Member Reviews
Very nice artwork, but apparently impossible to read this on a Kindle, even with font adjusted to the largest setting.
It's a perfectly fine retelling of Dante's Inferno. For those unfamiliar with the original or looking for a different interpretation of the original, this is an accessible version. The graphic interpretation works well, and this would be a very solid format for folks who struggle with the complexity of the original and its language.
Published by Abrams ComicArts and available November 19, 2024, Dante's Inferno is a Dantean's dream -- a gorgeous visual retelling of the first canticle of the Divine Comedy, Inferno. The artists couldn't be better chosen, Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi worked on Disney films in the past (including the spectacular Firebird segment of Fantasia 2000) and their illustrations here are fantastic, in their signature graphite. They remind me a bit of Gustave Doré's famous illustrations, but with more modern sensibilities. I first read Inferno as a high schooler and would have loved this. My one complaint is the font -- it's nearly impossible to read and I tried viewing it on three different screens. I don't know if this is an issue with the proof provided by NetGalley or a bad font choice but I hope it cleans up by publishing because otherwise this is a graphic novel to treasure, for fans of medieval literature and expressive art.
I've always wanted to read Dante's Inferno. My original dream was to read it in the original Italian. When I failed to learn Italian, I thought this would be a good alternative. The graphics were amazing and I was really looking forward to reading it, but I couldn't get over the terrible font. It wasn't worth the eye strain so only be able to read every couple of words. If the font is updated, I would love to try again.
I wanted so much to like this more than I did. The artwork was incredible, but the lettering of the text was often difficult to read. It also seems something was lost in the translation of the translation. There were some gaps in the story itself. If I had not previously read the poem, I doubt I would have missed them, but knowing they were left out made this a less than completely satisfying experience for me.
A gorgeous rendition of a classic. Many of the panels will stick with you long after you’ve finished reading it - the art feels both old-school and fresh, toeing the line in perfect balance.
2.5 rounded down (due to lack of accessibility)
A graphic adaption of the classic "Dante's Inferno" by Dante Alighieri. The story adaption is fine and the artwork is ok. I found myself feeling like some pages were well drawn and the shading added dimension and depth, and then seeing others and thinking that it felt unfinished. My hope is maybe that's the case with this eARC and we will see more vibrant and expressive illustrations in the product upon publication.
Now my biggest issue with this graphic adaption is the text. Like many other reviewers, I had issues with a low res file. Besides that, the test font was miserable for an inclusive reading experience. As I state in many of my graphic novel reviews, the ability to easily read the story is an important part with the format and when authors or illustrators use text that is too stylized it runs the risk of losing readers with dyslexia, eyesight issues, and other disabilities.
Overall, this version doesn't live up to it's potential.
The thing about classic literature , is that is can be a bit daunting. Indeed, the authors mention this in the introduction, stating that their aim is to make Dante's Inferno more accessible. It's a goal I think they've achieved. The graphic novel is engaging and absorbing. Rather than wade through the original, you get a succinct summary of the first part of The Divine Comedy, which you can easily read in one sitting. The illustrations are clever and haunting and they certainly spur you on to turn the page. It ending makes you thirsty for more, so I look forward to the next in this series.
An awe-inspiring work of art, this adaptation reverently translates the themes, messages, and emotions of Dante's masterpiece into a more accessible form of media. This is a quick read, but the haunting images are not easy to digest—in the best, most fitting way possible. My mouth regularly fell agape as I read, either marveling at the gravity and magnitude of the infernal scenes or recoiling in disgust at the horror and torment the artists so faithfully captured. Tension cuts through every page. Raw emotion seeps from every image. In many ways, it reminded me of Francisco Goya's work. As a big fan of Dante's Inferno, I was extremely impressed. This is certainly an abridged version of the poem, and there's something about how your imagination fills in the gaps of the original text with the worst images your own mind can invent that can't be replicated in this medium, but this is a powerful, worthwhile experience in and of itself. I highly recommend this for readers both familiar and unfamiliar with Dante's Inferno. We need more adaptations like this.
This is an adaptation of Dante's Inferno where Dante is on a quest to find his lost love Beatrice in Paradise, but he needs to cross the nine circles of Hell with the poet Virgil as his guide. Along the way, Dante must recognize and reject each of the incarnations of sin. This graphic adaptation does a great job of adapting and condensing the story but I have major issues with the e-format. Reading this in e-format is nearly impossible because the text was almost eligible. There was no way to make it bigger, not that I think that would have made a difference because of how the text was shaped, and I was starting to strain my eyes trying to decipher the text. I spent more time trying to figure out what was being said in the text box than what the illustrations looked like. Since I'm familiar with the story, I didn't have to work too hard but it was tedious nonetheless. I'm going to have to get a hold of a physical copy so that I can get a better idea of what it's supposed to look like instead of what I experienced. This was a decent adaptation otherwise and I think that overall it wasn't a bad book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for an advance copy of this graphic novel adaptation of a classic work that has inspired so many from religious thinkers, philosophers, artists, poets, writers and more.
I was late to reading Dante. I was not much for poetry in my reading life to well after college, and Dante's works always seemed too religious, too much about love, and a poem. I knew the story or thought I knew the story. I remember a Mad Magazine article though I don't remember the artist. I read Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle about a science fiction author in Hell. My father also loved those snippet books, the Bathroom readers, so I know I read about Dante there. However I never read Dante until after college. I would like to say I came across it, but I think a young lady was doing a paper on Dante and tried to help. What struck me most was that even in translation the imagery that Dante used. That and the story was far more complex than I had thought, and in many ways far more wondrous. There have been many adaptations and many artists giving their interpretations, but I think this is as close as artists have come to capturing the images, the creatures as Dante saw them. Dante's Inferno: A Graphic Novel Adaptation is written by Dante Alighieri and adapted by the French cartoonists, directors and creators Paul and Gaétan Brizzi.
