The Divine Comedy: Inferno - Purgatory - Paradise (Naxos AudioBooks)

Customer Reviews:

Seeing, hearing, believing Dante.......2007-01-09

This audiobook is a remarkably good addition for the individual who enjoys good literature well read. Superb production values, an excellent reader/actor who imbues the material with accurate intonation and enunciation, cadence, and modulation, makes this one a gem. If you are spending your money wisely, you cannot go wrong with this NAXOS production. This one will be listened to many times. I even purchased the translation in hardcopy to pay closer attention to the reading.

Wonderful Performance.......2006-05-14

This is a wonderful performance of the entire Divine Comedy which one can listen to many times. The reader, Heathecoate Williams, must be some sort of an actor -- full throated furious at times, pale and poignant at others as he wends his way through it all, mimicking all the saints and sinners like a mockingbird. Each of the 100 cantos is prefaced by a short suggestion of period music for a breather and for atmosphere, which does not intrude or ham up the performance, as often happens with similar efforts.

Shameless drama of Williams' variety may be embarrassing to some, out of style to others. But it supplies an important element lacking to the rather dry academic fashion by which most are these days exposed to Dante. Nor is any accuracy of meaning sacrificed thereby. The three parts of the Comedy are all read from a prose translation by a man named Benedict Flynn. I am not aware that this translation is available anywhere in print, but having read several English translations of Dante, the word choice is familiar and sounds properly middle of the road. Truth be told, a dramatic flair does no disservice to this very personal poem at all, which was radical in its day for being written in common vernacular. For the hearer of our language, it places Dante in the ring where he belongs: with the fully engaged Shakespeare of the history plays, not with the closet dramas of a T.S. Eliot or a Robert Lowell.

The set is well worth the price, and the bonus disc lecture on Dante's life not only adds the academic dimension, but makes the price for the whole a steal.

The Amazing Secret of the Souls in Purgatory: An Interview with Maria Simma

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life changing little book!
Maria Simma's accounts of the souls in purgatory
Amazing book!
A Very Short Book But Full of Important Messages!
The Main Concept Here Is: Pray to Jesus Christ-Always.

The Amazing Secret of the Souls in Purgatory: An Interview with Maria Simma
Sister Emmanuel of Medjugorje
Manufacturer: Queenship Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1579180043

Customer Reviews:

life changing little book!.......2007-03-25

This is a great little book! It really changed my outlook on life and gave me a whole new way to channel what life deals you. I read it from cover to cover without stopping. Very interesting.

Maria Simma's accounts of the souls in purgatory.......2007-01-11

This book was informative. It was suprising to read that some souls do go directly to Heaven without any suffering in purgatory. I didn't like the illustration on the cover. I can't imagine the Blessed Virgin Mary every being so scantily dressed. It was offensive to see her depicted that way.
The book was easy to read.

Amazing book!.......2007-01-05

This book was great! Easy to read yet very thought-provoking. I enjoyed it immensely and I will be sure to read it again and again!

A Very Short Book But Full of Important Messages!.......2006-06-27

This booklet is a very good introduction to the doctrine on Purgatory and gives us the viewpoint from an extraordinary lady, Maria Simma from Sonntag, Austria who has been visited frequently by the souls in purgatory. For a full understanding of the doctrine on purgatory, I strongly recommend you read the Catechism of the Catholic Church first before trying this booklet as it will then make more sense to you. There is nothing doctrinally wrong with what is written here although one should be well-versed in the faith to really get the most out of this booklet. I've read it recently for the second time and it made much more sense to me now than it did the first time. I had since joined the RCIA as a sponsor and endeavoured to learn more about my faith, reading and attending bible classes etc and so it made much more sense to me the second time around. Thank goodness God doesn't judge us on what is "fair" or what we "deserve" because we all deserve death by that token. What's great is the concept of accountability and restoring what is right by making restitution for what we have done wrong. There's no doubting God's forgiveness but we have to also make good the wrongs we have been forgiven for or at least try to lest our faith become a dead faith (read the letter of James for more clarity). Anyone seen the tv show "My Name is Earl?" or even the movie "Flatliners?"

The Main Concept Here Is: Pray to Jesus Christ-Always........2006-02-25

The main idea here is about believing in Jesus Christ.
Always. I don't agree with an element or two of it, but it did its job at persuading me to come to Jesus Christ. I am glad it did.
Going to Church is key, but when going to church one prays to
Jesus Christ-always. Believing in saints, in mary, and treating preachers like God is wrong, but believing in Jesus Christ that He is God is true. This is the heart and core of going to church. All about Jesus Christ. Being with Christ, believing in Christ, and praying to Christ. This book persuaded me as well as the death of Pope John Paul the Second that it is very important to follow Christ's way of life. It is through Jesus Christ that one will see the Father(God). Prayer is very important so pray always to God(JESUS CHRIST). Book is recommended. Prayer is important...Let the Holy Spirit come into your life, and transform you into a new person, a person filled with love, and a love for Christ as well. Just pray (prayers/or talk to Him)and ask Christ to forgive you of your sins, and ask Him to come into your life so He can transform you into a new person, a loving person no longer filled with malice sadness, hate, etc.

I also recommend the BIBLE ESV By Crossway publishers (2001), a white and black Bible that can be a great companion to this book.

Simmas books is just an intro but always follow the Bible. Christs Holy Book. If your church does not talk, nor pray to Jesus Christ then that Church is AntiChrist. It is that simple.
God bless. Yes, i recommend this book by Simma, i hope it can take you to further literature as well. Simmas book is an easy read. THE HOLY BIBLE ESV is in American English (Thank God) in case one got lost with English English.

