Mandlebaum's verse is beautiful: he manages to keep up an iambic 11-syllable line throughout the work--just like Dante. If you can bear his comically pedantic and effete introduction, his notes are very thorough(they even point out the location of the epigraph to "Proufrock"). This edition has the Italian on the opposite side of every page as well, so it will doubtless be useful to those lucky enough to be able to read Dante in the "linguo volgro". Plus, this edition has pictures too! How many other editions (save those with Dore's work) give you a PICTURE of Cerebrus?

The Circles of hell come to life in this verse translation by Allen Mendelbaum. Mendelbaum won a National Book Award for his translation of "The Aeneid of Virgil", and his translation of Dante's Inferno is equally superb.

The format of the book is italian and english, with translated pages on the opposite of the italian verses. There are some great illustations throughout the book, but it is the imagery created in your head that makes this such a great read.

Highly recommended. I have read other translated versions of Inferno, and this is by far the best I have read so far. An excellent book.

Of course, you need not be convinced of the beauty of the Divine Comedy. No doubt, you already know of Dante's wondrous description of his metaphorical road to happiness, which necessitated a dredging through the lowest the Earth could offer, in the Inferno. The Purgatorio then cleanses Dante from the unbearable heat and filth of Hell, and brings him thoughts of his Love, Beatrice. Finally, Dante is saved in the Paradiso, where he finds the lighted path after his hero, the poet Virgil, guides him through most of the first two books. If you cannot read Renaissance Italian, Mandelbaum's translation shall bring you as close to the author's words as one could hope. Most importantly, meaning from the original version of the Comedy is retained. Mandelbaum has not overlooked Dante's seemingly minor word choices, which upon examination, illustrate the intricacies of the author's purpose. The "minor" word choices turn out to be crucial for a complete understanding of the great Italian epic. Let Mandelbaum show you Dante's Divine Comedy as Dante wrote it.

Paradiso is another good book in the Divine Comedy trilogy. However most people never get past Inferno. The first two are good, and Paradiso most definetly holds up to its counterparts. I would also like to add that Allen Mandelbaum does an excellent job translating the Divine Comedy, as well as the Aeneid of Virgil. Paradiso, translated by Mandelbaum is easy to read, and very poetic. I am sure it is just how Dante himself would have written it, had he written the Divine Comedy in english.

For those who are unaware, Purgatorio is the second part of Dante's Divine Comedy. After reading the Inferno, this book continues Dante's journey. Similar to the Inferno, Dante is accompanied by his guide, the great poet, Virgil. Also similar to the inferno, the two have to travel through different levels of this part of the afterlife and once again encounter the ironic tourtures faces by sinners. This book also comes with a map which can help a reader follow the path folled by the two men. Very helpful. It would be a good idea to first read The Inferno, in order to fully understand what is happening. Overall, the book is very deep, but fortunately this version comes with a terrific collection of notes which can be used to better understand the passages written in foriegn languages, and also helps us to understand the many characters discovered in this journey. A must for almost any reader. I hope this was helpful, but if it wasn't, I appologize for the time you wasted reading it. Purgatorio won't be such a waste. Enjoy.

I'm sorry I must disagree with all other reviewers on this edition. First of all let me quickly say I'm not really rating Ovid, but this specific translation. Don't be fooled by the book cover, which is a rather handsome one. This edition is missing something! The translation seems all right, at times it rhymes, but I'm no judge of that for I've never read Ovid in it's original Latin text (I can't read Latin!). Anyway, the edition lacks any annotation. Now some people may find that to be of no consequence but I think it quite important. This is one of the reasons I value Fagles' Iliad and Odyssey. They are both well annotated and both have interesting introductory essays.

