gurveen_kaur's review
2.0
This isn't going to be an easy book to review because I'm not sure how to adequately word my feelings. I know what I'm feeling, I know I didn't enjoy the book but that it was okay..but how to explain that "okay" is the tough bit.
If anyone reads this before reading or without enough knowledge about Dante's work and thoughts in The Divine Comedy, this may not seem all that interesting. I guess that's because it just doesn't seem passionate, if you know what I mean. It honestly feels like Chwast was just too bored, had an idea but felt pretty lazy in executing it with enough value attached to it. It does summarise the not-so-easy-to-get-through version that Dante originally wrote but it fails to do justice to it.
But if you have enough idea about what The Divine Comedy originally is, it just gives you another version or point of view to look at it but again, it doesn't add any value. I was intrigued when I came across this because, as someone who loves illustrations and illustrated editions, I wanted to view Dante's work through visuals and I didn't mind the simple comical line art one too. But all of it just lacked depth.
I think most of us can agree with how a reader doesn't have to always relate or understand or have the same belief as the author (or the characters) but you can appreciate a perspective that's different from you. You can appreciate how a human mind is so fascinating. That's how I connected to Dante's work. I don't agree with him or relate, but I find his way of thinking and how he viewed the world extremely fascinating.
Chawst's work here takes away that fascination, sadly. At least for me.
Blog - Times of Gee
If anyone reads this before reading or without enough knowledge about Dante's work and thoughts in The Divine Comedy, this may not seem all that interesting. I guess that's because it just doesn't seem passionate, if you know what I mean. It honestly feels like Chwast was just too bored, had an idea but felt pretty lazy in executing it with enough value attached to it. It does summarise the not-so-easy-to-get-through version that Dante originally wrote but it fails to do justice to it.
But if you have enough idea about what The Divine Comedy originally is, it just gives you another version or point of view to look at it but again, it doesn't add any value. I was intrigued when I came across this because, as someone who loves illustrations and illustrated editions, I wanted to view Dante's work through visuals and I didn't mind the simple comical line art one too. But all of it just lacked depth.
I think most of us can agree with how a reader doesn't have to always relate or understand or have the same belief as the author (or the characters) but you can appreciate a perspective that's different from you. You can appreciate how a human mind is so fascinating. That's how I connected to Dante's work. I don't agree with him or relate, but I find his way of thinking and how he viewed the world extremely fascinating.
Chawst's work here takes away that fascination, sadly. At least for me.
Blog - Times of Gee
carmenlavillaa's review
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.75
swimandglitter's review
3.0
Putting in pictures highlights absurdity and drugginess of religious stories (here notion of hell). See crumb genesis.
icxrxx's review
1.0
As I settled down to read this, I read some reviews and they were all 2 stars. That was highly generous, this story (or rather, this story in this format) provided me with absolutely nothing of any worth. This felt like the “12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping...” countdown of the 12 Days of Christmas, but instead of a list of nice things it was a list of the layers and levels of hell/purgatory and paradise.
I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, if you ever want to read the divine comedy... I’d reach for the original.
I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, if you ever want to read the divine comedy... I’d reach for the original.
bibliocyclist's review
3.0
Perfection will grow in the rewards for good and evil.
Dead souls cast no shadow.
Dead souls cast no shadow.
theodrred's review
2.0
2.5ish. I thought the art was really underwhelming (especially given the extraordinary subject matter); but I mean as a summary of the Divine Comedy, it delivered. I have little interest in actually reading the original but feel somewhat obligated to familiarise myself with it.
christiana's review
2.0
Do you know what this was like? It was like someone took their notes from reading Dante's Divine Comedy and drew some pictures using only their pen and their spotty notes. And then xeroxed it and stapled it. This could have been awesome! It's not.
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