(no subject)

[zana16]

I've been reading The Dante Club and now want to re-read the Divine Comedy. Problem being, my books are in my dad's attic, and not only is my dad not home, I'm also fighting with him.

Today I sent a very cute, cheerful card to him that opens up to say "Just wanted to let you know I'm still mad at you." Passive aggressive R Us! He's going to want to talk about it, but I don't want to talk about it; the only way to make it right is for him to quit being a jerk, and that's not going to happen. Em suggested the card, and if there was a slightly hysterical edge to my laughter, she was kind enough to ignore it.

So. No Dante, because I don't remember which translation we used when I read it at college, and I really liked the translation. I did email the Western Classics professor -- not that he'll remember me, it was nine years ago and I was an average student at best in his class -- but he was a technophobe then and I'll bet he still is.

Comments

[ambermoon.livejournal.com]

We took that class together, and I bet I can find my books before David Ball gets back to you :)

(As I recall there were two translators - a former poet laureate did Inferno, then we were stuck with a very literal, dry translation of the remaining volumes. Best literary insult ever came from Prof. Ball - he said, "The only way you can tell it's poetry is that the lines don't go to the edge of the page.")

[zana16.livejournal.com]

Oh! Would you? *puppydog eyes*

Former poet laureate... that probably narrows it down. Google has not rendered me a comprehensive list of all translations, but presumably it's well-known.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

I recommend the Mandelbaum translation. His Ovid is also good.

[zana16.livejournal.com]

I've never read Ovid. Perhaps I will!

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

I love the Metamorpises, but its a lot of nymphs being chased and their virtue saved when they are turned into trees or birds.

[zana16.livejournal.com]

Do they ever get to change back??

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

No, but them seem very happy to be trees and birds... I think.

[zana16.livejournal.com]

Happy-happy, or happy-to-have-their-virute-saved? Or perhaps there is not a distinction.

It'd been cool to be a bird, depending on the type of bird.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

iirc they poem cuts away from them as soon as they are saved. So who knows?

[erushi.livejournal.com]

I love 'The Dante Club'. I think it's quite possibly my favourite of Pearl's books thus far. Have you read the others?

Seconding the Mandelbaum version too, by the by. Though I might be biased, since that's the one I have back home. *g*

[zana16.livejournal.com]

I've gone ahead and ordered the Mandelbaum version. :)

I haven't read any of his others. I just picked this up at the library by accident, actually, because I have a copy of The Club Dumas and have been meaning to read it for ages. I saw this on tape at the library and for some reason didn't take in the different title, and figured I could listen to it on my ipod. Best library mistake I've made lately!

[erushi.livejournal.com]

Now that is the kind of library mistake I like. *g*

I adore 'The Club Dumas' too. Start reading it, shoo! It's so much better than its film counterpart, 'The Ninth Gate'. Mind, I love the film too - it has Johnny Depp as Coros, and Roman Polanski as its director, so you should watch it for its own merits *g* - but the film's just different and so much less think-y.

(Now you know just how I ramble on and on when I get excited about books. *g*)