Average customer rating:

Deftly adroit at writing both free verse and prose poetry.
people form strange patterns

Tom Thomson In Purgatory
Troy Jollimore
Manufacturer: Margie / IntuiT House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0971904057

Product Description

Tom Thomson In Purgatory is a collection of poetry from the creator of "Tom Thomson", a literary character whom former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins claims to be "a verbal phantom, the result of the poet's word-spinning, but at the same time we lean forward to believe in him--our hero for the moment, a man of the hour..."

Customer Reviews:

Deftly adroit at writing both free verse and prose poetry. .......2007-05-13

An academician who currently serves on the faculty of California State University, Canadian poet Troy Jollimore is deftly adroit at writing both free verse and prose poetry. "Tom Thomson In Purgatory" is a compilation of his best work and proved to be the 2005 winner of the Robert E. Lee & Ruth I. Wilson Poetry Book Award. Imaginative, lyrical, compelling, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and highly recommended reading, here is a body of work that will well serve to demonstrate and document Troy Jollimore as one of the best of his generation. `After': If we must speak of each other, let it be/in the forms that monarchs and generals use/to refer to their rivals; as if each were known/to the other only through field reports/and classified intelligences. Let it be/in tones of wariness, grudging respect, and,/where permitted, mutual admiration./Let our campaign be conducted on these terms.//And if people speak of the `break-up,'/let us hear in that the cold overtones/of the word as applied to a glacier: how,/new light found an entry, and the gleaming designs,/a kaleidoscope view-a lens through which/itself to be seen-as the fragments, mindless/and pure, frigid yet free, plunged/to the sea, that vast, that resolute,/that insensate, that insatiable sea.

people form strange patterns.......2007-01-05

Near the center of Troy Jollimore's book come the following lines: "and people form strange patterns, fields, as if / a magnet he, and iron filings they." The people in this book, particularly the protagonist, form strange and compelling patterns. When we first glimpse Tom Thomson he's fishing and playing solitaire: "Each time he loses, / he throws his cards into the water. / Each time he wins / he catches a trout."

The relationship between the characters and the world they inhabit is quirky--sometimes charming, sometimes sad, sometimes extremely funny. It's always complicated, and not in the conventional ways that poems often throw their readers. In Jollimore's poems we always know exactly what has happened in the literal sense. We can picture it, summarize a plot, name the main characters, and even tell some choice stories about them. Yet something important remains mysterious, inexplicable, impossible to pinpoint. The mystery (and the relentless variation in the long sonnet series) keeps you reading.

Along the way, you acquire some questions:
"And what of water, / which looks like glass but does not shatter? / And what of air? And what of the soul? / Are we glass or are we water? And where / does the child go who wants this answered?"

And you learn a plethora of reasons why Tom Thomson likes a place:
"because the satellites cannot see it" and because the trout come and stop there, because parsley and wild tomatoes grow on the banks, and because of the way "his canoe fits the water" and "the water fits the earth."

And you even get an invitation to slough off your own identity for a bit (in "How to Get There"):

When you reach the village
(the cluster of white houses)
stop and discard the map.
Also get rid of the passengers.
From here on they'd only weigh you down.
Leave them by the side of the road. You'll need
a new identity. Call yourself `Gary.'
Say that you're in `insurance.'

My advice is to call yourself Gary, take the detour, and spend some time in Jollimore's beautiful and strangely patterned world.

Average customer rating:

An indictment of American culture
Family curse
Excellent book!
Great Reading
Too real, too close to home!

Season In Purgatory, A
Dominick Dunne
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0517583860
Release Date: 1993-04-13

Book Description

They were the family with everything. Money. Influence. Glamour. Power. The power to halt a police investigation in its tracks. The power to spin a story, concoct a lie, and believe it was the truth. The power to murder without guilt, without shame, and without ever paying the price. America's royalty, they called the Bradleys. But an outsider refuses to play his part. And now, the day of reckoning has arrived. . . .

Customer Reviews:

An indictment of American culture.......2007-10-07

"A Season In Purgatory" is not simply a fictionalized account of the Martha Moxley murder, nor is it just a trashing (or recounting, depending on your view) of the Kennedy family. While it uses both of these to full advantage, the result is more than that.

Dunne shines a light on the American desire for their heroes to come with a narrative that matches the national mythology - rags to riches, religious, family centered, generous, philanthropic, handsome or beautiful, and above all, successful. The fictitious Bradleys, who will stop at nothing to perfect this image and grab the power and money that is the reward for reaching the pinnacle of the American dream, leave a trail of destroyed lives in their wake. That Dunne has been able to write an interesting novel that also raises deep issues about "American values" is what makes "A Season in Purgatory" a great read.

By merging three generations of Kennedys as well as tossing in the Skakel family (Ethel Kennedy's family, one member of which was convicted recently in the murder this book was inspired by), we get a sort of Frankenstein's Monster - a creation that is so corrupt and so ultimately destructive that it is a tragedy both for iteself all all it comes in contact with. I also appreciated the details Dunne included - such as the family patriarch hiring a ghostwriter for his son's book and also buying up large numbers of the same book to ensure a bestseller, actions that have been attributed to Joseph Kennedy, for example. These, and other details, force us to realize that there really is always a "man behind the curtain". Dunne is famous for his hatred of the manipulation of the justice system by the privileged, and this book clearly shows how the blame for this lies not only in the willingness of the wealthy and famous to lie and cheat and buy "justice" , but of the public's willingness to let them get away with it in order to keep our heroes on their pedestals. A good job by Dunne, who can sometimes come across as pretty smug but mostly avoids that in this book.