Let me point out why annotation is important. As I was reading Mandelbaum's edition (quite enjoying it), I reached the point where Apollo falls in love with Daphne. I got somewhat confused because then it seemed another character named Phoebus comes in. So it seems we have three characters. And I suddenly realized that in fact Phoebus and Apollo are the same god, Phoebus is just an epithet for Apollo. I only found this out by looking up the notes in the Fagles edition (which by the way also has a pronunciation guide). And so without any annotation, a reader (such as me) who has recently started to read the ancient classics would be clueless, for Ovid assumes that his audience knows what he is writing about-since after all these are Gods know by the Romans. And this where a good editor would bridge the gap (between the modern reader and the ancient writer).

Many say that it is the reader's job to look up things he does not understand. But in a book like this one, where hundreds of gods are floating about, this task would be monumental. Take for example the case of Phoebus and Apollo. Some readers may never have noticed that in fact Phoebus and Apollo have to be the same god. Mandelbaum and all the other learned reviewers may already have knowledge of the Roman mythology but not me. I wish to be slowly eased into Ovid's world but Mandelbaum drowns me. He has little care for readers like me.

The Metamorphoses is an excellent work and Mandelbaum does a great job of translating. The book is full of the ancient greek myths of hero's, gods, and regular individuals. While not as readable as Homer or Virgil, Ovid gives a great account of many of the ancient myths. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Greek Mythology.

Did you ever wonder where Keats garnered the inspiration for Endymion? Or why Shakespeare's plays always make reference to the Greek and Roman gods instead of the Judeo-Christian ones? In part, this book is at the foundation.

This is THE book to get the knowledge of the myths that our modern and not so modern conceptions of Roman and Greek gods and myths come from. And it has served as inspiration for poets, writers, shepherds and talentless hacks for millenia.

Mandelbaum's translation is sufficient in that it is not an original work. A translator must before anything get the point across. Embellishments and other creative input into a translation add only defects. Mandelbaum's tranlsation suffices and is very readable and very understandable.

Edith Wharton's "Mythology" will help one get through it if the verse is incomprehensible to the reader and works well as a supplement to this book. A highly enjoyable and almost mandatory read.

The story of The Odyssey is one of the grestest stories ever told. Everytime I read it, I fall in love with the characters. I love the way Mr. Fitzgerald translates the book. He does a masterful job of describing the scene, and uses words to fully portray what is going on, and how the characters feel. I'm reading a version translated by someone else, and it feels "watered down." It's almost too easy to read. Fitzgerald doesn't simplify it to the point where something is lost. I would recommend this book to anyone. In echoing the words of people who have commented before me, I thought the Odyssey would be boring, but it truly is an awesome book and story.

This epic tale proves that the best stories and the most perilous adventures know no time period. "The Odyssey" is as compelling today as it was when it was written. Many of the adventures from Odysseus' journey have become stories all their own (the Cyclops, the Sirens, etc.) Fitzgerald's translation of this poem is masterful. He makes it easy to read but takes none of the magic away from Homer's spellbinding words. Children today who love action and adventure in books and in the movies should not overlook this classic simply because of its length and age. By any standard, this is quite possibly the greatest adventure story ever told.

The Odyssey was probably the best book I have ever read. I first read this epic poem as a freshman in high school, and have read it many times after that. The epic journey by Homer captures the journey through life and its obstacles. Odysseus is main character that must journey to find his way home after the victorious battle of Troy. Odysseus has to overcome many obstacles that lie in his path to return home.

In life we also face obstacles that limit our ability. To overcome each different obstacle, one must use strength, mind, and perseverance to move on and succeed in life.

Odysseus overcame these obstacles by problem solving and thinking ahead. The Odyssey really captures the essences of life lessons through out time. The book was excellent. I mean where else can you find bloody battles, passionate love scenes, giant maelstroms, and the occasional six-headed monster.

I recommend this book to any reader, whether in High School, College, or just the average reader. The Odyssey is a definite classic.

This particular version of "Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy" Is not only a fine hardcover book with a handy bookmark ribbon, but the literature itself cannot be matched. The english translation has been carefully written so the stanza's would still be in rhyme with Dante's own aba bcb cdc... pattern. The poems and descriptions by Dante show a clear message of hell, purgatory, and heaven; which cannot be matched. I believe everyone should read this book.

