The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy
Score Classic
What it's about
In the year 1300, the poet Dante finds himself lost in a dark wood. The ghost of the Roman poet Virgil leads him down through the nine circles of Hell, where sinners, many of them people Dante knew, suffer punishments fitted to their crimes, then up the mountain of Purgatory. At its top, Beatrice, the woman he loved, guides him through Heaven.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and is one of the foundations of Western literature. The Inferno's images of Hell have shaped how the world has imagined it ever since.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
It's a long poem full of medieval Italian politics and theology, so a translation with good notes is essential; many readers start with the Inferno alone.
By the numbers
- Readers51 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller31 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Divine Comedy worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and is one of the foundations of Western literature. It ranks #1,129 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Divine Comedy about?
In the year 1300, the poet Dante finds himself lost in a dark wood. The ghost of the Roman poet Virgil leads him down through the nine circles of Hell, where sinners, many of them people Dante knew, suffer punishments fitted to their crimes, then up the mountain of Purgatory. At its top, Beatrice, the woman he loved, guides him through Heaven.
How long does it take to read The Divine Comedy?
About 20 hours (798 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Divine Comedy?
If you liked it, try The Metamorphoses by Ovid, Hamlet by William Shakespeare or The Iliad by Homer.