The title of this book is the divine comedy, part 1 and it was written by dante alighieri, dorothy l. However, sayers herself considered her translation of dantes divine comedy to be her best work. Sayers selections from her novels, plays, letters, and essays dorothy l. She was also a student of classical and modern languages. The divine comedy the second volume of dantes divine comedy. The divine comedy is the precursor of modern literature, and this translation decades in the making gives us the entire epic as a single, coherent and compulsively listenable lyric poem. Dorothy leigh sayers june 1893 17 december 1957 was a renowned english crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator, and christian humanist. Apr 02, 20 the inkling who wasnt theredoroty l sayers represents a unique overlap in the venn diagrams of the era, the only writer of that period who was a christian and a woman and a mother and a scholar of broad experience and a popular writer and an independent operator.
Sayers translator, dante alighieri online at alibris. The divine comedy the comedy of dante alighieri the florentine cantica iii paradise il paradiso by dante alighieri translated by dorothy l. Paradise penguin classics dante alighieri, dorothy l. Unfinished at her death, the third volume paradise was completed by barbara reynolds in 1962. It is widely considered to be the preeminent work in italian literature and one of the greatest works of world literature.
She is best known for her mystery novels featuring peter wimsey, an amateur sleuth. Her life and soul 1993 by her friend barbara reynolds, and james brabazons dorothy l sayers. Sayers overview the first volume of dantes divine comedy guided by the poet virgil, dante plunges to the very depths of hell and embarks on his arduous journey towards god. It is considered a masterpiece of world literature, and a preeminent work of italian literature. Sayers introduced her famous detective lord peter wimsey, or sherlock holmes, disguised as a walking gentleman, and established herself as a mistress of the detective story. Apart from writing novels and short stories, dorothy also used to visit plays and literary shows. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The boldly titled hell appeared in 1949, as one of the recently introduced series of penguin classics. The divine comedy 2 purgatory mass market paperback january 1, 1984 by dorothy l. In a move that makes her stand out from other translators of the original latin, sayers focused on preserving the rhyme and rhythm, eschewing the popular and nearly universally accepted abandon.
In an age of skepticism, cynicism, and false freedoms, dorothy sayers 18931957 was a passionate and occasionally scathing voice of reason. Lewiss inklings group and through williamss book on dante, the. The first volume of dantes divine comedy guided by the poet virgil, dante plunges to the very depths of hell and embarks on his arduous journey towards god. He worked on the divine comedy from 8 until near the time of his death in ravenna in 21. Sayers and reginald hills divine comedy, in of modern dragons and other essays on genre fiction tirril. The divinde comedy 1 hell by dante translated by dorothy l. Her father was at the time headmaster of christ church cathedral school, and she was born in the headmasters house. She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between the first and second world wars that feature. Dorothy leigh sayers was born at oxford on th june 1893, the only child of the rev. The life of a courageous woman 1981 are well respected. The chemistry is absolutely uptodate for 1930, the year the book was published. The divine comedy, translated by dorothy l sayers vulpes. Dorothy sayers, detective fiction, and dantes divine comedy.
One of her most enduring works is a translation of dante alighieris divine comedy. Eliot, and charles williams, sayers was a brilliant christian thinker, an anglocatholic who took doctrine seriously and bristled at the growth of fads, schisms, heresies, and antichrist within the church of england. Although lord peter wimsey is here perhaps too bright and breezy, he proves to be an entertaining companion to crime, despite his suffering from conscience. The dorothy l sayers society was founded in 1976 to promote the study of the life, works and thoughts of this great scholar and writer, to encourage the performance of her plays and the publication of books by and about her, to preserve original material for posterity and to provide assistance for researchers. Sayers wrote novels, poetry, and translated dante for the penguin classics. The divine comedy audiobook by clive james translator. Her primary character, lord peter wimsey, appeared in ten novels and numerous short stories over the ensuing years. Herein follows an incomplete list of booklinks related to dorothy l. Dorothy was born on june 1893 in oxford, united kingdom and died on 17 december 1957 at the age of 64 in witham, essex, united kingdom.
She is also known for her plays, literary criticism, and essays. She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between the first and second world wars that feature english aristocrat and amateur sleuth lord peter wimsey, which remain popular to this day. Lewis, charles williams, owen barfield, and others. Sayers also wrote plays, essays, and a seminal book on creativity, and even translated the divine comedy. Sayers herself considered her translation of dantes divine comedy to be her best work. Dorothy sayers project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. A thorough thinker, and a careful writer, she is now mostly remembered for her detective novels, and as a satellite to the inklings, that group of oxford writers that included j. Sayers had done a translation of the divine comedy. The lord peter wimsey series of novels ensured her lasting fame, but in her own time and country, her spiritual writingsparticularly the man born to be king, a radio play cycle about the life. Recognized as one of the greatest mystery writers of the 20th century, she is remembered for her series of mystery novels and short stories featuring sharp, charismatic amateur detective, lord peter wimsey. Sayers is considered part of the golden age of detective fiction. Sayers has influenced many different major authors. Sayers translation of the divine comedy by dante alighieri. In a move that makes her stand out from other translators of the original latin, sayers focused on preserving the rhyme and.