The story begins with Dante at the age of 35 feeling lost and alone in the dark woods near his home. Here he is beset by three creatures who pursue him deeper into the darkness, only stopped by man who comes to Dante with a story and a tale. The man is the Roman poet Virgil, and though Dante still lives, has been dispatched by Dante's love Beatrice to guide him through Hell to safety. This means passing through the nine levels that make up the Underworld, each more dangerous, dark and depressing than then one before. Dante with Virgil leading comes across many from history and legend, those who are trapped in the fates they made on Earth, and suffering in the afterlife, along with many threats and dangers to the duo.
This graphic adaptation sprung from the containment of the COVID era, while both illustrators, twin brothers who are famous in France for their animated work and commercials, had lots of time. This is a labor of love one can easily see. The illustrations are beautiful, with a richness that shows both their animation backgrounds, and the freedom of being able to work on a task that answered to no one but themselves. The illustrations are really beautiful, clear, and full of dimension, with pages that make a reader just stop and stare. In adapting the story the two did have to make a few changes, a few omissions here and there, but the story works well and flows really really well. My only problem was the font on the e-reader was a little rough, but that's just a nitpick. These pages are really well done, and is one of the best looking graphic novels I have seen in a long time. A really masterful adaptation.
Adaptations can be difficult to create in a space already dominated by the author, but this version of Dante's Inferno was a fantastic addition to the classic space. It was interesting, the art was perfect for the time period and the style, and it was clean and easy to follow.
The author's note did remind us that some parts were removed for the sake of space and time - but that would just guide the reader to another adaptation or the original classic story which is fantastic. It's basically an easily digestible version of the original to guide people through the tale. In short, it will hopefully make people feel a lot more confident about reading the original or other classics.
I'm hoping these creators will tackle further books. Paradise Lost would be perfect for their style and it would be interesting to see how they would adapt it.
My only gripe with this book was the font. If it is being released as an epub or other versions digitally, the font is very hard to read on a smaller screen. I've read plenty of graphic novels/manga on my phone, and the bold fonts and italicised narration left it pixelised and hard to read. I could only imagine how much more difficult it might be on a smaller screen or kindle.
Quick summary: Determined to reunite with his lost love, Beatrice, Dante follows Virgil through the circles of hell, where he encounters and must reject demons and every iteration of sin.
Quick response: this graphic novel is gorgeous! The illustrations are jaw-dropping and do more to present Dante's Inferno than the text itself. Each frame is a masterpiece, and the full-page illustrations are beyond stunning.
If you've tried and failed to read the 14,000+ lines of the original poem, this adaptation is all you need to finally get through it, and the exquisite illustrations will help you to actually enjoy it.
Five stars. Highly recommended.
This was a graphic novel adaptation of a classic. novel. This graphic novel was a little dark, but not just because of the content of the plot. The colors are super dark. and the font was hard to read. I liked that most of the main points of the original came across in this version in all its gruesome details. It was a little hard to follow all the circles of hell. Overall, this was an interesting concept and I like that they tried to make this graphic novel.
What I loved most: the gruesome and terrible fates that befell sinners, the washed out feel of the art
The eARC provided for this graphic novel came with very poor image quality amd low resolution. Whatever I feel is intertwined with how difficult it was for me to unearth the story from impossible to read texts. I hope the publishing house, in future makes better digital copies for the readers.
In order to meet his beloved Beatrice again, Dante and Virgil go through the circles of hell, where they encounter sinners, philosophers, mythical creatures and historical figures. But Dante holds on to his faith and with Virgil's help they finally succeed. Great detailed drawings. Unfortunately, the writing was difficult to read.
Great art work, I enjoyed every page.
I really love the comic adaptation of the great classics.
A perfect 10/10.
I've read so many visual adaptations of Dante's Inferno, this, by far, is probably one with my favorite illustrations - the stark greys and whites with a sketch like quality did a great job of bringing this Divine Comedy to life. I truly appreciate these adaptations because they all try to make Alighieri's original tale more palatable to a modern audience. The story is clear to follow as we journey down into the depths of hell with Dante and his poetic master, Virgil. If you are unfamiliar with this story and want to work your way up to the original translations, I recommend picking this up for sure!
I'm not sure what I visualized in the past while reading The Inferno, but from now on it will be the captivating drawings in this graphic novel adaptation. The illustrations are beautiful even when portraying the ugly, detailed, creative, and perfect for the subject matter. Dante has been waiting centuries to be paired with Brizzi. Wonderful.
Thanks to NetGalley and Splitter Verlag for making an advance copy of this title available for an honest review.
This graphic novel adaptation of Dante's Inferno has its merits.
The artwork is really nice and I enjoyed the black and white pencil-look style.
From what I know, the story follows the original well and the designs are inventive and well imagined.
Unfortunately, it was really hard to follow the story because of the text. The narrative text was in capitals and was legible but any speech was written in a font that was really hard to read and at times I just gave up reading particular bits of text which ruined the overall experience and as such I can't rate this any higher than 3 stars, the stars given for the layout and illustrations which I enjoyed.
Hopefully this might get an edit to make the text better, in which case I would recommend it. Unfortunately in it's current form it will have limited appeal and enjoyment.