Family curse.......2006-05-20

This is a fascinating read, a barely disguised ( or not at all) expose of one of the most notorious families of American political history. When Harrison, a teenaged boy is orphaned by the murder of his parents, he is scooped up under the wing of the family of his classmate, Constant, at boarding school. His excellence at writing makes him a useful friend to Constant, whose family has great expectations for him in a political future. When he witnesses some of Constant's worst excesses, he is bribed to silence by having his schooling financed by the head of the family. Being very young and inexperienced, he goes along with his position until he is grown and realizes that he will be forever in their thrall. It's not until twenty years later, when the murder committed by Constant becomes public, that he accuses the family of covering up the crime in which he was made an accessory, and he unburdens himself of the guilt he has carried for all of these years. The whole book is an indictment of the power of money and position, in smoothing over the less savoury parts of people's lives and characters and how these same people can learn to justify their actions and to blame everyone else for their own faults and weaknesses.

Excellent book!.......2006-02-20

I am only half-way completed with this book and it is absolutely incredible! It is of the sort that is so hard to put down! In that it is based on the Moxley murder, it is written prior to the trial of Michael Skakel, so it does go with the assumption of Tommy Skakel being the murderer. Both boys had been suspected of the murder. All the names have been changed, of course, as well as the addition of characters/deletion of others. You will not be disappointed in reading this book.

Great Reading.......2005-08-16

This was the second time that I read this book and I will read it again. The story was never dull and was very difficult to put down. Between readings, I did lend it to a friend who absolutely hated it and had a hard time getting through it. She said it reminded her too much of a prominent Massachusetts family. I had just thought it was an exceptionally good fiction novel. Upon the second reading, I also saw the similarities to the family but still enjoyed the book and believe the author got his point across.

Too real, too close to home!.......2004-02-26

Wow, this was riviting! The real story masked as a novel. Brought back all those scary memories from Greenwich and that mysterious murder in 1975. Did someone get away with murder?

Average customer rating:

A good book
A good book
A must-read for everyone who questions what biotech means

French DNA: Trouble in Purgatory
Paul Rabinow
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226701514

Amazon.com

In 1994, the French government squashed a deal between its world-renowned CEPH genetics laboratory and an American biotech company, citing the loss of French DNA. If, like most scientifically minded people, you see this as an egregious example of bureaucratic buffoonery at best, or thinly disguised nationalistic racism at worst, anthropologist Paul Rabinow has another point of view well worth considering. Looking broadly at the political, social, and scientific forces combining to shape policy decisions, he shows a complex web of interconnected elements, each with its own inertia, making the government's final decision nearly inevitable.

Rabinow had the unique good fortune to be in France studying CEPH at the time of the decision, so his report contains personal details and insights that never made it into news reports. His own keen observations, grounded in postmodern social theory, are still accessible to those of us who never read Foucault. Incorporating the history of the American and French HIV scandals, France's new, more nationalistic attitudes toward research, and the remnants of colonial attitudes, French DNA explores the neutral territory between science and governance, showing the careful reader that even the strangest results can spring from perfectly sensible decisions, given enough complexity. Rabinow has done a great service to all of us seeking to understand the course of modern science. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

In 1993, an American biotechnology company and a French genetics lab developed a collaborative research plan to search for diabetes genes. But just as the project was to begin, the French government called it to a halt, barring the laboratory from sharing something never previously thought of as a commodity unto itself: French DNA.

Customer Reviews:

A good book.......2002-01-07

I found the idea of an anthropologist having the opportunity to observe operations in a French biotech institution as things unfolded very enticing. At times I wished that I had a better background in philosophy since Rabinow makes frequent references to certain philosophers in a few chapters which I found challenging to read. Nevertheless, the event that Rabinow covers is an interesting one, and he gives a very good picture of how the French view bioscience, the human body, and the commercialization of biotech products. In particular I enjoyed his descriptions and insights on the interactions of the people involved in the event and how it fit in the overall context of French society.

A good book.......2002-01-07

I found the idea of an anthropologist having the opportunity to observe operations in a French biotech institution as things unfolded very enticing. At times I wished that I had a better background in philosophy since Rabinow makes frequent references to certain philosophers in a few chapters which I found a bit challenging to read. Nevertheless, the event that Rabinow covers is an interesting one, and he gives a very good picture of how the French view bioscience, the human body, and the commercialization of biotech products. In particular I enjoyed his descriptions and insights on the interactions of the people involved in the event and how they fit in the overall context of French society.

A must-read for everyone who questions what biotech means.......1999-09-13

I really loved Rabinow's MAKING PCR, about the process of developing this major biotech tool (and probably a more accurate look at Kary Mullis than he gives in his own autobiography). FRENCH DNA is a terrific book in a different way. Rabinow tells an exciting and sobering story, virtually a who-done-it, and along the way he raises important questions about what genetic material really is, who owns it, what it means to have international research collaborations, and what biotechnology means to individuals and nations. A fascinating book.

Average customer rating:

Eveyone Should read this book
Shocked
Important
Shocking And Crucial
Heart-breaking, but important in historical value.

Christmas in Purgatory
Burton Blatt , and Fred Kaplan
Manufacturer: Human Policy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This classic photo essay of legally sanctioned human abuse in state institutions was written and photographed (1965) long before the current right-to-treatment lawsuits on behalf of institutionalized people.

Customer Reviews:

Eveyone Should read this book.......2003-03-06

I was told of this book in a meeting at of the company I work for.
We Provide Care to MR/DD people. This book is very disturbing and also enlighting. It makes me feel good to know that we, as a society have for the most part worked to change what these poor souls went through. A must read.

Shocked.......2002-03-04

I was introduced to Christmas in Purgatory in 1996, when I took a course at Western Washington University called Introduction to Execeptional Children. There was no introduction to the essay, it was simply named in an assignment. Needless to say, I was horrified. I'm placing an order for it today as I feel that students taking courses related to people with disabilities need to see this. The book cannot be found on the national library system (in Norway), and therefore I've decided to buy a copy and donate it to my local university.

