Inferno

I've read numerous translations of Dante's Inferno and this, by far, is the BEST one! Absolutely spot on in regards to connecting today's world/descriptions to that 700 piece of poetry Brilliance by Dante. Can hardly wait to re-read it and purchase her version of Purgatorio. BRAVA!The only criticism I have is regarding the illustrations. I'm not hating on the artist, but they aren't exactly inspiring. But that's such a minor thing; and this book is not Penthouse or some such.

When I was a senior in high school, I didn't make it through Dante's Inferno. I don't remember which translation it was but it was boring and difficult to wade through. Fast forward 20 years and now I'm teaching Senior English to a group of tweeting, texting, and technology driven high school students with attention spans that are consistent with a tweet's character restrictions. The Inferno is on the syllabus and I wanted to find a translation that was refreshing but not unfaithful, accessible but not simplistic. I took a chance and bought Bang's translation hoping to find what I'd read in the reviews...it is safe to say that Dante is alive and well and INTERESTING! It's fun to read and explain the imagery in class. Students are taken aback by his descriptions and Bang's exacting diction. The best was when we had to figure out what a bitch-kitty was in Canto I. Love it.

Mary Jo Bang has done a first-rate job of bringing Dante into the world as we see it now--the anguish, deceits, miscalculations, sins, anger, envy, lust, greed, self-blindness. And--as with Virgil, Dante's guide--tears all the way down to the frozen ice, the gift of self-betrayal and the betrayal of our brothers and sisters. Read it, cherish it, study it. For those with ears to hear and eyes to see, it will not disappoint.

This is not a replacement for reading a more traditional translation, but it's a twist on Inferno that profs and newbies alike adore. Whether or not you've read Dante, this is an amazing take on a 700-year-old must-read!I'm reading Sayer's, the Hollanders', Pinsky's, and Musa's translations simultaneously with Bang's-- and while the others are vital literary sustenance, Bang's is dessert! And who knows? A few to several hundred years from now, it could be the translation from our time that is referred to as most reflective of this age.

This is a really neat translation! If you're looking for something exact, then this is NOT your copy. If you're looking for something entertaining (it does have modern pop culture references in it, including South Park) then this is perfect for you! It's a great translation, but know that it is not exact, if you're looking for something very scholarly. I read this in my upper level Religion as Literature class, so it is a little bit of both.

WOW! I really hit the jackpot with this impulsive purchase. Our bookclub was looking for a good translation of The Inferno - and happened upon this one. So readable and relevant. Just a fabulous read.

Great modern translation in readable English as spoken nowadays

Mary Jo Bang's translation of the Inferno is a modern "Dolce Stil Novo"--with allusions to contemporary poems and pop culture, it situates the medieval concerns of Dante's characters, both human and infernal, in a thoroughly present-day style. Her version makes a wonderful, often very funny, companion to the more traditional translations of the Commedia.