The Divine Comedy (version 2 Dramatic Reading)


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4.5 stars; 90 reviews)

The Divine Comedy (in Italian, Divina Commedia, or just La commedia or Comedia) is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri in the first decades of the 14th Century, during his exile from his native Florence. Considered the most important work of Italian literature, the poem has also has enormous historical influence on western literature and culture more generally. Dante represents the three realms of the afterlife in his three canticles (Inferno--Hell; Purgatorio--Purgatory; Paradiso--Paradise) in a way that reflects and, at the same time, goes beyond Christian tradition of the 14th Century. Dante is sometimes called "The father of the Italian language" for the linguistic influence of the Comedy, which helped to elevate his native Florentine Tuscan dialect to the level of national standard. The poem is written in the first person, and tells of Dante's journey through the three realms of the dead, lasting from the night before Good Friday to the Wednesday after Easter in the spring of 1300. The Roman poet Virgil guides him through Hell and Purgatory; Beatrice, Dante's ideal woman, guides him through Heaven. (Summary by Mary J)

MC: Leni
BC: Mary J
DPL, Editor: Michele Eaton

Cast:
Heavenly Messenger, Pier della Vigna, Malacoda, Sordello, Sapia, Angel of Temperance, Leah, Nymph 2, Piccarda: Sarah Terry
Pier da Medicina: Adele de Pignerolles
Homer, Minotaur, Jacopo Rusticucci, Pope Nicholas, Master Adam, Cato, Manfred, King Solomon, Adam: alanmapstone
Tree, Tree 2, A Soul in the Sphere of Mercury: Amy Gramour
Peter Damian: David Lawrence
Sinner 1, Megaera, Soul 2, Widow, Wife of Pisistratus, Siren, Lustful Soul 1, Nymph 7: Availle
Mohammed, Corrado Malaspina: BeniaminoMassimo
Minos: Bryan Rupert
Aglauros, Pisistratus, Abbot of St Zeno: DomBombadil
Ulysses: David N Winkler
Count Ugolino, Soul 3, St James: Beth Thomas
Plutus, Calvalcante dei Calvalcanti, Giacomo da SantAndrea, Alessio Interminei of Lucca, Vanni Fucci, Guido da Montefeltro, Sinon, Nimrod, Buonconte Da Montefeltro, Guard, Oderisi, Envious Soul 3, Marco, A Pope, Forese Donati, Guido Guinizelli, Griffon, Justinian, Thomas Aquinas, St Peter: Andrew Coleman
Cacus: GaylorSwift
Ciacco, Sinner 3, Lano, Tegghiaio Aldobrandi, Malebranche 2, Fra Catalan, Puccio Sciancato, Boniface VIII, Capocchio, Frate Alberigo, Belacqua, Judge Nino, Envious Soul 4, Guido del Duca, Nymph 3, Charles Martel, Bonaventure, St Bernard: Zach K
Bertran de Born, Angry Mob: Johnny Alexander
Narrator, Beatrice: Mary J
Charon, Filippo Argenti, Chiron, Guido Guerra, Venedico Caccianimico, Swindler: inflected
Proud Soul 2, Nymph 4: Jessie Yun
Francesca da Rimini: Amanda Friday
Angry Mob 1, Angel of Peace, Singing Elder, Nymph 5: K Cotter
Wrathful Soul, Tisiphone, Farinata, Nessus, Capaneus, Malebranche 1, Fra Loderingo, Snakeman, Black Cherub, Mosca, Camiscione dei Pazzi, Casella, Pia, Angel, Proud Soul 3, Envious Soul 2, Thunderous Voice, Angry Mob 4, Lavinia, Slothful Soul 1, Angel of Zeal, Hugh Capet, Bonagiunta, Lustful Soul 3, Soul in Eden 1, Many Souls Voice 3, Nymph 1, Folco, St Benedict, St John: Kristin Gjerløw
Omberto, Rinieri dal Calboli, Avaricious/Prodigal Penitent, Statius, Many Souls Voice 4: Leni
Virgil: Anna Simon
Phlegyas: LibriNinja
Lucia, Malebranche 4, Penitent Soul, Jacopo del Cassero, Lucia, Angel of Humility, Other Souls 2, Many Souls Voice 5, Nymph 6: Lydia
Brunetto Latini: Martin Geeson
Bocca degli Abati: Alex Lane
Excommunicated Repentant Soul: Nan Mig
Alecto, Trajan: Patrick Eaton
Cacciaguida: Vin Reilly
Griffolino, Slothful Soul 4: Rob Board
Sinner 2, A Florentine Bush, Malebranche 5, Traitor 2, Angry Mob 2, Slothful Soul 3, Lustful Soul 2, Soul in Eden 2, Many Souls Voice 2: Rosslyn Carlyle
Avaricious, Prodigal Penitent 2: Ruth Golding
Singing Souls, Angel of Purity, Matelda, Singing Angels: Shakira Searle
Avaricious Soul, Agnello, Angry Mob, Cunizza: Holly Alexander
Virgin Mary, Prodigal Soul, Demon, Usurer, Traitor 1, Late Repentant Soul, Proud Soul 1, Envious Soul 1, Angel of Generosity, Holy Lady, Other Souls 1, Voice, Many Souls Voice 1, Eagle: TriciaG
Dante: Peter Tucker
Malebranche 3, Buoso, Angry Mob, Slothful Soul 2: Vincent Alexander
Daniel Arnaut: Vespero (13 hr 4 min)