Important.......2001-07-01

Those who would dismiss this book as overgeneralized and flawed forget that institutions were originally established not to protect disabled people from society, but society from disabled people.

Popular notion of the time held disabled people would be much more of a hindrance than help to society, and looked odd. Thus, if they were locked up, society would know where they were at all times while being able to pretend that they did not exist to begin with. Indeed, when Blatt and Kaplan's expose appeared, it set off controversy from those who had the audacity to defend the charges against very quickly turning public sentiment.

Although they are certainly free to articulate what they consider flaws with the book, it is difficult to believe that critics of this work would actually want to downplay the seriousness of these (and other) investigations if they were in those instutitions. Indeed, I strongly suspect they would want to be treated like human beings and given adequate care and a stimmulating environment.

As a diabled person myself, the contents of the book hit very close to home. Fortunate enough to be born in 1979, I realized that had I been born 20 years earlier, I most likely would have been one of the unfortunate people in the institutions investigated in this essay. While I previously had been aware of the disability rights movement's work in this area, reading this book gave me a whole new perspective on my work as a disability rights activist.

Because this book was never positioned as an indictment of all facilities, I am suprised by the rather hostile nitpicking and the blanket statement allegations. I believe this says more about the individuals reviewers than the quality of the authors themselves, and should not be weighted when looking at this book.The institutions in this essay were picked because the actual practices stood in sharp contrast to the "help and loving environment" they promised parents and relatives that patients would get. Woe is the person who even suggests that this was not as bad as people have made it out to be.

If it is difficult to believe the conditions doccumented in this book, it is because of the continued ease with which society is encouraged to view disabled people as helpless children, rather than potential Supreme Court nominees, doctors, lawyers etc...Ironically, baby and bath allegories demonstrate the urgency with which this book should be designated as required reading for anybody considering a degree in social sciences or a job in a related field.

Shocking And Crucial.......2001-06-04

This pictorial and poetic attack on the deplorable mental institutions of the 1960's was part of a sequence of events, along with President Kennedy visiting some of these same institutions and Geraldo Rivera doing a prime-time television expose on the terrible conditions that could be found there, that woke up the nation and government at all levels. The result was the massive de-institutionalization movement. The book portrays the worst of the worst. Most of the clients (that was the term chosen by those who get services from the outpatient agency where I work as a supervisor and therapist) were either developmentally disabled adults and children, or chronically and severely mentally ill adults. There were some mentally ill children also shown. The book is hard to look at, but is necessary to make sure that we never return to these horrors.

The problem with the book, and with the de-institutionalization movement that it helped launch, is that we ended up with a situation of throwing out the baby with the bath-water. Many, but not all large-scale institutions were poorly run. Many, but not all, clients there did not need a program that restrictive. The result? All institutions were targeted for shut-down and all clients were put back into the communities. The book painted an almost-uniformly bleak picture of large-scale institutions, with only lip-service done to the idea that the conditions were not universally terrible, and that a "good institution" was not an oxymoron.

There were some very good institutions that were doing excellent work for the very small percentage of the population who are EXTREMELY mentally ill and/or developmentally disabled. I am only familiar with Michigan, but Clinton Valley Center and Fairlawn Center (both of which have been plowed under to erect upscale housing or strip-malls) were doing such good work. I do not know if they were doing things as well in the 1960's, but they were in the 1980's and 1990's. In our agency, we do whatever we can to keep children out of any hospitals, and especially out of long-term ones. However, about once per year, I encounter a case where the child and the family, and the community, could benefit from a facility such as Fairlawn Center.

Did "Christmas in Purgatory" accomplish its purpose? Absolutely. Does it overstate and over-generalize? Probably. Did it trigger a situation of over-correction or over-compensation? That's my opinion. Buy the book, read it, and keep it as a safeguard against the horrors of the past. But, please do not consider it a complete and comprehensive look at what all large-scale mental health facilities were like.

Heart-breaking, but important in historical value........1999-06-24

This book is the first to do a photographic expose on the condition of our nation's institutions for the mentally retarded in the 1960's. This was done on the heels of Senator Robert Kennedy's visits to several of his state's institutions and revelation of the horrific state he found them in. This is not an easy book to look at especially when looking at the children and how they were housed, contained, etc. It shows first the worst conditions that the author and photographer found and then documents an institute on the cutting edge at the time. Kaplan brings us face to face with how our ignorance and expectations can be self-fulfilling prophecies for those entrusted to our care. I found it an important book to keep as a reminder of where we have been so as not to return there.

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Dante Musa Style
Bit of a slog after Hell.
A Thoroughly Annotated Translation
Working Our Way Up
UNEARTHLY BEAUTY

The Divine Comedy: Purgatory
Dante Alighieri , and Mark Musa
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140444424

Book Description

_The Divine Comedy_ is perhaps the greatest Christian classic ever written, and probably the greatest adveture story ever told. Dante wrote it to entertain, guide, and enrich ordinary readers, not just the intellectual elite. This clear new version with unique aids makes the fascinating story accessible to such readers today.

Those who love Dante best as a storyteller and teacher will find in this book what they have been waiting for...the freshest, clearest, most exact, and most readable Divine Comedy in the English language, with full-page illustrations and original notes.

Customer Reviews:

Dante Musa Style.......2005-07-29

Mark Musa has produced an extremely readable translation of a text that at times can be next to inaccessible. As a non-Dante scholar, I have struggled with other translations. The notes accompanying each canto also are well done: thorough and very illuminating. Musa's deft pen has turned Purgatory into a pleasure.

