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Life of Dante (Hesperus Classics)
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Manufacturer: Hesperus Press
Author: Giovanni Boccaccio
Publisher: Hesperus Press
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $11.86
You Save: $ 2.09 ( 15% )
In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
Manufacturer: Hesperus Press
Author: Giovanni Boccaccio
Publisher: Hesperus Press
Average Customer Rating:
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Life of Dante (Hesperus Classics) Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 809
EAN: 9781843910060
ISBN: 1843910063
Label: Hesperus Press
Manufacturer: Hesperus Press
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 91
Publication Date: 2002-07-01
Publisher: Hesperus Press
Studio: Hesperus Press
Dewey Decimal Number: 809
EAN: 9781843910060
ISBN: 1843910063
Label: Hesperus Press
Manufacturer: Hesperus Press
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 91
Publication Date: 2002-07-01
Publisher: Hesperus Press
Studio: Hesperus Press
Editorial Review of Life of Dante (Hesperus Classics)
Life of Dante is a fascinating and hugely important literary work both in terms of the revelations it provides into the lives and thoughts of two great Italian men, and also as an early example of biography. Boccaccio was a fervent admirer of Dante, and as such, he embarked upon writing this short piece as a vindication of the merits of his illustrious fellow-citizen. Yet far from being simply an account of the misfortunes that befell the great Florentine exile, the resulting Life of Dante also gives precious insight into Boccaccio's own ideas on a wide variety of issues including poetry, literature, women, and society.
Customer Reviews of Life of Dante (Hesperus Classics)
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: Interesting for multiple reasons
Review: This book probably couldn't be labeled as overly entertaining, but it is very interesting. For one thing, it's the very first biography of Dante. Even more importantly, it's written by Giovanni Boccaccio, one of the great luminaries of Italian literature. As far as I know, no other biography written by one literary genius about another exists.
I was pleased to find a lot of material and anecdotes in it that I had also found in modern biographies. I also enjoyed reading firsthand the adoration that Dante's people poured upon him so soon after "The Divine Comedy" was written.
There are a few things in the book that might surprise modern readers. The supposed unhappiness of Dante's marriage is talked about for quite some time, despite Boccaccio acknowledging that he has no evidence of marital troubles besides his (Boccaccio's) own personal misogyny. Also, medieval literary theory and Boccaccio's opinions on literature sidetrack the narrative a bit, but that is simply how biographies were written at the time.
The only thing I don't like and can't explain is why the publishers included a story from "The Decameron" at the end of the book. The tale isn't about Dante and does not add to the biography.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: When a son of Florence writes about another son of Florence
Review: "The Life of Dante", by Giovanni Boccaccio, is aptly described in the introduction by J.G. Nichols, at the beginning of this edition, as the "first modern literary biography", which is true, to some extent. Yet, in a time when a string of biographies written on more or less famous people seems to have, as only purpose, the crude expositions of mildly interesting (if at all) juicy tidbits, and this usually in a poor prose, this book, written in the 14th century by the author of the "Decameron", is at the same time light-hearted, poetic and informative. It gives us not only an insight into Dante's life, work and personality, but also into that of Boccaccio (and his infamous aversion to marriage, at least to that of the 'philosophers') and into the Florence both knew.
But most important and touching I think is the honest love for Dante's works and admiration for the man that are on display in every page, even when Boccaccio addresses Dante's faults. And of course, the style of the Florentine, one of the great writers behind the foundation of the Italian literature, only adds to the interest of this biography. A very refreshing reading, and a must for those of you who are at least curious about one of the major masterpieces of European literature and the man behind it.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: One literary master on another
Review: Invaluable to anyone interested in Italian literature, Dante or Boccaccio. Boccaccio, of course was a great admirer of Dante's, wrote a commentary on the Divine Comedy and was greatly influenced by him. Writing at a time when Dante was not given the respect he has since (surely inevitably) gained, Boccaccio wrote this biography of him, pointing out his great merits as a person, poet, and political figure. It's fascinating to see the results, with insights on every page into both Dante, Boccaccio, and also Florentine society of the time. There are wonderful stories about Dante to illustrate his peculiarities as a man - I particularly enjoyed the story of him vandalising a workman's tools for misquoting the Comedy. Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Bio the way it was ment to be
Review: More than a simple biography, Boccaccio's The Life of Dante is an ode to a master by his pupil. Not only does the book tell the tale of Dante's life, it illustrates nicely Italian life and politics. The biography is short and fast paced. The reader can actually feel the author's love of his subject seeping off the pages.
Review Summary: Interesting for multiple reasons
Review: This book probably couldn't be labeled as overly entertaining, but it is very interesting. For one thing, it's the very first biography of Dante. Even more importantly, it's written by Giovanni Boccaccio, one of the great luminaries of Italian literature. As far as I know, no other biography written by one literary genius about another exists.
I was pleased to find a lot of material and anecdotes in it that I had also found in modern biographies. I also enjoyed reading firsthand the adoration that Dante's people poured upon him so soon after "The Divine Comedy" was written.
There are a few things in the book that might surprise modern readers. The supposed unhappiness of Dante's marriage is talked about for quite some time, despite Boccaccio acknowledging that he has no evidence of marital troubles besides his (Boccaccio's) own personal misogyny. Also, medieval literary theory and Boccaccio's opinions on literature sidetrack the narrative a bit, but that is simply how biographies were written at the time.
The only thing I don't like and can't explain is why the publishers included a story from "The Decameron" at the end of the book. The tale isn't about Dante and does not add to the biography.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: When a son of Florence writes about another son of Florence
Review: "The Life of Dante", by Giovanni Boccaccio, is aptly described in the introduction by J.G. Nichols, at the beginning of this edition, as the "first modern literary biography", which is true, to some extent. Yet, in a time when a string of biographies written on more or less famous people seems to have, as only purpose, the crude expositions of mildly interesting (if at all) juicy tidbits, and this usually in a poor prose, this book, written in the 14th century by the author of the "Decameron", is at the same time light-hearted, poetic and informative. It gives us not only an insight into Dante's life, work and personality, but also into that of Boccaccio (and his infamous aversion to marriage, at least to that of the 'philosophers') and into the Florence both knew.
But most important and touching I think is the honest love for Dante's works and admiration for the man that are on display in every page, even when Boccaccio addresses Dante's faults. And of course, the style of the Florentine, one of the great writers behind the foundation of the Italian literature, only adds to the interest of this biography. A very refreshing reading, and a must for those of you who are at least curious about one of the major masterpieces of European literature and the man behind it.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: One literary master on another
Review: Invaluable to anyone interested in Italian literature, Dante or Boccaccio. Boccaccio, of course was a great admirer of Dante's, wrote a commentary on the Divine Comedy and was greatly influenced by him. Writing at a time when Dante was not given the respect he has since (surely inevitably) gained, Boccaccio wrote this biography of him, pointing out his great merits as a person, poet, and political figure. It's fascinating to see the results, with insights on every page into both Dante, Boccaccio, and also Florentine society of the time. There are wonderful stories about Dante to illustrate his peculiarities as a man - I particularly enjoyed the story of him vandalising a workman's tools for misquoting the Comedy. Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Bio the way it was ment to be
Review: More than a simple biography, Boccaccio's The Life of Dante is an ode to a master by his pupil. Not only does the book tell the tale of Dante's life, it illustrates nicely Italian life and politics. The biography is short and fast paced. The reader can actually feel the author's love of his subject seeping off the pages.