Chapters

000 - Dramatis Personae 10:52 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
001 - Inferno I 7:44 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
002 - Inferno II 7:23 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
003 - Inferno III 7:27 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
004 - Inferno IV 8:15 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
005 - Inferno V 7:45 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
006 - Inferno VI 6:32 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
007 - Inferno VII 7:11 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
008 - Inferno VIII 6:59 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
009 - Inferno IX 7:14 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
010 - Inferno X 7:33 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
011 - Inferno XI 6:44 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
012 - Inferno XII 7:53 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
013 - Inferno XIII 8:26 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
014 - Inferno XIV 8:09 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
015 - Inferno XV 8:13 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
016 - Inferno XVI 7:40 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
017 - Inferno XVII 7:19 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
018 - Inferno XVIII 7:29 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
019 - Inferno XIX 7:34 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
020 - Inferno XX 7:34 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
021 - Inferno XXI 7:35 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
022 - Inferno XXII 7:51 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
023 - Inferno XXIII 7:38 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
024 - Inferno XXIV 8:09 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
025 - Inferno XXV 7:55 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
026 - Inferno XXVI 7:28 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
027 - Inferno XXVII 8:19 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
028 - Inferno XXVIII 7:47 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
029 - Inferno XXIX 7:27 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
030 - Inferno XXX 9:50 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
031 - Inferno XXXI 7:47 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
032 - Inferno XXXII 7:17 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
033 - Inferno XXXIII 8:43 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
034 - Inferno XXXIV 7:48 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
035 - Purgatorio I 8:02 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
036 - Purgatorio II 7:23 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
037 - Purgatorio III 8:20 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
038 - Purgatorio IV 7:16 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
039 - Purgatorio V 7:16 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
040 - Purgatorio VI 8:05 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
041 - Purgatorio VII 7:14 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
042 - Purgatorio VIII 7:33 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
043 - Purgatorio IX 7:38 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
044 - Purgatorio X 7:13 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
045 - Purgatorio XI 8:34 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
046 - Purgatorio XII 7:28 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
047 - Purgatorio XIII 8:00 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
048 - Purgatorio XIV 7:44 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
049 - Purgatorio XV 8:03 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
050 - Purgatorio XVI 8:50 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
051 - Puragtorio XVII 7:33 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
052 - Purgatorio XVIII 8:09 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
053 - Purgatorio XIX 8:38 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
054 - Purgatorio XX 8:06 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
055 - Purgatorio XXI 7:34 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
056 - Purgatorio XXII 8:19 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
057 - Purgatorio XXIII 7:41 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
058 - Purgatorio XXIV 8:23 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
059 - Purgatorio XXV 7:43 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
060 - Purgatorio XXVI 8:03 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
061 - Purgatorio XXVII 7:54 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
062 - Purgatorio XXVIII 9:18 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
063 - Purgatorio XXIX 7:45 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
064 - Purgatorio XXX 7:30 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
065 - Purgatorio XXXI 7:39 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
066 - Purgatorio XXXII 8:04 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
067 - Purgatorio XXXIII 7:20 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
068 - Paradiso I 7:17 Read by Peter Tucker
069 - Paradiso II 7:03 Read by Peter Tucker
070 - Paradiso III 6:51 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
071 - Paradiso IV 6:52 Read by Peter Tucker
072 - Paradiso V 6:48 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
073 - Paradiso VI 9:11 Read by Andrew Coleman
074 - Paradiso VII 6:38 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
075 - Paradiso VIII 7:57 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
076 - Paradiso IX 7:30 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
077 - Paradiso X 8:27 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
078 - Paradiso XI 8:57 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
079 - Paradiso XII 7:50 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
080 - Paradiso XIII 9:40 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
081 - Paradiso XIV 7:07 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
082 - Paradiso XV 7:59 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
083 - Paradiso XVI 8:54 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
084 - Paradiso XVII 7:20 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
085 - Paradiso XVIII 6:42 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
086 - Paradiso XIX 7:48 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
087 - Paradiso XX 7:48 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
088 - Paradiso XXI 7:18 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
089 - Paradiso XXII 7:46 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
090 - Paradiso XXIII 7:17 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
091 - Paradiso XXIV 8:17 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
092 - Paradiso XXV 6:47 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
093 - Paradiso XXVI 7:38 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
094 - Paradiso XXVII 7:55 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
095 - Paradiso XXVIII 6:27 Read by Peter Tucker
096 - Paradiso XXIX 6:24 Read by Peter Tucker
097 - Paradiso XXX 6:58 Read by Peter Tucker
098 - Paradiso XXXI 7:17 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
099 - Paradiso XXXII 7:45 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
100 - Paradiso XXXIII 8:01 Read by LibriVox Volunteers

