The Inferno of Dante Alighieri

Publisher and industry reviews

Jacket review

"ON SHAMROCK TEA: 'Ciaran Carson is the circus act of contemporary Irish letters - a double-jointed marvel who defies the narrow, classifying imagination' Guardian

UK Kirkus review

If you have never picked up Dante's Inferno because you assumed it would be heavy going, think again. Ulster poet Ciaran Carson makes the first volume of the Divine Comedy fast-flowing, easy to read and easy to understand. A landmark of world literature, it consists of an imaginary journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven - Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso - through which Dante interprets the nature of human existence. In Inferno Dante is guided through hell by the Roman poet Virgil. It is a harrowing journey with the poet unafraid to use graphic, even grotesque language and imagery to catalogue the punishment meted out there for all possible human sins. This is a mediaeval poem infused by a strong Christian faith about the necessity of refusing sin and dedicating your life to going towards God. But it is also very earthy in acknowledging men's aimless turmoil and restlessness. Dante understands the souls' suffering and their desires, and his pity for their fate is often evident. It is also clear that the poet relishes this opportunity to depict and sit in judgement on some of his enemies from his native Florence. The Italy reflected in Dante's description of hell is a divided country, torn asunder by numerous city states, and with the supporters of the Pope and the supporters of the Emperor at each others' throats. Maybe this theme of sectarianism and Dante's concerns about language, violence and life are what make the grasp of Irish poet Carson on the poem so profoundly intense. It makes it so very clear that this poem of the Middle Ages speaks to a reality that still exists today. (Kirkus UK)