12 years to write? I guess so, its an intricately woven piece that I will never have the pleasure of in Italian.
This 1948 version is the one to have for the Dore works alone and as I say for the translation there must be better out there.
Two primary take a ways for me: 1 there is a special place in Hell for Fraudsters (politicians)
and 2. The concept of "free will" as the single most exalted gift from God.
Half way thru I read the companion and of course it is a requirement with anything this old.
The Digital Dante is also a great resource
Fantastic copy I have that most assuredly was never read completely by anyone but me, and lets face the last third is real work to stay with.
Illustrated by Dore it has all the classic style rendering and is well worth it for them alone. I suspect there are better translations however I admit that with out the companion I would be lost.
We know the Inferno because its the most fun part, Purgatory and Paradiso are progressively less titillating. Paradiso is an amazing scaling of Love, more Love and even more Love.
So we go down, down, down, and then up, up, up.
Fraud:
I love this one, Dante was very specific about the multiple types of Frauds.
They fall under various categories but are just Misrepresentations of the facts for personal gain.
A description of all media personalities
Love this quote:
My master said, for neither upon down nor under coverlets, men come to fame;
Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individuals recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.
Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.
Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
I'm convinced that a different reading of it every year for the rest of my life might get all of the concepts more firmly understood?
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