From Library Journal
Cervigni and Vasta have reedited and translated Dante's autobiography under the influence of Paul Ricoeur's theories of temporality and narrative. They delete the chapter and paragraph divisions of Michele Barbi's standard Italian edition in order to shift the focus from the visual assumptions of our contemporary print culture to the oral assumptions of the medieval manuscript culture. The new edition of the Italian is faced with a serviceable translation. In addition to a lucid and informative introduction and appendixes on editorial matters, this version includes a concordance. While this is an important contribution for Dante specialists, the modern translations of Mark Musa (1973) and Barbara Reynolds (1969) remain the versions of choice for students and general readers.?T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong State Coll., Savannah, Ga.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Language Notes
Text: English, Italian (translation)
Vita Nuova FROM THE PUBLISHER
This celebration of the poet's passionate love for his immortal Beatrice weaves together rapturous sonnets and canzoni with prose commentaries and an autobiographical narrative. A predecessor to The Divine Comedy, La Vita Nuova (The New Life) also serves as an ever-relevant treatise on the art and technique of poetry.