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. ( )

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! ( )

This book provides a good insight to Dante's Commedia. It gives background information and informs the modern reader of facts that Dante's contemporaries would have known. Ms. Shaw divides her book not according to chapters or stanzas, but, rather, according to themes, such as love, power, words, etc. I am uncertain whether to recommend reading it before, during or after reading the Commedia. I think it would be best to do all three. Reading it first provides the background information to understand some of the situations described. While reading the Commedia, among the information in the other chapters, the list of characters (Dramatis Personae) is a good reference tool. When finished reading the Commedia, this book clarifies some of the scenes and their meanings. I have not been compensated in any way (other than being given a copy of this book to review, for which I am grateful) and my opinion on the book is entirely my own. ( )