Divine Comedy Read-along Update: Week 3

I’m a few days late with this post, but it’s week three of the 2021 Chapter-a-day Read-along, and we’re twenty-four cantos, or chapters, into Inferno, the first part of Dante’s The Divine Comedy. We’ve only got ten more days in Hell, after which we will accompany Dante into Purgatory. This post gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts, quotes, and questions about the book up to canto twenty-four.

Some Quotes from the Past Week

“The man who lies asleep
will never waken fame, and his desire
and all his life drift past him like a dream,
and the traces of his memory fade from time
like smoke in air, or ripples on a stream.”
– Inferno, Canto XXIV (Ciardi)

“Grizzly turned his talons against Hellken,
locked with him claw to claw above the ditch.

But Hellken was sparrowhawk enough for two
and clawed him well; and ripping one another,
they plunged together into the hot stew.”

– Inferno, Canto XXII (Ciardi)

Where is Dante Now?

Dante and Virgil are in the eighth circle of Hell, the circle of the Frauds, also known as the Malebolge, or “evil ditches.” They are in the seventh bolgia, the ditch of thieves. They have three more bolgias to visit before getting to the ninth circle.

From Twitter

Inferno, Canto XXI, footnote on Dante's tracking of time.#DivineComedyReadalong pic.twitter.com/88q91ZfNqP

— Denise Gorss (@Denise205) January 22, 2021

"To say that Dante is inspired by his Christian faith is to say not nearly enough. The faith is the air he breathes, and the blood that flows in his veins,” Anthony Esolen told me. #books https://t.co/1YfpM1s3yC

— Kevin J. Jones (@kevinjjones) January 21, 2021

Posted this picture on Facebook of these sinners from the Inferno and didn’t know what to think when it asked me to tag friends. #divinecomedyreadalong pic.twitter.com/HQX1afrCmx

— Nick Senger (@nsenger) January 20, 2021

I love the classics and read the entire Comedy in 2019. It's really worth it, better than binging the movies/TV we have today.

"We are living in Dante’s Hell. Here’s our way out" #Dante #divinecomedyreadalong https://t.co/qqSTlUxTOM

— Ron Oltmanns (@ronoltmanns) January 19, 2021

Your Turn

Leave a comment with an insight, question, or favorite line from the past week. Please refrain from any spoilers.