Available for the first time in paperback, this essential resource presents a systematic introduction to Dante's life and works, his cultural context and intellectual legacy.
The only such work available in English, this Encyclopedia:
- brings together contemporary theories on Dante, summarizing them in clear and vivid prose
- provides in-depth discussions of the Divine Comedy, looking at title and form, moral structure, allegory and realism, manuscript tradition, and also taking account of the various editions of the work over the centuries
- contains numerous entries on Dante's other important writings and on the major subjects covered within them
- addresses connections between Dante and philosophy, theology, poetics, art, psychology, science, and music as well as critical perspective across the ages, from Dante's first critics to the present.
Over 100 alphabetically arranged entries from 144 scholars on characters, places and proper names in Dante’s works and items from his life, many including extensive bibliographies
Biography
Richard Lansing is chair of Italian Studies at Brandeis University. His many publications include From Image to Idea: A Study of Simile in Dante's Commedia (1977) and a translation of Dante's "Il Convivio" (Garland, 1990). He has served on the board of the Dante Society of America and has been the recipient of numerous academic awards and grants.
This massive but highly readable reference work can be used often by educators and general readers alike...it has remarkable consistency of style, content, and space....This information makes interesting reading. High level of clarity, insight, and sophistication is maintained throughout....."-American Reference Books Annual
..."a splendid work, highly recommended for all academic libraries concerned with the humanities." -Choice
'...almost unprecedented in our language... An indispensable reference work for most libraries... Highly recommended." -Library Journal (starred review)
"Comprehensive and authoritative, offering the reader access to both Dante's personal genius, as well as the time in which he lived....the "Dante Encyclopedia returns real value for the investment. Both serious Dante scholars and undergraduates studying him for the first time will benefit from this reference. It is an encyclopedia that does justice to its subject, and that is saying a lot."-Against the Grain
"The premier English-language reference source on Dante.... Comp lit will never be the same."-College and Research Libraries News