Bit of a slog after Hell........2001-06-14

By its very title, 'The Divine comedy' announces its theological purpose. For those not so inclined, the 'Inferno' offered many subsidiary pleasures - compelling narrative drive (both in the adventure of two men descinding into hell, and in the stories of the people they meet); an overpowering visual sense, both in the grand design of Hell's geography and the plan of its punishments, and in the individual details of the sinner's torments; and the endearing characterisation of the heroes, Virgil the stern, noble guide, and Dante, the clumsy, gossipy Everyman.

'Purgatory' has fewer of these delights. Here, it is impossible to avoid the doctrine. Every vast visual set-piece (the Angel fighting off the snake in the Valley of the Princes; the Holy Pageant that stuns the Pilgrim in Eden, complete with griffin-drawn chariot; the masque involving violence to said chariot by eagles, foxes, seven-headed monsters and giants) are all so allegorically pre-determined, each feature a religious symbol, that they lack the dramatic force that would have made their images truly poetic.

The plan of Purgatory - the AntePurgatory where those who left repentance to the last moment must wait; the mountain itself, where seven terraces represent the Deadly Sins to be purged; the crowning Earthly Paradise, or Eden, the gateway to Heaven - bears no real comparison, for the reader, to Hell: one's sympathy naturally inclines towards the eternally damned, and one almost resents the complaints of the saved complaining of their discomforture. The stories told the Pilgrim are also of a lesser order - perhaps proving pure evil to be more (aesthetically) attractive than contrition.

There are some moments when genuine terror intrudes - the visions of violation and tempting lust dreamt by the Pilgrim; the baptism of fire he must pass before entering Eden; the show-trial with Beatrice; while tortuous similes and evocations of nature are framed in poetry of intricate beauty (see Borges remarkable essay on the infinite metaphor in Canto 1).

Mark Musa, like most American annotators, has not heeded the lessons of Charles Kinbote, and his commentary to 'Purgatory' is almost loopily overwritten. He is an amiable, enthusiastic and informative guide, and if his translating choices are sometimes questionable, he has the grace to offer other alternatives. His explanation of the purpose of each image or scene makes it easier to follow the poem with greater understanding (if not necessarily enjoyment). But because he concentrates on every line with such minute detail, he frequently misses the wider design, and so, when he is puzzled by lines that don't fit his view of the Comedy, he has a tendency to blame Dante rather than himself.

A Thoroughly Annotated Translation.......2001-04-21

This is the second volume of Alighieri Dante's classic Divine Comedy. It tells the tale of Dante's journey through Purgatory, led by his guide, Virgil. Having passed through the depths of Hell (the Inferno) in the first volume, Dante and Virgil ascend the mountain of Purgatory, passing its many allegorical characters and observing the penances they must fulfill. The Divine Comedy is a beautiful, epic poem that takes the reader through a wide emotional spectrum and many vivid, picturesque scenes from Dante's fictional afterlife.

This translation was wonderful. Each of the 33 Cantos (Chapters) is set up in this sequence: 1) a short summation by the translator, 2) the poem, and 3) notes on names, characters, and items referenced by Dante. The translator, Mark Musa, even explains in his notes when he has a differing interpretation of a word or phrase than other translators' have had.

Dante used so many references to Greek mythology and events that were common knowledge to educated people of the 13th-14th Century that this poem, without notes, is entirely esoteric and fully appreciated only by the most erudite modern-day readers. Mark Musa brings every reader up to par with his thorough, easily-read notes; thereby making this classic poem a very entertaining and profound experience.

Working Our Way Up.......2000-07-20

Inferno is the most famous of the trio of volumes of Dante's Divine Comedy. But don't stop there. Purgatory is a beautiful work, illustrating the rise of the human soul through Purgatory's nine ledges. I found it beautiful how the souls were not hurrying. They waited patiently, yet eagerly.

Musa's translation makes all the difference. The language is accessible, but not irreverent or vulgar. A routine I found helpful was to read the introduction to each canto, read the canto, then read all the notes, checking back to reinforce meanings or double check a name or place.

The Pilgrim's journey through this volume is heavily illustrative of God's grace, and yet the idea of each person's responsibilities to God are clear.

Don't stop reading after Inferno. These stirring translations by Musa make it possible to read, understand and love the whole Divine Comedy.

UNEARTHLY BEAUTY.......1999-05-08

Dante's DIVINE COMEDY: JOURNEY TO JOY, by Kathryn Lindskoog, is a delight to read. This is definitely a reader-friendly retelling of Dante's Christian classic. The original DIVINE COMEDY was written in terza rima, a closely rhymed form of Italian poetry. This version is written in clear and flowing modern English prose, which at times is suggestive of poetry. The reader is given easy-to-follow footnotes, providing historical background and interpretation that make the book readily understandable and enjoyable.

The story can be understood on more than one level. On the literal level, this spiritual adventure first describes Dante's journey, led by the Roman poet Virgil, down through the nine circles of INFERNO, then up the mountain of PURGATORY. There, on PURGATORY's nine ledges, penitent souls move eagerly through repentance and penance, purifying themselves in the joyful knowledge that Paradise awaits them. As an allegory of the Christian experience, PURGATORY relates the pilgrimage of the human soul, homesick for heaven, struggling to be free of an unworthy past, and longing for fulfillment in God.

