The Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia, #1-3) by Dante Alighieri, Robin Kirkpatrick (translator) Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I have not read classic literature in some time and have had this collection on my shelf for a little over six months - it was time to dive into La Divina Commedia in its entirety. Inferno details Dante's descent into Hell, Purgatorio follows Dante as he finds his way back to Beatrice, and Paradiso finalizes the collection with Dante going to Heaven and beyond. The structure of Dante's canti in all three installations is easy to follow and creates a flow in which the reader is able to process information quickly and often without any difficulty. The addition of the translator's timeline and notes for specifics lines in the canti truly aids in the reader's understanding of both context and intent behind Dante's choice of words as well as his commentary throughout his journey.

Inferno's description of Dante's travels into the coldness of Hell with the guidance of Virgil speaks volumes to the picture of Hell the public had during Dante's time - freezing layers compiled and structured for specific sins and offenses, each one more torturous than the last. The way Dante is able to describe the horrors faced by sinning individuals as the circles of Hell are explored and assigned to a sin was intriguing - as someone who was raised Catholic, we never went in depth on this aspect of religion, rather focusing on life before and after the crucifixion. As Dante attempts to find salvation, these circles confront him with the consequences of committing sins and what may be in store for others.

Purgatorio continues Dante's journey as he begins the climb up the Mount of Purgatory after emerging from Hell. As he makes his way through the nine levels, he encounters and observes sinners as they too await their exit from Purgatory. Through these observations, Dante is able to become a better man and continue on in his journey as he takes what he has learned and enters the Garden of Eden. This second installment invites the reader to bear witness to redemption and self reflection through allegory. The canti are somewhat more complex than those found in Inferno, but once you are able to get your bearings, it moves along quickly. There is a much larger religious tone and commentary from Dante here, and with the knowledge that he was critical of how Christianity was being practiced, it is understandable that he aims to more extensive in his commentary.

Paradiso wraps up his venture as ascension to Heaven is complete, and Dante finds himself in the space beyond as he transcends. This final volume allows Dante to give his own interpretation of what the heavens reflect, as well detailing a transcend toward the Trinity. He is finally reunited with Beatrice and readers are exposed to detailed descriptions of astronomy and theology as Dante reaches his final place. I would say this is heaviest of the three to get through, as Dante's canti lean more into Beatrice's relationship to theology and the astronomical makeup of the heavens. Compared to the other two volumes, I would say Paradiso was not as drawing to me as a reader and fell in ranking when it comes to holding my interest.

The complete collection was a pleasure to read - as someone who does not engage in religious exploration often, it was interesting to see the expansion on stages of life, consequences, and influence it has on an individual. Dante's experiences as he makes his way through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven is enriching and thought-provoking. Kirkpatrick's incredibly detailed notes at the end of the three volumes was even more eye-opening, and it has further powered my interest in furthering my classical literature exploration and understanding.

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Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation by Camonghne Felix Review

I do not know how to comment on someone else's trauma - reading memoirs or nonfiction books is not my typical choice, but I had heard some interesting thoughts regarding this book, so I figured I would expand my reading genre and give it a try. I certainly did not expect the extensiveness that this book dives into the author's past traumas - I knew it would be discussed, but it seemed to override the comparison or relationship to mathematics and calculations. As someone who has studied dyscalculia, I was excited to see how it would be incorporated beyond neuropsychology, but instead, I was left unsatisfied.

Based on the summary, I anticipated this memoir would rely more heavily on dyscalculia and her interest in mathematics - it was more so present in the beginning, but soon felt abandoned in favor of recollections of various therapist appointments and polarizing encounters with her past partner. She is plagued with a number of mental health obstacles, ranging from figuring out the right medication as a child to continues diagnoses well into adulthood - all while tackling relationships outside of the one she has with herself.

