I'm only about a third of the way through, but am really enjoying this book, which I got as a First Reads Giveaway. The thematic structure Shaw uses to organize her explication works very well and is complemented by her skillful interweaving of literary critique and historical analysis. ( )

It would be ridiculous of me to say that this is a great book; I am not competent to judge it. I am confident of saying that this is an extraordinary book that opened my eyes and brain up to experience who Dante was, where he was - geographically and politically (including being involved in the politics of Florence while he and the city-state were buffeted by popes and Holy Roman Emperors - how he came to write the epic The Commedia (commonly called The Divine Comedy), and what this extraordinary 14,000 line poem is about. I knew nothing of any of these aspects of the poem, place or man, and Prue Shaw has made all available to me as I never could have on my own. ( )

Wonderful introduction to the most beautiful book ever written, Dante Alighieri's Divina Commedia. Prue Shaw (° 1949) is an internationally recognized Dante specialist, with a long track record (particularly at the University College of London), as this introduction definitely shows. Shaw gets off to a slow start, especially as she first has to outline the extremely complicated political context of Florence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, a necessary condition for understanding everything about Dante. But luckily she limits herself to the bare essentials. I previously read the recently published 'Dante, A Life' by Alessandro Barbero, which is a creditable biography, but far too academic, barely going into the substantive side of Dante's work.

With Shaw, that substantive side is central to her introduction. And she rightly does not shy away from using the big words to underline the poetic, philosophical and spiritual power of the Divina Commedia. What struck me most was the insight into how much Dante deviated from the literary practice of the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance to speak in allegories and introduce symbolic figures such as Avarice, Lust, etc. On the contrary, through the three books of the Divina Commedia Dante constantly speaks with concrete historical people, illustrating and weighing up the uniqueness of human actions in a concrete setting: “This sensitivity to the uniqueness of every individual is reflected in the portrayal of the characters in the poem. A delicate balance is constantly maintained in the Commedia between the analytic impulse that establishes a system and the appreciation of every nuance of differentiation between people.” It is precisely this uniqueness that gives the human figures an extra tragic or exalted dimension.

One small criticism of Shaw's book is that she tries a little too much to prove that Dante incorporated many insights into the Divina Commedia that have now been confirmed by modern scholarship. I even doubt her claims, such as that the numerology used by Dante (especially around the number 3), is perfectly in line with the insights of modern biology. For me this is not necessary, Dante's work has its own value, regardless of its scientific relevance.

Reading Dante, especially the Divina Commedia, remains a challenge, even after finishing Shaw's book. But it is so rewarding. Even after the umpteenth reading, it still fills my soul, and it even reconciles me largely with the deficiencies in the human condition. If this isn't great literature, I don't know what is. Thanks Prue Shaw for highlighting this once again. ( )

2019
https://www.librarything.com/topic/312033#6993843 ( )

*I won this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. In no way has this influenced my rating or opinion of this book. Thank you to Goodreads and to Prue Shaw for the opportunity.*

Let me start by saying that I have never been a HUGE lover of poetry. Now you may ask yourself "why did I enter to win this book then?" That would be because I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I am glad I did. I truly believe that the reason for my lack of joy regarding poetry has been because I have not understood it. Prue Shaw not only explained Dante's poetry in a way that I could understand, she also added in a lot of rich history behind it to make it more understandable. I am a huge lover of history, so this helped to bridge the gap for me and brought me into the realm of poetry gently. I also appreciated her quotes in Italian and then the translation into English. This helped me to see the beauty to not only the poetry, but the language as well. It was quite obvious that Prue Shaw really knows not only her poetry, but Dante in particular. I have to admit, this was a REALLY slow read for me. Only because I wanted to make sure I was understanding what I was reading. This was a little above my education level. But once I slowed down, I was able to absorb the knowledge and understand it as well. I will be holding on to this book and re-reading it down the road. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history or poetry or both! ( )