The Vision; or Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise

I found this very old poetry book at a second hand store. The front is hardcover with gold emblem "Dante"
Illustrated

Published in New York in 1881.

Anyone know anything bout this book

Not really, but I searched it on the online books page and skimmed through it. It's an epic poem (long and tells a story) told through different acts in three chapters (Hell, Purgatory & Paradise) ... it looks like a love story, but I don't know. I feel like it's interesting.

Oooo, looks like you found yourself a nice old copy of The Divine Comedy. (Comedy as in "has a happy ending," not as in "funny.")

I've only read the first part, Hell/Inferno, and that was about eight years ago, but it's a pretty famous trilogy. Dante Alighieri was an Italian during the 14th century. He kind of stirred things up by being one of the first to write in the common "vulgar" tongue of Italy, rather than in one of the Classical languages which were almost always used in literature and religious texts at the time.

Dante was writing in a pretty bubbling era... the Church and the State were in a huge struggle for earthly power, and this influenced everything that went on, especially in Italy, the seat of the Church.

Dante's epic poem is allegorical, both religiously and politically... and poetically. The (I'm guessing more modern) translation that I had was surprisingly readable.

Anyway, Dante's book stars a version of himself, as he gets a tour of life after death. He starts with a journey through Hell. Some smart Greek heathen is his tour guide. (Virgil. Just looked it up.) Virgil is an example of someone who was pretty virtuous and learned in his life, but who nevertheless did not receive salvation.

Virgil takes Dante through the nine circles of hell, where sinners are separated and punished according to the flavour of their sins.

After going through Hell, the protagonist continues through Purgatory (where sinners work off their sins) and on to Paradise. I think Beatrice is modeled after a deceased woman that Dante loved. He thinks she's the bee's saintly knees. I can't tell you much more than that, because I haven't read the whole thing.

Anyhoo, I'd definitely snatch up pretty much any book published before 1900, just because I'm a bit of a book hoarder, and, heck, that thing is over 130 years old! There are tortoises younger than that. Is it nicely bound?

Sibby. Thank you for responding, you too Dark Secrets :)The way this book is put together is like 3 pages folded...it is sewn together with a thick thread material, not wire. Its cover is charcoal grey indented with flowers (lilys and panseys?)
2 torches and 2 horn thingys. There is 1 page that came out but I have it. The pages themselves are in great shape- doesn't look it has been read hardly, the paper feels very thick. They have gold trim. There are 5 loops of thread that hold the pages in.Where "Paradise" begins there is one set of 3 pages - hanging on by only 1 loop.
The corners of the hard cover are dinged up a bit. I can't tell what it is covered by, thin cloth maybe but whatever it is it's cracking.
The ugly part of this book is the spine where the covering on the top half is gone completely.

Sounds cool! I love nice books. I appreciate anything where the binding was sewn (as yours was) rather than pasted as a block of paper.

Is this it?:

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vision-hell-purgatory-paradise-dante-66853451

Yes Sibby That is the book. Not bad for 25 cents huh....

I think it's definitely worth having! Sigh. I love old books.... thanks for sharing!

Sibby. I would be willing to part with this book :) after I am done trying to make heads or tails of it.

It is a beautiful book.

I would like you to have it because you are such a lover of old books and would appreciate it. :)

for free of course.

Found a new book for my collection!
Thanks for the information, guys!! ^^