I am, and have been for many a year, a scholar of the works of Dante. Coming up to date, I have read thousands of translations of the text of all three parts of the Divine comedy, and this is the best I have found yet. First of all, it is a treat to find that all three parts of this master work are collected in this one volume, and even though the price is quite low for a hardcover book with as many pages as this, I cannot stress the quality of this edition. As many may know, Dante Alighieri was a man of great literary prowess, but was given drive by his single obsession to a small girl by the name of Beatrice. She rings true in this work, as the guiding angel, bringing Dante through the depths of hell, the wasteland of Purgatory, and finally, the glory of heaven. This has been one of the most enduring works on the human spirit, and the concept of god as seen through Christianity. Full of pun and metaphor, this is rich in language, and ready to please. Some people start their studies of Epic Poetry with Milton's "Paradise lost," but I say, speaking from experience, that Dante is far superior to Milton, but Milton is in good company as his second. I have read the original in Italian, and this is about as close of a translation as you can get. Please enjoy this.

This translation of Dante's famous masterpiece is breath-taking. Without being too superflous, the text keeps the drama flowing. Without any doubt - the greatest poem ever written.

Another example of employing a format without considering the means by which it will likely be used. The CDs have no internal "tracking" or programs. Thus, if you listen to the book in your car and don't finish the entire disk before turning the engine off, you'd better hope that you have a newer CD player than I possess. Otherwise, the player will default to the beginning of the last track that was played--in this case skipping back to where you were when you started the 45 minute drive. Even if you have a newer player, if the book is being listened too during a commute to your children's school, they would be unable to take the CDs with them to continue the book in another car on the way home.

Aaaarrrgghhh.

Note, however, that the translation and performance struck me as being well done (at least for the first 45 minutes!).

When I was a younger lad, I bought Richard Lattimore's translation, which is a grandiose bore. Then I had the good fortune to read Mandelbaum's Aeneid, which shines. This brought me to Mandelbaum's Odyssey. And it is the ideal Odyssey for scholarship and pleasure:

-The language is simple and strong. Mandelbaum knows his job--he tells the story simply and brings the ancient genius of Homer through with vigor and clarity. Occasionally Mandelbaum goes on a stint of rhyme and that's distracting, but overall the translation is beautiful.

-There's a well-drawn map of Ancient Greece in the beginning that really sets the scene for the wild sea adventures.

-One of the complaints I often hear about epics is that the many characters are difficult to keep straight. Mandelbaum solves this by giving us a comprehensive glossary in the back of the book that explains who everyone is and lists the page numbers of where they occur in the book.

-Another thing makes this a swift read is that, at the beginning of each book, Mandelbaum gives a quick summary of what's about to happen (a fantastic feature for reference and review).

Thus, with the book summaries, the glossary, and the map, you always know where you are in the epic--so while Odysseus wanders, you are never lost.

I first read this beautiful epic as a little girl, held captive from start to finish, and then again in my tenth grade English class,so when I discovered it on audio tape, my heart danced for joy! I am also a great fan of Derek Jacobi, so it made perfect sense to purchase this literary gem for my growing collection. Jacobi's narration is as brilliant as the epic itself, and if you listen closely, you will begin to imagine yourself having the same adventures Odysseus had, as well as spending time getting to know Penelope, his wife, and their only child, a son named Telemachus. In conclusion, just like the works of Shakespeare, this beautiful piece of literature was meant to be enjoyed by everybody! Get thee to Amazon.com or thy nearest bookstore and buy a copy!

This final part of the Divine Comedy was very interesting and I enjoyed it a lot. However, I felt that it was too dogmatic and that Dante spent too much time considering doctrine problems in the Catholic Chruch. However, the ending was spectular!!! I felt like I was actually there and could see the faces of the angels and the blessed. If you are a fan of the Divine Comedy and Dante in general then please read this book. But I would not recommend it to the non-fan.

