--- product_id: 4846076 title: "The Divine Comedy, Part 1: Hell (Penguin Classics)" price: "€ 34.92" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.at/products/4846076-the-divine-comedy-part-1-hell-penguin-classics store_origin: AT region: Austria --- # The Divine Comedy, Part 1: Hell (Penguin Classics) **Price:** € 34.92 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Divine Comedy, Part 1: Hell (Penguin Classics) - **How much does it cost?** € 34.92 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.at](https://www.desertcart.at/products/4846076-the-divine-comedy-part-1-hell-penguin-classics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The first volume of Dante's Divine Comedy Guided by the poet Virgil, Dante plunges to the very depths of Hell and embarks on his arduous journey towards God. Together they descend through the nine circles of the underworld and encounter the tormented souls of the damned - from heretics and pagans to gluttons, criminals and seducers - who tell of their sad fates and predict events still to come in Dante’s life. In this first part of his Divine Comedy, Dante fused satire and humour with intellect and soaring passion to create an immortal Christian allegory of mankind’s search for self-knowledge and spiritual enlightenment. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Review: Fine translation, superb commentary - I "cut my teeth" on the John Ciardi translation of the Divine Comedy, and I still like it very much. In a college course on Dante, we were required to read this Dorothy Sayers translation. I still enjoy Ciardi, and find his translation at times to be, let's say, earthier, and perhaps more in the spirit of the original. (Canto XV, line 114 is a good example for comparison--Ciardi's is delightedly literal, with a naughty footnote. Even here, though, Sayers echoes the Italian "nervi" with "enervated." See also the last line of Canto XXI.) Sayers, like Ciardi, maintains Dante's terza rima scheme, which is a difficult thing to pull off in English. Her style is a bit more elegant, perhaps a shade more Victorian, than Ciardi's. At times she veers euphemistic, as mentioned above. In many passages the two are quite equal in their achievement. I prefer Sayers' Canto I to Ciardi's. Your taste may vary. But this edition is a must-have for a student of Dante, above all, for its introductory essay and running commentary. Unlike Ciardi, Sayers was a Christian believer of great theological acumen (an Anglican with Catholic sympathies), and her take on Dante has all the more ring of authenticity than provided by a few bawdy lines about backsides and private parts. Her treatment of symbolism and of the allegorical levels (including her category of "Greater Images") is extremely illuminating. Re-reading this after decades, I appreciate how much of my Dante course was in the Sayers school of thought. Another good feature is the running captioning at the top of every page. One has canto, circle, class of sin, summary of action, and timeline (So: "Canto VII, Circle IV, The Hoarders and Spendthrifts--Pluto; The Grim Jousts--Good Friday Night.") Very helpful! Sayers really understands "where Dante's coming from," leaving my old Ciardi version, for all its verbal crispness and bodily frankness, feeling a little flat at the end of the day. John Ciardi taught poetry at Rutgers and was poetry editor of the Saturday Review. Dorothy Sayers is famous for her Lord Peter Wimsey novels (like "The Nine Tailors"). Either of their translations will give you an excellent English introduction to *the* literary masterpiece of the second millennium. Sayers takes the prize, hands down, for introductory matter and commentary. For sheer linguistic skill, I might call it a tie. If you want the grotesqueries in full Anglo-Saxon glory, keep Ciardi handy. Review: Durable, easy to store - This isn't about the contents of this book. Plenty of other places you can get that info. This review is about this version/printing. Good student version. Uncoated paper for pages, decent font size, lightweight binding. It'll last the semester. You won't wince at the price if you need to recycle at the end of school year. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #214,724 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #219 in Ancient & Classical Poetry #265 in Epic Poetry (Books) #5,437 in Classic Literature & Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 147 Reviews | ## Images ![The Divine Comedy, Part 1: Hell (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81T1dXRDdYL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fine translation, superb commentary *by J***L on August 11, 2023* I "cut my teeth" on the John Ciardi translation of the Divine Comedy, and I still like it very much. In a college course on Dante, we were required to read this Dorothy Sayers translation. I still enjoy Ciardi, and find his translation at times to be, let's say, earthier, and perhaps more in the spirit of the original. (Canto XV, line 114 is a good example for comparison--Ciardi's is delightedly literal, with a naughty footnote. Even here, though, Sayers echoes the Italian "nervi" with "enervated." See also the last line of Canto XXI.) Sayers, like Ciardi, maintains Dante's terza rima scheme, which is a difficult thing to pull off in English. Her style is a bit more elegant, perhaps a shade more Victorian, than Ciardi's. At times she veers euphemistic, as mentioned above. In many passages the two are quite equal in their achievement. I prefer Sayers' Canto I to Ciardi's. Your taste may vary. But this edition is a must-have for a student of Dante, above all, for its introductory essay and running commentary. Unlike Ciardi, Sayers was a Christian believer of great theological acumen (an Anglican with Catholic sympathies), and her take on Dante has all the more ring of authenticity than provided by a few bawdy lines about backsides and private parts. Her treatment of symbolism and of the allegorical levels (including her category of "Greater Images") is extremely illuminating. Re-reading this after decades, I appreciate how much of my Dante course was in the Sayers school of thought. Another good feature is the running captioning at the top of every page. One has canto, circle, class of sin, summary of action, and timeline (So: "Canto VII, Circle IV, The Hoarders and Spendthrifts--Pluto; The Grim Jousts--Good Friday Night.") Very helpful! Sayers really understands "where Dante's coming from," leaving my old Ciardi version, for all its verbal crispness and bodily frankness, feeling a little flat at the end of the day. John Ciardi taught poetry at Rutgers and was poetry editor of the Saturday Review. Dorothy Sayers is famous for her Lord Peter Wimsey novels (like "The Nine Tailors"). Either of their translations will give you an excellent English introduction to *the* literary masterpiece of the second millennium. Sayers takes the prize, hands down, for introductory matter and commentary. For sheer linguistic skill, I might call it a tie. If you want the grotesqueries in full Anglo-Saxon glory, keep Ciardi handy. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Durable, easy to store *by P***O on May 1, 2026* This isn't about the contents of this book. Plenty of other places you can get that info. This review is about this version/printing. Good student version. Uncoated paper for pages, decent font size, lightweight binding. It'll last the semester. You won't wince at the price if you need to recycle at the end of school year. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Book & Great Translation! *by H***N on April 15, 2015* With the exception of the Holy Bible, this is by far one of the greatest books that I have ever read! Dorothy Sayers translation is incredible and she offers tremendous insight into Florentine & Papal history explanations of Dante's writing and also of history of Beatrice and Dante himself and provides much needed background to enjoy this timeless classic of the Western Canon. It is also easy to understand why Dante ranks high up in Western Canonical literature along with Virgil and Homer. What made the book enjoyable also was that, prior to purchase, I viewed online documentaries about Dante's Inferno which is what I would recommend but even then, you will not anticipate all of the actions of the book. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Divine Comedy, Part 1: Hell (Penguin Classics) - The Divine Comedy, Part 3: Paradise (Penguin Classics) - The Divine Comedy, Part 2: Purgatory (Penguin Classics) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.at/products/4846076-the-divine-comedy-part-1-hell-penguin-classics](https://www.desertcart.at/products/4846076-the-divine-comedy-part-1-hell-penguin-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart Austria* *Store origin: AT* *Last updated: 2026-06-04*