rpnzl4100 says:
I read the Inferno a couple years ago while I was studying in Florence, Italy. It is one of my favorite literary works from my undergraduate career (I was an English major) because of the incredible attention to detail in terms of historical metaphors and references. It is helpful to do some research on Dante and his life to get a better understanding of his character "the pilgrim" and the role of Beatrice (his muse). Let me know if I can help answer any questions!

PatinMN says:
I am re-reading "The Inferno" because my 17 year old son is reading it for HS english; the detail is amazing and sometimes overwhelming for a teenage boy.

Any suggestions/recommendations for research? Any help you are able to provide will be appreciated.

Chgowiz says:
I've never read Inferno before, and to be honest, it's pretty hard to read in the older style of writing. I find myself going back to and three times just to make sure I understand what exactly he's saying, rather than summing it up to 'blahblah' and moving on.

Frog_Killer says:
A good copy runth over with footnotes. Otherwise Hell lacks the comedy. In contrast, once the main character reaches Heaven the "jokes" are over and nobody seems to enjoy that part.

GrayEponine says:
I've read some of it and I am a big fan of it. I hope to read it all some day, but for now I will stick to the easier stuff.

miraklemax says:
Yes, it is wonderful, but you must read the notes to get it all. I like Mark Musa's translation (it was the next to last Penguin Classic) version as he translates literally and well and writes great notes. He also doesn't sanitize Dante's language (like he'll use "a**hole" instead of "bottom" like Longfellow does).