My thoughts on Dante’s Inferno.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, honestly, other than that I knew it was an Italian book of poetry. At first it was a little difficult to read, and frankly it didn’t get much easier and it made me feel a little stupid at times because of the language it uses. I would read a Canto, see if maybe I understood what it was saying and would read up on what the passage was actually saying and see if I was close to what I thought it was (though I was often wrong). It was worth it though to go back to the Canto and see if I could understand t better after reading about it in layman’s terms.
I thought it was beautiful, much more than I was expecting it to be. The different circles of Hell and their fitting ironic punishments were all very well described and the stories of the souls were heartbreaking (until getting to the lower levels to those who absolutely deserved their fate) and the sense of fear Dante felt when he was face to face with Lucifer was palpable. After the journey through Hell im excited to start Purgatorio and Paradiso and so far, Purgatorio is equally beautiful.
I was also very surprised at how religious the book made me feel. I’m not religious at all, but Inferno made me view Christian perspectives in a new light, and while it certainly didn’t convert me, it was a little comforting to hear about these sinners receiving divine punishment for their deeds. The thought of souls attaining salvation in Purgatorio is exciting, and I honestly can’t wait to read more of it.
