Have I posted about Danteworlds? Maybe I haven’t and have just been meaning to. It’s a multimedia site on all things Divine Comedy. Art, audio, textual commentary, it is pretty spiffy. I have bookmarked it for when the day comes that I finally get around to reading Dante. I have such high hopes (and now I have the ant song in my head…”just what makes that little old ant think he can move a rubber tree plant? Everyone knows an ant can’t move a rubber tree plant. But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes…”). Anyway, perhaps we will meet at the gates of Hell sometime for a little party. It doesn’t look so very bad:
In possibly related literary news today, I was rather surprised to open my email this evening to find John Updike has died from lung cancer. I had no idea he was ill. I can’t say I am a fan, I’ve only ever read The Witches of Eastwick and have mixed feelings about it. But he is well liked and respected by many so it is sad news. There is a memorial website if you feel inclined to express your sadness in the company of others who are also sad.
I was surprised by the Updike death too. I’ve read a few of his novels and wasn’t a huge fan, but I see why he’s important, and I always admired his very prolific writing habits. He was always publishing reviews and essays and novels all the time. Pretty amazing.
I’m not really a fan of Updike either, I read “Witches” and tried to read any number of “Rabbit” books but just couldn’t get into it. I know he was well-regarded, however…
Danteworlds is fantastic – thanks for the link – this should really get me back reading The Divine Comedy!
Great image! I stop reading about 1830, on the whole, although I have plenty of guilt about not reading authors like Dante! I was surprised to hear about Updike. I’m reading Rabbit, Run at the moment and I do think it is incredibly well written.
I love the Inferno. My love for Dante is largely because his influence on T.S. Eliot and other favorite poets and authors. I love the symbolism and the symmetry. The combination of Dante and Eliot made Heart of Darkness so much more. Dante is like Shakespeare in that references and quotes are scattered throughout so many of the books we read, and I love picking up on the references. Thanks for the link!
Wow, Updike is dead. That’s so sad. He’s a well-respected literary figure, to say the least.
Never read any Updike… yet.
The Danteworlds site looks neat. Thanks for the link!
Thanks for the link. This is great!
I saw Updike read in my home town once. To our little Midwestern community, this felt like a major literary event. He had a presence that was different than almost any other writer I’ve seen.
I liked his short stories, and especially his essays, better than his novels. It is sad that he’s gone.
I’m going to take a pass on the ‘Party at the Gates of Hell’, regardless of the fact that this picture makes it look kind of fun. I have never read Dante either. Other books have made references to his layers of Hell, though.
Thanks for the link to Danteworlds… what a great site! There was obviously a lot of thought and hard work put into this site, and commendations to all involved. I plan on reading the Divine Comedy sometime in late 2009, and I’m sure I’ll be referencing this site.
I was very suprised and somewhat saddended by the passing of Updike. He was probably my favourite modern author, but I had no idea he was ill. As for his novels, I would give him another go. The Witches of Eastwick is not his most representative work (although it may be his most well known, thanks to the film), and he is not especially good when writing about women. I would recommend starting with In the Beauty of the Lilies as a good introduction to his style… it mirrors and comments on the changes to society, family, and religion in America by following several generations of a typical middle class family through the 20th century. His poetry is also quite good, IMO.
Thanks for the links!
I can’t help but giggle at your ‘high hopes – gates of hell’ juxtaposition…
Someday I’d like to read Dante as well, but until he shows up on my 10-year reading list, I think my hands are sufficiently full. Still, that website is very cool.
Dorothy, it is pretty amazing. Even if a person doesn’t like his books, one has to appreciate the work he did.
Daphne, not even well regarded authors are liked by everyone. What fun would if be if everyone liked the same books and thought the same things about them?
BooksPlease, I hope you enjoy Danteworlds. I thought something similar when I came across it, well if this doesn’t get me to read Divine Comedy, then nothing will.
Litlove, 1830 is your stopping point? Well that still leaves you with plenty to read. But if you get through all of it at least you have pre-1830 in reserve
jenclair, your enthusiastic Dante endorsement has left me wondering why I have not read him yet! I had no idea he was so influential on T. S. Elliot.
Robyn, it is a sad. A loss for the literary world.
Iliana, I like your yet
Enjoy the Dante site. I’ll bet it gets your imagination fired up.
Lisa, enjoy!
J.D. how neat that you got to see him in person. I will have to give his essays a try sometime. I have heard good things about them.
Bikkuri, every party needs a pooper
Steven, the Dante site is very well put together and will continue to be added to it seems like. Thanks for the info about Updike and the book suggestion. I also had no idea he wrote poetry too!
Verbivore, heh, that little transition escaped me entirely
Well, at least you know you will be reading Dante sometime in the next ten years.