Dante in Love by A. N. Wilson

Goodreads: Dantein Love

Series: None

Published: 2011

Source: Purchased

Summary: Wilson provides an account of the social and cultural forces that shaped Dante’s world while also exploring Dante’s concept of love and how it inspired his Divine Comedy.

Review: By summarizing the cultural, political, and religious forces at work in Renaissance Italy, Wilson works to expel some of the fear that approaching Dante’s Divine Comedy may inspire in his readers.  The work is so rife with allusions to the events and people of Dante’s day that readers can find themselves feeling as lost as Dante in that dark wood.  Do they need to understand all the allusions?  Are they missing out on some of complex layers of the work if they merely follow the main plot?  Wilson takes these concerns and, in answer, writes the book that just about every Dante novice wishes they had.

Wilson’s explanation of the confusion he felt when reading the Divine Comedy should make readers feel immediately at ease with him as their guide through Dante’s world.  He knows personally the difficulties readers will encounter and does not suggest these difficulties are the fault of the readers.  Rather, he notes that the Divine Comedy is a complex work—but an approachable one, if readers have the right tools.  He thus jumps right in to explaining the pertinent background information, and does not bog down his readers with more facts than he thinks necessary.

Despite Wilson’s desire to make an extremely complex subject simpler, however, he sometimes seems to impede his own efforts.  The book does not progress in a strictly chronological manner, but jumps around so the author can explain the effect events will have in the future or note the differences between works written by Dante at different times.  Wilson also interjects his historical account with a small amount of literary criticism, occasionally diverging from the subject at hand to expound upon some facet of the nature of love.  I would not have minded these digressions if I felt that Wilson ever truly clarified where he wanted to go with them. 

Wilson also intersperses his book with some personal references.  Some of these are fruitful, such as the ones where he explains his own journey through Dante and thus encourages his readers to take the plunge and experience their own transformative reading.  Others are mere asides about his personal opinions on the current state of society and the Catholic Church.  These are really the weakest points of the book.  It is easy for Wilson to criticize the Church for such things as the opposition to artificial birth control, but he provides no arguments for his beliefs, and they are unlikely to resonate with anyone familiar with the lengthy, nuanced answer of the Church as explained in Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body.  Since this is a book about Dante and not a forum to discuss the merits of birth control, such commentary seems out of place.

Despite its flaws, Wilson’s book is an invaluable guide to the world of Dante and his Divine Comedy.  If it does nothing more than let readers know that they are not alone in feeling intimidated by Dante, it will have done good.  I firmly recommend this book to anyone about to read the Divine Comedy.    

The Clown of God Told and Illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Goodreads: The Clown of God

Series: None

Published: 1978

Source: Library

Summary: As an old man, a former juggler finds his audiences have dissipated and his livelihood disappeared.  He thinks he has nothing to offer the Christ child for his birthday, but then remembers the one thing he still possesses—the talent to make others happy.

Review: DePaola takes an old French legend and makes it his own, setting it at the beginning of the Renaissance in Italy and meticulously researching that time period to depict accurate clothing and settings.  The result is a visually stunning work of art that takes readers on a journey through the past and captures their imaginations.  The tale, though simple, is a heartwarming one with a great lesson—perfect for young readers.

DePaola uses his words effectively, writing in short phrases and sentences that create a sort of leisurely feeling.  I wanted to pause after each bit, savoring the words and the story.  The simplicity of the writing almost makes it seem as if the titular character himself narrates his life.  The tone has a childlike quality especially evident in such statements as “But he was happy, and he could do something wonderful” or “It was a very good arrangement.”  The words have a sort of finality about them that would stem from a child confident that his story would be believed and understood.  What does it matter if Giovanni the juggler is poor and a beggar?  He says life is good, and so it must be.

Bringing the story further to life are dePaola’s striking illustrations.  Full of bold colors and simple lines, they provide enough detail to make it seem as if readers are looking at scenes of Renaissance Italy, but they also leave room for the imagination.  The characters stand out from their backgrounds, usually blank or bare, so that the action stays focused on Giovanni and his travels.  Later illustrations, however, give glimpses of the majesty of the Italian churches and suggest something of the great intellectual and artistic revolution about to take place.

The Clown of God is a touching story that reminds readers that each person has something special to offer the world.  Its message of love will surely being a smile to the faces of its readers.