The Divine Comedy Reviews

‘Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them. There is no third.’

1. T. S. Eliot

Celebrating one of the greatest classics of world literature, this exquisite edition features Robin Kirkpatrick’s acclaimed translation, written in three-line rhyming stanzas to follow Dante’s terza rima scheme. From the earliest manuscripts, a tradition of illustration has surrounded The Divine Comedy and Neil Packer has created illustrations for all 100 cantos, drawing out details from the text. Packer’s work draws on diverse influences including English woodblock prints from the 1930s, North African designs and Art Deco, and it extends to exquisite hand-drawn lettering and a striking binding design. A specially commissioned essay by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Jhumpa Lahiri, completes this extraordinary edition. Written in 33 passages, mirroring the cantos, her thoughts range from film to numerology in an entertaining and absorbing piece.