Allen Mandelbaum has produced a fairly good translation of the Aeneid. If you are looking for a companion to the Latin, then look elsewhere, possibly to Jackson-Knight. I find that Mandelbaum handled the Comedia better than he did Virgil. Anyway, reading a translation without reading the original does the poem no justice at all.

This translation of Virgil's masterpiece is the perfect choice for a reader who wishes to experience the original form of this Augustine work of art. It is written in easy flowing and accessible blank verse, unlike the rather cloggy and unattractive prose translations. After all The Aeneid was written to be read as an epic poem: not the post Renaissance format of a novel, and Lewis's translation is as close to capturing the originally intended delivery as you can get without the lengthy process of learning Latin .

This classic epic poem was commissioned by Augustus Caesar in 31BC, a task which was reluctantly accepted by Virgil. Ten years of writing followed, and unfortunately the poet died, by contracting a disease, whilst returning from a trip to Athens. The epic was not fully revised by then, yet the contents of all twelve books are complete except for a rather abrupt ending.

However, just before his death Virgil left strict instructions for The Aeneid to be burnt: lost to the world for all time. Yet this commanded was counteracted by Caesar. Why was this? Why didn't Virgil want the greatest poem in Latin to be discovered for its prominence?

These are questions which will truly interest any reader. When you hold this book in your hands you cannot help thinking that Virgil did not want you to read this - if it had not been for the Imperial arm of Caesar we would be forever lacking this great Latin work. Thus a guilty feeling pervades when reading The Aeneid, moreover, those of you already well versed in Greek mythology will know that Actaeon paid very highly for his antlers, a lesson hard to forget whilst perusing prohibited splendour.

When commissioned to write an epic with the sole purpose of portraying an almighty Augustus in 31 BC it is difficult to capture the magic of Homeric Hymns. To have the inclusion of gods and mystical powers in ordered Roman society would have been simply laughed at. Therefore Virgil chose the legendary founder of Rome - Aeneas of Troy - as the protagonist of his epic. This poem documents the various adventures of Aphrodite's son: whose quest is to find his destined homeland - Italy. Jupiter has ordained that Aeneas's ancestors will become the great masters of Rome, and it is here that Virgil can cleverly celebrate Augustus's magnificent achievements.

But what is the underlying meaning to Virgil's epic? What you can witness in The Aeneid is Homer's similar appreciation of acts of bravery; yet what you will observe for the first time is the dreadful price that Imperialism exacts. Aeneas is forced to reject his passionate love, experience the death of his father, and kill the noble sons of people he is destined to rule.

Therefore a fundamental enigma in Virgil's work must be to endeavour whether this is a work that supports Imperialism or refutes it. Did Virgil advocate Augustus's omnipotence? If yes, why did the poet wish the epic to be destroyed? The price of blood for the fellowship of freedom is one continual theme that pervades not only archaic history, but also that of the modern day; and in Virgil's masterpiece it is portrayed no less effectively than in all great works of literature.

Mandelbaum's handsome translation of Virgil has become the standard edition used in Classical Literature courses in college. I can see why: his verse translation is competent and faithful to the original, and I found it inspired and vibrant, a translation which captures the rusticity and ruggedness of the Italian frontier, the belligerent natives dressed in wool caps and wolfskins; the rag-tag Trojans led by Aeneas resplendent in Vulcan's golden armor. It's such a delight for all the senses.

Inspired by Mandelbaum's translation, I have decided to read the Aeneid in the original Latin; I did the same with Catullus a few months ago, when I bought Daniel Garrison's wonderful text and commentary (The Student's Catullus). I also like to check around to find just the right text (Clyde Pharr's [Bolchazy-Carducci] is on the top of my list). The Loeb Classical Library's texts are always a safe choice.

This translation, affordable and accessible to everyone, is truly a gift. And anyone who at least considers himself/herself a poet must read this NOW!