THE INFERNO

There are two difficulties with any reading of The Inferno from Dante's Divine Comedy. First, the work contains a vast number of Christian, classical and Italian references, which make the reader depend upon copious footnotes and put the listener at a disadvantage. However, Naxos has provided a booklet with some notes to accompany the reading. Second, to understand the Divine Comedy fully, one must know the whole work; here we have only The Inferno--without The Purgatorio or Paradiso. These difficulties aside, this is a wonderful reading of a truly great work. Williams brings this text to life through a clear, forceful reading and the versatile characterization of more than twenty characters. M.L.C. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JAN 98]