The pacing of this memoir felt as though I was being jerked around in a number of directions - it honestly was a bit disorienting at times, and often left me trying to understand where her timeline was by the time she was done with an inserted tangent. That being said, the author does have great prose and I was definitely able to lock into her story - she clearly has the ability to story tell, but this book in particular did not showcase her full potential in my opinion. It often felt as though she was going on an extended tangent recounting so many random instances. Just as her stories were coming together, the book was over and I felt left with more confusion and questions than a sense of completion.

Maybe memoirs are not the genre for me, but I am always open to read anything - this book really did draw my attention and I was excited to see what was in store regarding how the author would be able to convey personal experiences to the directness of mathematics. I may return to her work in the future, but for now, this experience was enough for me to table that idea for now.

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People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins Review

 

This book contains discussions of gun violence, death, attempted suicide, and sexual assault - reader caution is advised. Mild spoilers for People Kill People are mentioned in this review.

I have to say that I already was a fan of Ellen Hopkins' writing and poetry, and this book did not disappoint. When it comes to approaching such a topic, Hopkins is able to derive emotion where many would see just an inanimate object. The structure of the book works very well in order to take breaks from one character's story to another, while also including breaks that allow the reader to digest what they just read and apply it to the broader issues of gun control and violence in today's society.

It is an unfortunate time in our society that I read this book as mass shootings continue to skyrocket in the United States, with white supremacists using guns and violence to cause terror among communities. There is no excuse for using such violence in our world, and we should be speaking up against these individuals that use their unnecessary hatred to inflict pain onto others and take lives. Hopkins does an excellent job showing the consequences and heartbreak that gun violence brings upon to not only the people directly effected by these disgusting acts, but to the communities and overall population in which they occur.

The change in POV between the select characters shows an interesting dynamic on the mentality that they all hold on political views and attitude towards gun use and ownership. We are shown atrocious, bigoted views of several characters, while transitioning to the acceptance and hope from other characters, many of which who have been directly effected by gun violence or sudden death. Characters that begin with alt-right views begin to question their beliefs towards the end of the book, but only when they are finally confronted with the realization that arguments and violence will get them nowhere. Ashlyn has such an extreme mindset, that is riddled with alt-right ways of thinking, and when she finds herself arrested after pepper spraying a number of people at the rally, she begins to question why she is has this mindset and how this will play out.

Other characters we see experience traumas that are not directly related to gun violence, but allow them to use their experiences to work towards fighting against hatred -- Noelle was in a serious car accident, and begins to use her energy towards fighting for immigrant rights, through the encouragement of her sister. We see Cami, after being involved in the robbery at Denny's and her arrest for marijuana, begin to fight for herself, her child, and her life at the age of 19-years-old as she begins to confront the fact that her life is not going in the path she she saw for her and her family. Rand, Cami's husband, has experienced a brutal sexual assault, as we see how it impacts him and how he begins to view his relationship and his worries that Cami is slipping away from him -- just as Daniel begins to believe that Grace is going to leave him once she begins to spend more time with her sister and build a better relationship with her.

The absolutely heartbreaking reality of children getting ahold of a poorly contained gun, resulting in an accidental death haunts the ending of this book. So many stories in the news detail the unfortunate deaths caused by parents not properly locking up firearms, and in combination with curious children, lead to tragic deaths, many of which are of children themselves. Hopkins provides readers with resolutions for nearly all characters -- some of which are left uncertain, but are shown how acts of violence forever impacted their lives.

I highly encourage everyone to read this novel -- Hopkins is able to show the realities of what gun violence, among other atrocities, does to individuals and how mentality can change once something is experienced first-hand. Despite this being fiction, this is a major reality for so many people, especially in the United States, that has constantly impacted society and government response. These scenarios are very much a reality in today's society, and education on gun reform and public action are some of the many ways that our communities can work together in order to make our lives safer. No one should ever have to experience the grief of losing a loved one by firearm misuse and hatred -- we must come together and find a way to ensure that this stops from happening.

To those who have been impacted by gun violence and bigotry, I send my deepest sympathies and urge everyone to be aware of what is happening in your country. Violence is never the answer, and we must hold people accountable for these disgusting acts of violence.

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