Reviews

Phantasmic


(5 stars)

Wonderfully read. Beautifully arranged. There's even singing. Yet, even with all the effulgence (or maybe because of it), paradise seems boring. TripAdvisor might give it 3.5 stars. Better than the alternatives. But still lacking in (earthly) delights.

awesome!


(5 stars)

Fantastic reading -- I really enjoyed this version, especially the readers for the narrator (Dante) and Virgil. A couple readers were a bit off (one woman in particular has a very odd cadence that is distracting. It's not too annoying for some minor characters but she does read a longish monologue in Paradiso that is at odds with the general emotion of the rest of the work). Love that there are singers, too! Kudos to a few readers in Inferno who really make their sufferings come across well. Def worth downloading!

love it!!!!


(5 stars)

thank you so much all, for taking the time to record such a wonderful version! such fantastic language! I just wish I could have understood it all on the first go! but as with any great book, multiple readings (or listenings) are often necessary.

What translation is this?


(4 stars)

Please put the name of translator in the description of each audiobook. It is SO not ok with a famous work from another language that had has so many famous translations, to not state which one prominently in the description! (I see this problem with ebooks and even printed books all the time, but it is the most important piece of information to include!)

mostly okay


(3 stars)

I really liked some readers but others fell very flat... I also couldn't get into the character of the poet a male character that for some reason the part was read by a woman, it may not bother others but I found it read emotionless and can't see why they had a woman read it when there were many male readers for other characters.


(3.5 stars)

Overall, quite well done. I do wish the readers were matched by sex to the character they portray, and the very short coral “readings” often. were hard to understand. Those aside, this recording certainly is recommended for any who would want to listen to The Divine Comedy.

app broken


(5 stars)

now that I have to take it out of pocket to skip commercial before it will continue reading...oh the reading of the comedy is great, makes a hard to understand book smooth and sweet.

Amazing Reading


(5 stars)

Honestly, thanks to everyone who helped make this recording. It genuinely brought the text to life in a way that it never had for me before when blandly reading it from the page.