Inferno by Dante Alighieri, Robin Kirkpatrick (Editor, Translator, Commentary and Notes); 2006. Softcover. (Penguin Classics) (CO)

Dante's Inferno describes his descent into Hell midway through his life with the Roman Virgil as a guide, and is unparalleled in its depiction of the tragedy of sin. It is a work inspired by a profound confidence in human nature, yet also expresses Dante's horror at the way individuals can destroy themselves and each other, creating Hell on Earth. A response to the violent society of thirteenth-century Italy, The Inferno reveals the eternal punishment reserved for sins such a greed, self-deception, political double-dealing and treachery. Portraying a huge diversity of characters culminating in a horrific vision of Satan, it broke new ground in the vigour of its language and its storytelling. It has had a particular influence on Modernist writers and their successors throughout the world.