Amazon.com

Penzler Pick, March 2001: William Kent Krueger writes the kind of novels mystery lovers love to read: well-written, both character- and plot-driven, with tense scenes and surprise endings. Purgatory Ridge is the third in his series starring Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor, half white, half Ojibwe, who is the sometime sheriff of Aurora, a small town in the North Woods of Minnesota. What is particularly refreshing about Cork O'Connor is that, unlike the portrayal of many private investigators and cops in literature, he is a troubled man with a troubled marriage. He and his wife, Jo, have been through hard times, and although there is plenty of love between them, those hard times often surface and impact investigations and decisions they make regarding their careers. As the story begins, Cork is no longer sheriff, but just has to help investigate when a bomb explodes at the lumber mill run by wealthy industrialist Karl Lindstrom. The bomb kills an Ojibwe Indian who, like many of that nation, objects to the tearing down of the trees in that area, especially those considered sacred by the Ojibwe.

In a parallel story, John LePere, half Indian, half white, festers. As the only survivor aboard the Alfred M. Teasdale when she went down in Lake Superior, he thinks about the death of his shipmates, especially his brother. When it is suggested to him that the sinking of the Teasdale may not have been an accident, LePere is pulled into a plot to avenge the deaths. Grace Fitzgerald, heir to the line that owned the Teasdale, happens to be married to Karl Lindstrom. Add the eco-warriors who have come in from other parts of the country to stop the logging, and you have a potent mix of high adventure and skullduggery. Purgatory Ridge is a fine introduction to Krueger and doesn't require that you first read the earlier two books. --Otto Penzler

Book Description

Winner of the prestigious Loft-McKnight Fiction Award and the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, William Kent Krueger has established himself as a startlingly original voice in thriller fiction. With Purgatory Ridge he cements his standing as a suspense writer of the highest caliber.

Not far from the small town of Aurora (population 3,752) lies an ancient two-hundred-acre expanse of great white pines, sacred to the Anishinaabe and known to them as Minishoomisag (Our Grandfathers).

Wealthy industrialist Karl Lindstrom does not have a reputation as a sensitive environmentalist, and some members of the Anishinaabe tribe are concerned about the proximity of the trees to his lumber mill. So when an explosion at the mill results in the death of a night watchman, it's obvious whom suspicion will fall upon.

Cork O'Connor, in the throes of straightening out his life and repairing his marriage, is asked by his successor as sheriff to help with the investigation. His sense of community obliges him to accept, but Cork has distinctly mixed feelings about the case. For one thing, he is part Anishinaabe himself. For another, his lawyer wife, Jo, represents the tribe.

Meanwhile, in a secluded house that overlooks the lakeside home of the Lindstrom family, a reclusive shipwreck survivor and his sidekick also seem to be harboring some resentment of their own against the industrialist. And it soon becomes clear to Cork that harmony, both at home and in the town, will be on the back burner for some time.

William Kent Krueger's precise and atmospheric prose, combined with his keen eye for the telling details of small-town life and his vivid sense of the land and seascapes of northern Minnesota, will impress and delight both his old fans and those discovering him for the first time.

Customer Reviews:

Good Page-Turner.......2007-09-19

"Purgatory Ridge" is one of those books that grabs you at the outset and doesn't let go till the end. And you won't be disappointed. Krueger writes a gripping novel, set along Minnesota's rugged shores of Lake Superior. Not only will you get a sound reading of the local environment, you'll also learn a lot about the modern Indian culture of the region. Krueger's characters are vividly drawn and he doesn't allow for too much nuance. The good guys are very good; the bad, very bad. The plot has a lot of twists and surprises, especially at the end. And for the most part, Krueger eschews serendipitous coincidences to move his plot forward. This is my first Krueger book and I found it surprisingly engaging and compelling.

Fast Paced.......2006-04-23

The book did hold my interest most of the way through; it definitely was a fast-moving story. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the setting and the characters. It started out to be a pretty good mystery, but didn't deliver in the end, and here's where I differ from previous reviewers. The blurbs describe the book as full of plot twists and surprise endings. I didn't find this to be true. I figured out fairly early on what Bridger was up to, and it didn't take a genius to guess who his secret accomplice was. So much for surprise endings. In addition, I found the dialogue to be clunky and awkward at times; AND, I wonder, does anyone proof the book drafts before they go to print? Does the author get to see a proof of his book cover synopsis? I wonder because on the back of this book it says, "When an explosion kills the NIGHT WATCHMAN at wealthy industrialist Karl Lindstrom's nearby lumber mill..." As anyone who has actually read this book knows, it was NOT the night watchman who was killed, but another individual. Just another example of shoddy editing...

A New Master Storyteller.......2004-04-12

I read Purgatory Ridge and Boundary Waters over the weekend. I won't rehash the plots as other readers here have already done a great job of that. Just want to add my highest praise for this author. I can't think of one negative thing to say. The characters are human and realistic and the description of the surounding area is captivating. But most importantly, WKK's mysteries are also great stories.

good mystery; boring people.......2003-05-26

The bad guys were the most interesting characters in this story. The good guys are pretty boring. This puts me in position of deciding whether to continue reading this series as I don't expect the O'Conners to get very interesting but the stories are very well written with no idiotic endings. The main characters are Cork O'Conner, the ex-sheriff of small norhern Minnesota town who is part Ashinnabe (sp?) and his wife Jo, a lawyer who represents the local tribe.

This mystery evolves around the arson of a logging company and arson-related death of a tribal leader. Was it murder or an accident? Was he the arsonist or innocent? The story leads to the kidnapping of the logging company's owner's family and the kidnapping of Cork's wife and son.

Purgatory Ridge.......2003-03-06

Excellent read. Keeps you guessing right to the last page. Can't wait for more of Cork O'Connor.

