The Complete Danteworlds: A Reader's Guide to the Divine Comedy

Raffe's Reader's Guide to Dante's Divine Commedia (Inferno, Purgatoria, Paradiso) is much better than books that just provide footnotes to obscure words. I've been teaching Inferno for 15 years and reading it for 20 years and it is the most informative guide I have yet to study. Raffe provides insights into the politics and Christian meanings Dante poet infers, and the minor characters Dante character experiences. Include it in your world of all things Dante!

Dante Alghieri's Divine Comedy is one of the great classics of world literature, and a personal favorite of mine. Unfortunately, unless the reader is familiar with the Bible, Christian theology, classical mythology, and medieval Italian politics, he is going to miss many of the allusions in this great poem. Of course, it is possible to enjoy reading the Divine Comedy without knowing very much about all the people Dante encounters but it is so much better if you have a guide with you, as Dante had Virgil. The Complete DanteWorlds by Guy P. Raffa is the perfect guide to the Divine Comedy. In this adaptation of his website, Raffa takes the reader through each section of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, explaining who every person or creature Dante encounters is and every allusion made in his poem. He clarifies some of the more obscure points in the poem and generally greatly enriches the experience of reading Dante. Don't go to Hell without it!

Guy Raffa’s The Complete Danteworlds is an excellent entry text for coming to terms with the forbidding world of Medieval Florentine/Italian history and politics as well as an excellent book for explaining Dante’s Divine Comedy. It appears to have been written with educators, high school teachers at least, in mind, for at the end of each chapter there are a list of study questions. The writing is clear but occasionally condescending—there are several instance in which Mr. Raffa speaks down to the reader by offering information on biblical references that anyone with a passing acquaintance of Western intellectual history would have, or could easily look up. For this reason this book has lost one star in its rating. There may, of course, be those who miss these references but how could they be interested in Dante? Personal opinion, but, really, how can you be interested in the Divine Comedy without at least an intellectual interest in religion? Excepting the above, mild, criticism this is an excellent work and a very good entry point for any reader interested in digging deeper into Dante than the text. Rating 4 out of 5 stars

I have had multiple friends who are interested in reading the Divine Comedy. This is one of the first books I give them. There are many good sources to assist you as you work your way through the Divine Comedy. This is one of the best. Even if you have read Dante in the past, this is definitely worth reading. My copy is so tatered from referencing it that I am believe I am going to have to get another copy soon.

If you're delving into Dante's Comedy, this book is essential. I recommend this book be read in tandem with Joseph Gallagher's "A Modern Reader's Guide to Dante's The Divine Comedy." Both Raffa and Gallagher offer brilliant and insightful background information about the person, life, and mind of Dante.

Two years ago, I thought it high time to undertake Dante's Commedia. Having a doctorate in philosophy, and more recently having steeped myself in Classical Literature and Mythology, I was still insufficiently girded to proceed beyond the first few Cantos. Flipping through critical books on the library's shelves, I encountered Raffa's book along with two others and headed home. Within days, it was immediately apparent that THIS was THE book I myself needed to catapult myself over whatever obstacles which I had perceived there to be. Indeed I purchased a copy through Amazon of which I made photocopies of a few pages for a young student. Next I purchased for him his own copy. At the same time,I had ordered another book by a notable and widely respected academic company; it was a compilation of essays about Dante, his life, his time, his sources and his legacy. Raffa's book, however, rendered Dante accessible for the beginning student. I recommend it highly. R. A. Sheehan, Ph.D.

I'm fairly knowledgeable on the Bible and English Medieval History but do not have a strong background in Greek/Roman mythology nor Medieval Italian history so a reader's guide was imperative to make sense of Dante's Divine Comedy. I don't have another product to compare the Raffa Reader's Guide to but I was completely satisfied with the much needed assistance this provided.

This is the sparknotes type of guide that every English teacher should use for their class as it goes through the entire work and not just the first third. It breaks down each book into easily comprehensible sections of cantos, a must for understanding for sure. I recommend this title for use along with Dante in absolute spades.

A must buy for anyone reading Dante's ' Devine Comedy'. Excellent

Although it’s not entertaining to read, this is one of the most accessible and helpful books for the general public readers of Dante’ DC that i’ve read so far. It might be good to read Divine Comedy accompanying with this book as a reference.