Monday, July 23, 2018

Purgatorio

PurgatorioPurgatorio by Dante Alighieri, translated by Jean Hollander and Robert Hollander, 759 pages

In the second part of the Divine Comedy, the pilgrim Dante ascends the Mount of Purgatory in the company of his guide, Virgil, encountering the souls of the blessed dead being purified of their sins while being purified himself, made ready for Beatrice and Heaven.

The Hollanders' translation is serviceable if unspectacular, but where this edition really shines is in the notes, surpassing the expected biographical, historical, and theological explanations by drawing upon the centuries of interpretation and commentary that Dante has inspired.

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