Library Journal, September 15, 2004
"[H]ard to imagine a better single-volume handbook suitable as an introductory text for students and handy reference for scholars. "

Book Description
"Dante and Shakespeare divide the modern world between them; there is no third." UNDERSTANDING DANTE attempts to explain and justify T. S. Eliot’s bold claim. John Scott offers readers at all levels a critical overview of Dante’s writings: five chapters deal with his New Life of love and poetry ("Vita Nova"), the "Banquet" of knowledge ("Convivio"), his Latin treatise on language and poetics ("De Vulgari Eloquentia"), Italian lyrics ("Rime"), and his blueprint for world government ("Monarchia"). The next five chapters concentrate on Dante’s masterpiece, the "Comedy": its structure, Dante’s worldview (still relevant today), and the "Comedy" examined as a poem. Much has been written on Dante’s moral, political, and religious ideas; important as these are, however, such discussions are perforce limited. It is above all as a work of poetry that the "Divine Comedy" maintains its appeal and fascination to readers of all backgrounds and beliefs. Firmly grounded in the latest advances of Dante scholarship, UNDERSTANDING DANTE offers an original and uniquely detailed, global analysis of Dante as poet of the "Comedy" that will be welcomed by those who read the poem in translation as well as by those who study the original Italian text. At the same time, Scott’s book will be welcome for its rich and insightful analysis of the whole corpus of Dante’s writings, as well as Scott’s mastery of the vast sea of critical literature in various languages. Scott bridges the gap that often exists between Dante studies in English-speaking countries and the great tradition of Dante scholarship in the poet’s homeland. No work in English about the great Italian poet can rival UNDERSTANDING DANTE’s scope in both depth and breadth of close reading and critical vision.

From the Inside Flap
"Wonderfully detailed and comprehensive, equally attentive to the power of Dante's thinking and the texture of his writing, this book will be an invaluable resource for both beginning and more experienced readers of Dante's works." —Steven Botterill, University of California, Berkeley "UNDERSTANDING DANTE should quickly become an indispensable work for Dante students and scholars. In an elegantly balanced way, it presents an impressive body of information about Dante and his works, critical debates around them, and the author's own sensitive, learned, and sensible readings." —Joan M. Ferrante, Columbia University "This is the "summa" of a lifetime’s work on Dante by one of the leading Dantisti in the English-speaking world. Written in perfectly lucid, often vigorous prose, it is a nearly perfect assessment of the "status quaestionis" in Dante studies." —Piero Boitani, University of Rome, "La Sapienza"

About the Author
JOHN A. SCOTT is a senior research fellow in the department of European Languages and Studies at the University of Western Australia.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal