I really enjoyed this book, though it's taken me quite a while to pick it up and get into it, as I was absorbed with finishing my degree for so long. I read The Inferno in college and quite enjoyed Parker's take on explaining it. ( )

A very readable (and also semi-academic) take on Dante's classic epic, using the latest Dan Brown novel as the "jumping off point" for the analysis. A longer review of the book can be found here: http://eyesandearsblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/review-of-inferno-revealed.html ( )

I've always liked rereading _The Divine Comedy_, and I wanted to read this book because of Dante's name on the cover — not because of Dan Brown's. I found the authors' treatment of Dante's original work to be interesting and well-balanced. Their discussion of the later works that were inspired by the _Inferno_, or adaptations or derivations of it, some of which I was familiar with and some of which were new to me, was also enjoyable.

On the other hand, I have never read a page of Dan Brown; and this book did nothing to make me want to change that. While Brown may have drawn on a highly respectable source for his inspiration, the Parkers, perhaps unintentionally, make it clear that he had a rather imprecise understanding of Dante's depiction of Hell.

The one reservation I have about _Inferno Revealed_, then, is its degree of focus on Brown. I'm afraid that the cynical thought occurred to me that his name was included on the cover in part to capitalize on his popularity. I would have preferred to have seen less material devoted to Brown's _Inferno_ and more time allotted to the other, arguably more interesting, derivative works. ( )

With less than 300 pages, this book is packed with information. It is a great introduction to Dante's Divine Comedy and a useful review for those who haven't read Dante's Inferno. If you liked Dan Brown's Inferno, you will also want this book. All references to Dante's work that Dan Brown used are listed and analyzed. The authors also discuss other adaptations of Inferno, with my favorite being the film se7en. It would also be a poor choice to overlook The Appendix, Notes and Bibliography. Those were just as enjoyable to read and to get further reading. If you ever read Dante or you are a Dan Brown fan, you definitely need this book to read and keep. ( )

I had a hard time really getting into the book. I enjoyed Inferno and I enjoy Parker's analysis of Dante, but it did not hold my attention. Perhaps I am too deeply involved in my own research projects at the moment to read something scholarly. When I take a break, I want something more escapist and entertaining, i.e. the problem is mine and not Parker's. The book is well written and researched. ( )

I am having a difficult time writing a review for this book. Part of me really liked it and found some of the ancillary information about Dante and the Inferno very interesting. The other part of me did not really enjoy it and thought that it scimped a bit on the Inferno itself. So, I guess I'll leave it at that. Overall, however, I am glad I read it. Thanks LT!

Bob in Chicago

I was so excited to get this book through Early Reviewers. I have always loved the Divine Comedy, and I took quite a few classes in college to learn more about the Renaissance and Dante and his time. I also have really loved Dan Brown ever since I read the DaVinci Code, and I eagerly bought and read Inferno the day it came out and loved it. So I couldn't have won a book that was better suited to my interests than this. Here you can get the basic information about the themes and characters in Dante's classic work, learn about references to Dante's book in Dan Brown's book of the same name, and learn about other mentions of Dante and the Divine Comedy in pop culture. There's a lot of entertaining information in this book, and I highly recommend it. ( )

I've had a hard time identifying the audience for this book. If you're reading The Inferno, there's a lot of great supplementary material out there. For instance, I highly recommend R. W. B. Lewis' biography of Dante in the Penguin Lives series. It's short, simply written without being simplistic, and provides lots of contextual information. Inferno Revealed does and is all those things, too, though I found their contextual information less satisfying. This book engages more in plot summary than in supplementation.

I think I should have paid more attention to the book's subtitle: From Dante to Dan Brown. Because the publisher is an academic press I assumed the mention of Dan Brown was a cynical ploy to reel in readers. But I think the subtitle is actually pretty honest about the book's purpose. If you're more interested in Dan Brown than Dante and have no plans to read The Inferno but want to know what it's about, this is probably a good book. I'm not rating it, since for my purposes it's 2 stars but for other readers it could very well be 4.

The Divine Comedies, specifically The Inferno by Dante have been one of the most influential epic poems in all of history. The Inferno is about Dante himself being guided through the nine levels of Hell with his guide Virgil, so that he can enter Purgatory, and later, Paradise. Written about 700 years ago, the legacy of The Divine Comedies are still around and are used in today's culture. This nonfiction book is about why Dante's poem was so effective, how other authors/directors use Dante's ideas, and an in-depth analysis of the comparison between Dante's Inferno and Dan Brown's new book Inferno.
The first five chapters are about Dante's Inferno itself. You will learn the significance of Dante making himself the hero of his poem, the many real people in the poem that was known by Dante, and how events on Earth affect events in Hell.
The next four chapters are about how future authors and directors use Dante's ideas and themes, along with a full analysis of Dan Brown's Inferno.
If you want to learn more about Dante and his poem, this book will surely not disappoint you. You don't necessarily have to read The Inferno to read this, because the whole poem is retold through the first five chapters. The information is great, and one can really appreciate the legacy of Dante.

Rating: 4/5 ( )

I won this book from the Early Reviewers group here on Library Thing. Enjoyed it vert much. I've never read Dantes' epic poem, but when I do I'll have a good reference to who he's talking to, and why Dante has them in a particualr circle of hell. Inferno Revealed is by no means an exhaustive treatise on The Divne Comedy, but covers it well. If you've read Dantes' Inferno, then Inferno Revealed may answer some of your questions,if you haven't read Dantes' Inferno, then Inferno Revealed will be a good place to start. My favorite section of Inferno Revealed is the section on Dants' Inferno impact on popuar culture, I especially liked the part about David Finchers movie, SE7EN. I highly recommend Inferno Revealed for your reading pleasure. ( )

I will admit to being a bit hesitant about "pop" Dante; I adore my angsty Italian poet too much, and as a Dante scholar, nothing bugs me more than Dante badly done. That said I found little to quibble with in this offering. Both the authors are scholars in their own right, and their love for Dante's masterwork is evident in the text. Even absent the sections on Dante in pop culture generally and in Dan Brown specifically, this is a really solid introduction and guidebook to the Inferno. The first five chapters consider the personal, political, and literary elements of the Inferno, and offer some much needed background into some of the better known characters who appear in Dante's Hell. The remainder is devoted to a catalog of Dante's influence on popular media, looking at movies like Se7en and novels like The Dante Club, to name only a few, with a chapter on Inferno's influence in Brown's novel of the same name, and a list of allusions to the Inferno on Brown's novel. I have no quibbles with these sections, though I found that after the depth, affection, and insight of the first five (even first seven) chapters, the later sections were rather dry. But overall, that should not in any way detract from a useful and thoughtful little book on Dante's Inferno. If you have read Brown's version and are curious, or if you have read Dante's own masterpiece and want background, this is, if not comprehensive, then certainly a good place to begin. Even well-versed Dante scholars will at least appreciate the first half of the book; even if they don't come away with anything new or revolutionary, we Dante scholars are always glad to see other's devotion to the Poet. ( )

A small book packed with information. If your interest was piqued by the second part of the title “from Dante to Dan Brown” and you have not read the Inferno lately (or perhaps just pieces or even not at all) this is an excellent read. A bit dense as the authors, Deborah and Mark Parker, do go into lengthy detail concerning the epic poem, so one does not read it all in one sitting or even several. It is not a college course by any means but pay attention, these folks will provide a great deal of insight into Dante’s masterwork.

The book is largely concerned directly with the Inferno and its meaning. This is followed by what is called Dante’s Legacy. Discussions as to how later authors and poets used Dante’s style, words and approaches in their own works. In a rather elitist view the Parker’s divide this section into uses in what they call High culture and Popular culture. In this latter the movie “Beetlejuice” is among those examined.

At last you come to Dan Brown’s use of the poem both specifically and in nuance. A closing section provides a complete list, with page numbers, of allusions to The Inferno found in Brown’s book and how they are reflected.

In the back of the book is thorough timeline of Dante’s life and times, the numbered notes from each chapter (there are not many) and a short bibliography.

I suppose one could always ask the question: Is it necessary to that one be familiar with Dante’s Inferno to enjoy Don Brown’s Inferno. That question could be asked about almost any book particularly action adventures. The author is taking you on a journey should not just the presented thrills be enough? I believe the Parkers answer that question very well when they say “...(it) asks us to think about how curiosity, in the most active and wide sense, might change how we read and how we enjoy literature.” I have a large library because I like to reread my books. I now realize that the enjoyment of the re-read occurs because I now know more about the book and my life experiences have expanded and thus the book I read it differently.

Therefore I recommend you get Inferno Revealed, let your curiosity be assuaged by a short course in understanding Dante’s Inferno, turn to Dan Brown’s Inferno for a second read and one that will be more fulfilling. ( )

If you are interested in The Divine Comedy this book will be worth the read. The authors (writing only on "Inferno")show linkages between Dante's masterpiece and popular novels, film and serious literature down the ages.

The first half of the book analyzes the methods used by Dante in constructing the epic story of his journey through hell. Despite this being a Christian work, Dante has made the poet Virgil, a classisist from pre-Christian times, the pilgrim's guide. Dante makes himself the protagonist of the work, an unprecedented device in the epic genre. The historical, political and moral themes that underlie the pilgrim's encounters in the various circles of hell are explained. The history and context of many of the contemporaneous figures encountered by the pilgrim are revealed. If you have tackled this master work you know that a reader's guide is essential and this book offers much in that regard.

The second half shows how Dante's work influenced writers in the ages that followed. Milton's "Paradise Lost" has many connections derived from Dante. The authors show how the Romantic poets took from Dante. There is an interesting discussion of how modernist poets like Eliot and Pound draw heavily from The Divine Comedy.

Popular works, both film and novels, also have been shaped by the Inferno. The films "Beetlejoice", "Se7en", and "Hannibal" incorporate Dante themes into their plots. Matthew Poe's "The Dante Club" used the punishments of hell visited on its characters in an engaging mystery/thriller set in the late 19th century. The book concludes with a close analysis of Dan Brown's "Inferno" in his use of Dante to unfold the action in this best-selling novel. If one's taste runs to thrillers, this potboiler can be enhanced by awareness of the characters, themes and actions of the masterpiece that precedes it by hundreds of years. ( )