The date is Good Friday of the year 1300, and Dante is lost in a creepy dark forest, being assaulted by a trio of beasts who symbolize his own sins. But suddenly he is rescued by the legendary poet Virgil ("Not man; man I once was"), who takes the despondent Dante under his wing -- and down into Hell.
But this isnt a straightforward hell of flames and dancing devils. Instead, its a multi-tiered carnival of horrors, where different sins are punished with different means.
Opportunists are forever stung by insects, the lustful are trapped in a storm, the greedy are forced to battle against each other, and the violent lie in a river of boiling blood, are transformed into thorn bushes, and are trapped on a volcanic desert.
But after passing through hell, Dante gets the guided tour of Purgatory, where the souls of the not-that-bad-but-not-pure-either get cleansed. He and Virgil emerge at the base of a vast mountain, and an angel orders him to "wash you those wounds within," then lets them in.
As Virgil and Dante climb the mountain, they observe the seven terraces that sinners stay on, representing the seven deadly sins -- the angry, the proud, the envious, the lazy, the greedy, the lustful and the gluttons. Its a one-way trip, and you dont even get to look back.
The road up the mountain leads to the gates of Heaven, and soon Dante has been purified to the point where hes allowed to go inside. Virgil doesnt get to enter Heaven, so he passes Dante on to the beautiful Beatrice, the woman he loved in his younger years.
She whisks him up to the spheres of those who are now pure of soul -- the wise, the loving, the people who fought for their religion, the just, the contemplative, the saints, and finally even the angels. And after passing through heavens nine spheres, he passes out of the physical realm and human understanding -- and sees God, the incomprehensible, represented by three circles inside each other, but all the same size.
Dantes vivid writing and wildly imaginative journey makes the "Divine Comedy" a timeless, spellbinding read, and hauntingly powerful from inferno to paradiso.
The Divine Comedy written by legendary author Dante Alighieri is widely considered to be one of the greatest books of all time.
For many, The Divine Comedy is required reading for various courses and curriculums. And for others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Dante Alighieri is highly recommended.
The work is divided into three major sections -- Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso -- which trace the journey of a man from darkness and error to the revelation of the divine light, culminating in the beatific vision of God.
It is usually held to be one of the worlds greatest works of literature. The plot of The Divine Comedy is simple: a man is miraculously enabled to visit the souls in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. He has two guides: Virgil, who leads him through the Inferno and Purgatorio, and Beatrice, who introduces him to Paradiso.
Through these encounters taking place from Good Friday evening in 1300 through Easter Sunday and slightly beyond, Dante the character learns of the exile that is awaiting him.
This audio book application contains audio files for all chapters in one download, so you can listen to the book on the go without the need for an internet connection. Hence the application size is a little big, and you may need to download it over WiFi connection or through iTunes on your PC or Mac.
Audio Book Features ==>
Pause/resume function
Track progress slider
Volume slider
Easy navigation
Audio continues to play when your device is locked.
Offline viewing and listening without internet connection
If you like this audio book, please check out other great audio books at www.awaudiobooks.com!
*** On Sale Now! (Normal price $2.99) ***