I still dont know how he does it christian history magazine. The divine comedy the comedy of dante alighieri the florentine cantica i hell linferno by dante alighieri translated by dorothy l. It is the newest book in the lord peter wimsey series. Although best known as a writer of golden age british mystery novels, featuring amateur sleuth lord peter wimsey, dorothy l. Dantes inferno, in translation by dorothy sayers cate. On a linebyline basis, sayerss translation can seem idiosyncratic. Fans of detective fiction may not realize that sayers had a long and impressive career in the classics as an essayist and translator. She is most known for the series of mysteries that she wrote between the first and second world wars that star amateur sleuth and aristocrat named lord peter wimsey. To the consternation of his more academic admirers, who believed latin to be the only proper language for dignified verse, dante wrote his comedy in colloquial italian, wanting it to be a poem for the common reader. Purgatory mass market paperback january 1, 1959 by dante author, dorothy l. Dorothy sayers was a wellknown english crime writer, playwright, poet, translator, and christian humanist. Dorothy l sayers doesnt seem to have an upcoming book. The reason i had purchased these books in the first place was i read that dorothy l. Eliot, and charles williams, sayers was a brilliant christian thinker, an anglocatholic who took doctrine seriously and bristled at the growth of fads, schisms, heresies, and antichrist within the.
Hell paperback january 1, 1964 by dante author, dorothy l. Her translation of dantes divine comedy is still considered a classic. As early as 1929 sayers had produced an adaptationfrom medieval frenchof the poem tristan by thomas of britain, and in 1946 she began to produce translations of dante, firstly the four pietra canzoni then, from 1948, the canticas of the divine comedy. Sayers 18931957 was an english author of crime fiction novels, poetry, plays, essays, translations and christian humanism. Sayers translation of the divine comedy by dante alighieri readers of the poethead blog will note that i dedicate saturday mornings to the work of women writers, editors and translators. However, according to her, the translation of divine comedy by dante is her best work of her career. Sayers, in full dorothy leigh sayers, born june, 1893, oxford, oxfordshire, eng. Mar 18, 1993 upon rereading all of the lord peter wimsey novels, i decided that it was high time i read a biography of their author, dorothy l. Although lord peter wimsey is here perhaps too bright and breezy, he proves to be an entertaining companion to crime, despite his.
Her detective stories continue to be read today, and her books. In fact, sayers for all her literary background she was an oxford university educated scholar of classical languages and considered her translation of dantes divine comedy to be her best work performs as an outstandingly good science writer in the course of the story. This is an exlibrary book and may have the usual libraryused book markings inside. She has written books, both on italian authors and on dorothy l. Dorothy leigh sayers was an english crime writer and poet. In this anthology, renowned murder mystery writer dorothy l.
In these stories, she does not write pure mysteries but looks at the problems that veterans of world war one had, supporting womens. Dorothy leigh sayers usually stylised as dorothy l. The divine comedy by dante, a free text and ebook for easy online reading, study, and reference. Together they descend through the nine circles of the underworld and encounter the tormented souls of the damned from heretics and pagans to gluttons, criminals and seducers who tell of their sad fates and predict events still to come in dantes life. Herein follows an incomplete list of book links related to dorothy l.
Sayers wrote novels, poetry, and translated dante for penguin classics. Barbara reynolds was lecturer in italian at cambridge university and subsequently reader in italian studies at nottingham, and honorary reader at. Heres what i learned from reading the divine comedy. Dorothy sayers is often regarded as one of the top mystery writers of all time. Sayers considered her translation of the commedia to be her most important work, and yet only one copy of the book was available through the dublin library service last week. Her early mastery of latin, and later italian, also allowed her to produce some excellent translations, chief among them being dantes divine comedy. Written in the early 14th century and completed in 21, the year of dantes death, the divine comedy is perhaps the greatest work of epic poetry ever. Apr 14, 2012 the translation of the divine comedy undertaken by dorothy l.
Upon rereading all of the lord peter wimsey novels, i decided that it was high time i read a biography of their author, dorothy l. Kenney, catherine, the remarkable case of dorothy l. The translation of the divine comedy undertaken by dorothy l. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Their newest book is busmans honeymoon a love story and was released on october, 18th 2019. She finished inferno in italianin five days, then wrote the following letter to charles williams. The divine comedy divina commedia, often referred to simply by its first canto, the inferno was written somewhere between 8 and 21. Buy the divinde comedy 1 hell by dante translated by dorothy l. Sayers and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Dorothy sayers christian history christianity today. In 1944 british writer dorothy sayers 18931957, already famous as the author of lord peter wimsey detective novels, holed up in an air raid shelter with dantes divine comedy. Dorothy sayers wrote poetry, essays, plays, and even did some translations.
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