Purgatory: A Prison Diary Volume 2 (A Prison Diary)

Average customer rating:

An Insight Into What Life is Like Behind Bars for the Rich and Selfish
Easy Read, Insightful
it makes me feel better
Dear Diary: Today I used the rowing machine
Best Prison Diary Ever

Purgatory: A Prison Diary Volume 2 (A Prison Diary)
Jeffrey Archer
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312342160
Release Date: 2005-06-16

Book Description

New York Times bestselling novelist Jeffrey Archer further describes his harrowing stay in prison On August 9, 2001, twenty-two days after Archer-now known as Prisoner FF8282-was sentenced to four years in prison for per-jury, he was transferred from a maximum security prison in London to HMP Wayland, a medium security prison in Norfolk. For the next sixty-seven days, as he waited to be reclassified for an 'open,' mini-mum security prison, he encountered not only the daily degrada-tions of a dangerously overstretched prison system but also the spirit and courage of his fellow inmates.

Customer Reviews:

An Insight Into What Life is Like Behind Bars for the Rich and Selfish.......2006-08-30

I read this trilogy out of order and Purgatory was the last one I read. The first I read was the finale Heaven which is where this edition leads up to. I must admit I have formed a totally different opinion of Archer than I had after reading Heaven. I actually felt sorry for him after Heaven but after reading the initial and more to the point this Volume II edition my opinion has drastically changed That empathy disappeared after the first diary series Hell, and has transformed into disgust with Purgatory as this edition highlights what a selfish and uncaring about his fellow man type of individual Lord Archer really is.

His pathetic refusal to drink tap water (where does he think bottled water comes from anyway) and eat the every day food that every other prisoner does continues on from the first novel. He disgustingly avoids doing this in his new prison by purchasing with his money from the outside world additional water, chocolate and other food as well as phone cards, additional pillows, blankets, towels and other luxuries from the prison black market. He never once mentions remorse for these actions even though obviously his supplier Dale isn't going to the local Tesco Supermarket and purchasing these items. Obviously other prisoners are either swapping these items for drugs or being severely beaten and threatened for them and having to do without just so Archer can be more comfortable and not have to lower himself to do things like drink tap water. Even though he always has visitors he has no problem with purchasing phone cards the same way even though the victims' phone cards he is using may have no other way to communicate with their loved ones. When he is caught by the prison officials he tries to evoke the feeling of pity for him from his readers for these repulsive actions, it is just disgraceful!

If he'd at least acknowledged the detrimental outcomes for others as a result of his selfish behaviour I would have at least given him some credence but he never mentions this once in his diaries. He is however quick to criticise any prison official who doesn't provide him with special treatment such as the guard who told him he could be put on report for going into the enhanced wing that every other prisoner has to wait three months or so on good behaviour to visit, let alone live there which he shortly there after is granted. I find it hard to fathom how he constantly complains about the papers saying he is given special treatment when that is exactly what happens and he uses the media as an excuse for everything such as demanding his own cell, as his cell mates will talk to the papers if he has to share. He never once criticises himself or his actions for being in prison, always maintaining he is a victim and his sentence will be overruled in the near future which history has proven never happened.

Other unique aspects of this edition to the others are that Archer befriends a Columbian prisoner to get the prisoner's brother smuggle out an emerald from his homeland and sell it to Archer so he can save ten to twenty thousand pounds. He also wanted a painting from a Columbian artist at a much cheaper price as his prison buddy's relatives knew the Columbian family selling it and could convince them (which obviously would have involved threatening them) but thankfully this turned out to be all talk. Either Archer is extremely naive and stupid from living such a privileged and sheltered life, or an extremely selfish individual prepared to live of the misery of others to further himself and live more comfortably. Obviously Britain doesn't have the law that criminals can't profit from their crimes that Australia and other countries do. Although this does result in an interesting look for readers into prison life for the wealthy. It is just a shame Archer is allowed to make money from these books. Surely he could donate proceeds to a childrens' hospital or victims of crime groups or something but I guess as he proved by actions in this book, he has no conscience.

Easy Read, Insightful.......2005-09-18

I have to disagree with some of the other reviews. I find this book very easy to read, not boring at all. I could not put it down.

I'm no big fan of Jeffrey Archer, but this Second Book does go into more of the dark side of British Jails and Prisons. The drugs, the violence.... the way the inmates stick together, swapping Mar's bars for Phone Cards.. Very good.

it makes me feel better.......2005-03-12

archer has written a book that gives us a clear insite into the workings of a c-cat prison its easy reading with interesting characters full of dark humour a bit showy when he states that he can do 2000 miles or kms on a rowing machine(they are really hard and tiring) in 10 minutes though read them from the start as you won't have experiences hell and you know that would be cheating

Dear Diary: Today I used the rowing machine.......2005-02-13

Prison is boring, unpleasant. This book is boring, but not unpleasant. That is the lesson learned from reading this book. Archer spends so much of his time objecting to and fighting his conviction to really analyze prison life other than to make a few facile observations on the unintended consequences of some laws and prison practices.

Archer has a few admiring reviews. From the Independent on Sunday: "The finest thing that he's ever written." From The Washington Post: "A tale that is not only important but true." These read more like sarcasm than praise. Just read them again, and scratch your head.

Archer has written some readable fiction. I've read and enjoyed many of his novels and short stories. He can write well enough. Regardless of your perspective on whether or not he should be in jail, or deserved to be convicted, my conclusion is that Archer should stick to fiction.

Best Prison Diary Ever .......2004-07-24

While passing through the airport in London two years ago I had a six hour layover and decided to look around the bookstore where I found a book called "Prisoner FF8282" by some author named Jeffrey Archer.

Since I speak english (American) and am not English I did not know who this Sir Archer is or was. I, however, purchased the book, and, proceeded up to the BA business lounge where I proceeded to begin, reading this book. I, did, finish, the first book "Prisoner FF8282" before I arrived on my nonstop, flight to New York. Sir Archer is a great, author, who, knows, how, to write, a, diary, of, the, workings, and, goings, on, inside, prison. I took pause, upon, arriving home to, re-read, the book and enjoyed it, even, more, the, second, time.

