
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dm-black-robert-chandler-and-giovanna-di-ceglie-o...
pickDante continues to obsess on repulsion over Pope Boniface VIII. My takeaway is Boniface was to his era what Trump is to ours. Telescoping back 700 years it all seems a bit humorous. Seriously though, Purgatorio offers beautiful glimmers of life, material life and spiritual life. Onwards (upwards?) to Paradise next week!
#classics
Midway through Puragtorio, therefore midway through The Divine Comedy
I see why this poem has lasted through the years, there's a lot here to unpack. So far, it keeps getting better as it goes along.
Picture is from the web.
Quote is from Canto XVII.
#dante
“Having left the Inferno behind, Dante announces his intention to sing of the second kingdom, Purgatory, and calls upon the Muses, in particular Calliope, to accompany his song. #FirstLineFridays
#QuotsyJan21 Day 15: #Hesitate - tagging @Tk-421 here.
Thanks for the tag @marleed !! #judge2020bythecover
Hmm what does your calendar look like @Librarybelle @DebinHawaii and anyone else who feels like being tagged?
pickI‘m oddly empty of an overall response to this, despite 8 weeks of reading, taking extensive notes and thoroughly enjoying the ritual of it. Maybe I lost something wading through Lethe too. Not sure. Dante, in the hands of the Hollander‘s, is gentle, exceptionally sophisticated, a touch heretical, playful and human despite his better inclinations. His lengthy purification is not so vivid as Inferno, but still he essentially defines this place.
🦥❤️ “a love of good that falls short of its duty”
I just passed the halfway point of the entire Comedy, and I‘m where pretty sure this is where Dante would have me spend most of my afterlife. ... But, it‘s not a pleasant place.
Enjoying this, in Canto VI now. Sensing a Shakespeare-like feel in lines 124-6 (the pup is only included for entertainment value)
Fun fact - it‘s not clear what Marcellus Dante was referring to. There are at least two possibilities- one who railed against Caesar (c50 bce) and one who fought Hannibal (c220 bce)
Meant to start this on Friday. Actually opened my notebook yesterday and wrote the date, but that was all. Failed again this morning. Maybe this afternoon I can finally get going...
It is impossible to overstate the importance of a good translation in literature, especially poetry. This is no less true for epics, which tend to be more narrative driven. It is unfortunate that Purgatorio has been overshadowed by Inferno. WS Merwin's version contains heart stopping lines of lyrical elegance & emotional profundity, on par with the riches that Inferno provides. There is, sadly, no masterpiece translation of Paradiso. 👇
pickThe Florentine cats are pleased I finally finished The Divine Comedy. I would maybe read Inferno again, but with a lot of notes, and ideally in a class. Feel like there was so much I missed in this poem but overall I think worth an attempt. #litsyclassics
Doing a bit of crocheting while trying to make my way through Purgatory. #audiocrocheting (not actually talented enough to read a hard copy while crafting) #litsyclassics
One of my planned #litsyclassics this year, which is definitely a bit outside my comfort zone (poetry). But still looking forward to the journey between Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. #heaven and #hell #augustisatrip @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkois88
So as I added 4 new Oxford classics to my shelf today I realised I have quite the collection growing... I never thought much of it, but now that they require their own shelf 🤔☺📚... and my friend returned The Tell-Tale Heart this morning, so my Penguin Little Black Classics are complete again 💙💜❤
Ah, it is hard to speak of what it was,
that savage forest, dense and difficult,
which even in recall renews my fear:
so bitter — death is hardly more severe!
Nothing like discovering the explanatory notes in the back when I'm on page 278... #nowiknow #wishitwassooner
I'm not sure which is worse... 😅
The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.
Can anyone recommend a good version of The Divine Comedy? I thought I had it on my shelves but apparently not (how did that happen?) so it's a chance to get a hold of a decent translation (English or Spanish). Thanks!
My husband and I finally got a weekend off together so we took a mini vacation to Monterey, California. Little did I know, the Museum of Monterey had a Salvador Dali exhibit with over 200 original pieces! This nerd was in heaven! This is Dali's illustrated Divine Comedy. Breathtaking, bizarre, beautiful. #art #books #illustration #dali
Showing off my main #bookmark ! Got this HANDY little thing at my vice store, Barnes & Noble. 👉🏼 I love this concept because in a text as long and winding as the Divine Comedy, finding your place after a rude interruption is worth every penny. Happy #booktober everyone! 🎃🔮🌙📚 #classics #halloween #barnesandnoble
MY DOG DECIDED SHE LIKED THIS BOOK AS MUCH AS I DO. #dogsoflitsy. 😭 #classics #classicsarekillingme #dante #divinecomedy #dogshaming
pickThis annotated edition is amazing. If you're interested in The Divine Comedy but unsure if you can handle it, then read this one, translated by J.G. Nichols
Purgatory is a place to work through - no one gets stuck there forever. The souls in Dante's Purgatory must climb up seven terraces on Mount Purgatory before they can reach Heaven. 1mo