The Inferno Audiobook By Dante, Robert Hollander - translator, Jean Hollander - translator cover art

The Inferno

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The Inferno

By: Dante, Robert Hollander - translator, Jean Hollander - translator
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
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The epic grandeur of Dante's masterpiece has inspired readers and listeners for 700 years and has entered the human imagination. But the further we move from the late medieval world of Dante, the more a rich understanding and enjoyment of the poem depends on knowledgeable guidance. Robert Hollander, a renowned scholar and master teacher of Dante, and Jean Hollander, an accomplished poet, have written a beautifully accurate and clear verse translation of the first volume of Dante's epic poem, the Divine Comedy. Featuring the original Italian text opposite the translation, this edition also offers an extensive and accessible introduction and generous commentaries that draw on centuries of scholarship as well as Robert Hollander's own decades of teaching and research. The Hollander translation is the new standard in English of this essential work of world literature.

©2017 Translation copyright 2017 by Robert Hollander and Jean Hollander (P)2017 Random House Audio Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature Classics Epic European Poetry Themes & Styles World Literature Middle Ages Italy

Critic reviews

"A distinguished act of poetry and scholarship in one and the same breath, the Hollander Dante, among the strong translations of the poet, deserves to take its own honored place." (Robert Fagles)
"This new version of the Inferno wonderfully captures the concision, directness, and pungency of Dante's style. Like a mirror, it reflects with clarity and precision the Italian original. Each canto's set of copious, authoritative notes complements the facing-page Italian and English translation. A grand achievement." (Richard Lansing, professor of Italian and comparative literature, Brandeis University)
"English-speaking lovers of Dante are doubly in the Hollanders' debt: first, for this splendidly lucid and eminently readable version of Dante's Hell, and second, for the provocative, elegantly-written commentary, which judiciously synthesizes a lifetime of deeply engaged, wide ranging scholarship, as well as the past six centuries of commentary on the poem. No student of Dante would want to be without it." (John Ahern, Antolini Professor of Italian literature, Vassar College)
Perfect Pacing • Vivid Imagery • Theological Profundity • Timeless Classic • Engaging Narration • Credible Horror
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This camp Inferno has everything you could wish for: rhythm, immediacy, variety of voice, and credible horror held within heartfelt faith. When will the final two sections be given to us?

It doesn’t get worse…andthat’s a marvelous thing!

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I enjoyed both the narration and the story! I’m looking to listen to more of the Divine Comedy!

Well Narrated

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Friends, allow me to commend to your thoughtful consideration Inferno by Dante Alighieri—an enduring classic not merely of literary greatness, but of theological and philosophical profundity. I did not select this work out of mere curiosity or because of its revered status in the canon of Western literature. I chose it because I sensed, rightly, that it held weight for my Christian formation. And having now read it, I am convinced it speaks with startling relevance to the moral and spiritual crisis of our times.

Dante’s descent through the tiers of hell is more than a dramatic journey—it is a mirror held up to the human soul. Even if Dante’s precise cosmology may be speculative, even if certain elements are bound to his time and place, the overarching message remains unflinching and true: there is a hell. Christ Himself, in the fullness of truth and grace, affirmed its reality. And in an age dulled by moral relativism, we are in desperate need of reminders that eternity is no metaphor. It is the great frontier of consequence.

Reading this book, I found myself often arrested—not by fear alone, but by conviction. Each circle of punishment brought to mind the sober reality of sin’s final trajectory. And more than that, it stirred in me the question that should haunt every rational person: Am I living in such a way that my soul is being formed for heaven or for hell?

We know that salvation is the work of grace. The sufficiency and merit is Christ’s alone, made ours through His atonement. But that does not mean we are passive spectators. No—the call is to repentance, to resistance against the darkness within and without, to the diligent pursuit of holiness. There is effort to be made, and not just casual effort, but urgent striving, as one who knows what is at stake. Hell is not merely a doctrine—it is a reality to be shunned with everything in us.

Inferno has etched into my spirit a renewed sense of vigilance. I appreciated, deeply, its unflinching depiction of judgment. It spoke not to my intellect only, but to my soul. I am grateful for the discomfort it stirred. It reminded me that conviction is a gift—a warning light that keeps the soul from ruin.

Let us not take lightly what Christ died to save us from. Let us, with all sincerity and holy determination, resist sin, cleave to the Savior, and walk circumspectly in this brief life we are given. If Dante’s Inferno helps awaken that resolve, then it is a book well worth reading—again and again.

Inferno by Dante Alighieri

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Smooth and beautifully written such art and rawness from this performance. Cant wait for the next installment

Perfect

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This is my first time listening to this as an audiobook and I must admit that I was thoroughly impressed — the The presentation of each of the different cantos really brings to life and captures the imagery that Dante wants to convey to the reader. Dante had such a limited space per-line that at times you can only imagine what he was actually trying to describe is just a pin drop in the ocean of imagery left on explained. (or Canto-nized) Bought this for my mother to listen to and the way the narrator talks should be perfect for her to be able to enjoy this amazing title but to absorb the dense meaning Dante wishes to convey to all of us readers/listeners! Much love, always!

Dante

Loved the narration & how the author presented it.

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I’ve read it twice and it’s beautifully written. I wish there was a narration of each chapter.

Masterpiece!

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The pacing of the reading was perfect and the narrator's voice was the perfect pairing for the story.

Excellent narrator

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I wish they included the annotations from the authors from the original physical copy. This is a major detriment to an otherwise fantastic and complete presentation.

Great narrator

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This is exactly what I had expected from a fairly direct translation of the great tragedy.

Stupendous rendition of a timeless classic.

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This translation is the best I’ve read, faithful to the Italian and yet poetic. The narrator speaks clearly and with good rhythm, and he doesn’t overdo it. I would highly recommend combining this with the excellent notes to be found in the printed edition of the book, if you haven’t read it before; you really can’t understand the poem without explanation. But if, like me, you’ve studied the poem before, it is enjoyable just to listen without the temptation of flipping to the back for the notes.

Well read, easy to understand

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