If I have trouble reading The Divine Comedy am I just retarded and illiterate?
>>7624573
Pick up a translation, moron
>>7624573
I read it in 7th grade, and that was in 96 before wikipedia led everyone else by the dick
>>7624573
It depend of the translation, and in all case, that's not an easy book to read
>>7624595
so you're old as fuck with zero irl friends and still have to spend time online congratz m8
I've read the Inferno, and if you don't know what's going on in the Inferno, that's because Dante's Hell is littered with sinful Italian contemporaries and historical figures that you wouldn't recognize. Get an edition with notes. Notes are key to understanding the Inferno.
>>7624618
>purposely being an underage normalfag
>>7624618
...where do you think you are?
Anyone know how Mandelbaum's Aeneid?
I was going to read his divine comedy, but feel like I should read the Aeneid first.
>>7624628
+1 note are really important to understand that "book"
complement your lecture with this:
http://www.shmoop.com/inferno/
http://www.shmoop.com/purgatorio/
http://www.shmoop.com/paradiso/
>>7624653
Ohhhhh shit I like this infographic. Are there any similar images that do this for other translated texts?
I didnt have much trouble reading it in the original Italian last year, I thought it to be quite easy. This was only about a month into my learning of the language.
>>7624573
It's a comedy man. Don't take it too seriously.
>>7624573
No, anon. Don't worry. It's a challenge for many readers if they're not familiar with the bible, early greek and italian poets and philosophers and the histories of those regions too. I've just finished reading it and although I found it immensely rewarding and beautiful, I couldn't necessarily say that it was easy.