Now, out comes the second Prison Diary from Archer. Again,,, I loved the second installment. In it he details his stay at the second prison called Wayland that sounds pleasant but is far from it. Several House of Lords Sirs visited Sir Archer and were shocked to find that the food was bad, the bedding dirty, and two inmates have to share each cell.

Mr. Archer ended up involved in several fights where he had to defend himself from advances from other inmates. In one horrible incident Mr. Archer had to use a snooker ball (pool ball for we American's)) in a white sock to keep a mentally retarded (his wording, not mine) inmate from entering his cell and having his way. Keep in mind that Mr. Archer is 73 years old and had every right to protect his and what is his.

Jeffrey Archer is to be applauded for his writing skills and dedication to sit each day and document the cummings and goings inside the three prisons.

Each book in the series has received five plus stars from the New York Prison Diary Book Reading Club that I volunteer for.

Should you ever find yourself convicted and on the way to prison the ten books in this series are must read to know the in's and out's of prison routine and unroutine and how to get through your sentance without being violated or made to do things that you generally wouldn't do, even if paid.

I highly recommend this book to all Amazon customers that read books. This book and the other nine in the series are gripping.

I would recommend that you purchase each of the ten in the series... all are well worth reading.

After Life : What It's Like in Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory

Average customer rating:

In his opinion
half fact, half fiction.
afterlife
More Religious Propoganda....
AFTER LIFE SHOULD BE READ BY ALL SINNERS

After Life : What It's Like in Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory
Michael H. Brown
Manufacturer: Queenship Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1579181554

Customer Reviews:

In his opinion.......2004-04-13

Brown is not preaching from the Catholic Church's teaching on after life matters. None of the visions since the earliest in Christian History (probably St. Paul's which was not written until the 6th century, tough they found a copy of it in the 3rd century) is counted as absolute fact. The only fact we have is that we do not know what the after life is like. Scripture is our only source, as one reviewer notes. But Christian denominations do not agree on which books should be contained in Holy Scripture. The scriptural truth of Purgatory depends on which books you accept in the Cannon, for the most part. The Congragation for the Doctrine of Faith has stated that writing and teaching about heaven should be done without excess detail. I'd say Brown has not held firmly to this teaching of the Church in his descriptions of near-death experiences and visions. I gave the book a two because it does affirm the Church teachings on continuation of the existence of the soul and saints in heaven, and on the teachings of purgatory. But some people will read this book and their images of heaven will be shaped by Brown's opinion rather than sound theology; a bit like imagining heaven is like a Renaissance painter's rendition. Don't rush to criticize the Catholic Church when you find parts of the book obviously far fetched or too detailed. The Church is not teaching according to Brown. It is also interesting to note that while Christians see Christ (or a light they believe to be Christ) during near-death experiences, I've been told Buddhists see Buddha.

half fact, half fiction........2001-11-06

There is Heaven and hell only. Read your bible everyday, prey
3 times a day and ask god to lead you to salvation.

afterlife.......2001-08-03

this is one of the best books i have ever read on the afterlife, it gives so much hope to hear the stories in this book, you will never look at life the same.

More Religious Propoganda...........2001-04-20

Raised a Roman Catholic and educated in Catholic schools through college I have a clear understanding of the belief system that Catholicism is built on. In the past ten years I have read over 50 books on "The After Life" by all of the renown experts. From John Edward and Ruth Montgomery to Raymond Moody, they all have a common message about life after life. They all describe the different stages you go through after each life - the life review, your soul groups, personal guides, the life selection process, etc..

The whole theory of heaven and hell, when analyzed, seems pretty far fetched. it took me a long time to de-program my Catholic thinking to a more realistic belief. There are so many different religions in the world that differ greatly from each other, with the exception of a superior being, that it would impossible for only one to be right and all the rest to be wrong. Biblical stories have man dying in a lake of fire if they don't live life in the image of Jesus. Are you telling me that the other 90% of the world that isn't Catholic are a waste of life when they die? They go to "A" hell or purgatory and do what? Life in eternity in the worst place imaginable or wait in purgatory until you have prayed enough to God? This book is just regurgitating a newer view of the after from a religious perspective. I firmly believe that organized religious beliefs regardless of denomination are a good discipline to life one's life by. Not necessarily that it is THE religious belief system that will grant you entrance to heaven.

As I mentioned before, there are many good book on what really goes on in the after life and how shocked you will all be at the lack of centralized religions. We are the only ones who judge our past lives and do not get condemned for our sins by GOD.

An unbiased and non-religious book for someone who is interesting in what goes on in the after life based on thousands of case studies on past life regression is JOURNEY OF SOULS, by Dr. Michael Newton.

Regardless of your current belief on after life, Newton will give you a different perspective on life after life.

AFTER LIFE SHOULD BE READ BY ALL SINNERS.......2000-10-12

AS WE ARE ALL SINNERS THIS BOOK ALLOWS US THE GRACE TO PERCEIVE OUR FUTURE BOTH ON EARTH AND THE WORLD TO COME. IT POINTS OUT THAT NO MATTER WHAT OUR PRESENT OR PAST LIFE IS GOOD OR BAD AFTER READING THIS BOOK WE CAN COME TO REALIZE THAT GOD LOVES US ALL. BY TURNING FROM OURSELVES AND TOWARD GOD WE CAN REALIZE THE ONLY THING IN LIFE IS TO KNOW AND LOVE GOD. START TODAY BY PRAYING EVERY DAY FOR THE GRACE TO LEAD A HOLY LIFE. I KNOW THAT I AM.

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