A review by ed_moore
La Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Dante’s ‘La Vita Nuova’, meaning ‘the new life’ is a collection of love poems and sonnets by Dante written to his unrequited and unobtainable love Beatrice. He recounts his story with her, or more observing her, through prose with his poems inserted in and analysed. With each poem Dante would break it down and fully explain its meaning, which I can’t say I massively enjoyed as it left no room for reader interpretation within his poetry. Also I can’t ignore that Dante’s love was obsessive and he absolutely stalked Beatrice. He became infatuated by this girl and never even spoke to her aside from an occasion where she and her friends mocked him, yet he follows her around, becomes overwhelmed by emotion in just looking at her, and deeply mourns her friend and father when they pass despite not knowing them just because she is mourning, and then come her death, still having no idea of Dante’s love to her, he endlessly laments her. This woman died having little idea of his obsession, and no clue how pivotal a role she would play in the works of one of literatures greatest poets, and the crucial part she plays in ‘The Divine Comedy’. Dante also mentions in ‘La Vita Nuova’ his lack of confidence in his own writing, which did sadden me slightly as its the natural human doubt of oneself and their works shining through in the case of a monumental writer, and when I hear of authors who died not knowing their influence and believing their lives works a failure I am utterly heartbroken. Despite this, the complete obsession in ‘La Vita Nuova’ was freaky and I have lost a lot of respect for Dante’s character.