This week it’s Dante, and it will be amazing. Full stop. Of all the classics you could read, The Divine Comedy may be one of the most intimidating, but it’s also one of the most necessary. In this episode I’ll break it down and share how to make the journey approachable. You can do this.

We begin with Dante’s early autobiographical work, the Nuovo Vitae (“New Life”), a short book of prose and poetry reflecting on his youth and his great love, Beatrice. It’s tender, romantic, and surprisingly fun, especially because Dante explains his own poems. For me, it echoed Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy with its mix of prose and verse, but here the focus is entirely on poetry itself.

From there, we step into The Divine Comedy, starting with Inferno. This vast poem of 100 cantos (divided among Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso) is written in tercets, here translated by Mark Musa into smooth iambic pentameter. His translation is highly readable and captures the poem’s rhythm without forcing rhyme.

The journey begins when Dante the Pilgrim finds himself lost “halfway through the journey of our life.” Guided by Virgil, he descends through the nine circles of Hell, encountering mythological figures, historical personages, and unforgettable imagery. The punishments fit the crimes (the doctrine of *contrapasso*): the lustful are blown by winds, fortune tellers walk with twisted heads, flatterers choke forever on filth.

I’ll share tips for reading Dante without getting bogged down: read quickly, jot a one-line summary of each canto, sketch a map of Hell, and above all, focus on Dante’s evolving relationship with Virgil. More than an epic, Inferno is a story of finding yourself in darkness and but not staying there—and having a friend to help you. Next to the Odyssey and the Bible, this is one of the books that merits your effort.

This is a year-long challenge! Join me next week for Purgatorio.

LINKS

Ted Gioia/The Honest Broker’s 12-Month Immersive Humanities Course (paywalled!)

My Amazon Book List (NOT an affiliate link)

CONNECT

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes: https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

This week marks the halfway point in my year-long reading project through Ted Gioia’s *Immersive Humanities* list, and instead of turning to Dante just yet, I’m stopping to take stock. Call it my “halftime report.”

When Gioia built his list, he gave himself some rules: keep each week under 250 pages, make it global not just Western, mix in art and music, and move (mostly) in chronological order. I’ve tried to follow his structure, but I’ve also set some rules of my own: stick to the weekly schedule, read hard copies whenever possible, take notes faithfully, and—my personal favorite—skip the introductions until after finishing the book. These boundaries have kept me grounded and helped me push through the tough weeks.

Along the way I’ve discovered a few key tools that make this project work. “Warm-ups” like short lyric poetry before longer epics have been surprisingly helpful in easing into a big text. Good translations (thank you, Penguin Classics) have been essential, while flashy but unreadable editions only get in the way. Writing in my books, flagging footnotes, and taking notes have become indispensable habits. And yes, the occasional YouTube lecture has saved me when I got stuck—no shame in that.

There have been highs: falling in love with epic poetry, discovering Boethius’ *Consolation of Philosophy* with my son, and realizing Aristotle’s *Ethics* was hard but worth it. There have also been lows: weeks that felt too open-ended, a disappointing second half of *Confessions*, and the frustration of wanting more time to chase connections between authors. But even the “hate-reads” (looking at you, Mwindo Epic) have taught me something: knowing why you dislike a book can be as valuable as knowing why you love one.

Most of all, I’ve learned that this project has changed how I read. I’m less afraid of poetry, drama, or “hard books.” I’ve discovered that reading fast has its place, that writing alongside an author can deepen the experience, and that I actually thrive on having a big, purposeful challenge in front of me.

So here I am halfway through, still going strong, and more convinced than ever that the classics have something to offer ordinary readers like you and me. Next week we begin Dante, and I can’t wait.

This is a year-long challenge!

LINK

Ted Gioia/The Honest Broker’s 12-Month Immersive Humanities Course (paywalled!)

My Amazon Book List (NOT an affiliate link)

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

How is this project different than reading books in school? Well, I'm going a lot faster, but it's more than that. I reflect a little on the differences to get us started. I'm grateful that reading on my own is giving me time to reflect on goodness and Beauty-with-a-capital-B. And did this week ever deliver on the Beauty!

This week’s reading was the letters of Peter Abelard and Heloise, a glimpse into one of the most famous love stories of the Middle Ages. Abelard was the leading logician in 12th-century France, at the height of his career, when he fell in love with his brilliant student, Heloise. Their secret affair led to a pregnancy, a clandestine marriage, and eventually Abelard’s castration at the hands of Heloise’s furious uncle. Abelard turned to monastic life, Heloise became an abbess, and the two carried on a remarkable correspondence that reveals their faith, intellect, and conflicted love.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of Abelard. He begins his account by one-upping a friend: “You think you’ve got problems? Listen to mine.” In later letters, he almost calls Heloise a nag and suggests she should be grateful to be an abbess instead of burdened with children. As a wife, mom, and Christian, I found his dismissive view of marriage hard to swallow. And yet, the more I read, the more nuance emerged. Abelard gives thoughtful counsel, treats Heloise as his intellectual equal, and writes powerfully on women’s roles in Scripture.

Heloise’s voice is even more compelling. She never stops loving Abelard, body and soul, and her honesty about desire and devotion is stunning. She also wrestles deeply with how to lead her convent well. Abelard pushes her toward embracing service to God, but it’s clear the struggle was harder for her than for him.

Their letters touch on everything from the Rule of St. Benedict to church politics that nearly destroyed Abelard. By the end, through the testimony of Peter the Venerable, I found myself unexpectedly moved by Abelard too.

To round out the week, I dipped into “Lark in the Morning: The Verses of the Troubadours,” a gorgeous collection of poetry from the same era. This little volume is truly on of the highlights of my library now, and I think everyone should own it! It offers some history as well as beautiful translations of Troubadour poetry. These voices, along with Abelard and Heloise, offer a vivid entry point into the medieval world.

This is a year-long challenge! Join me next week for a halftime review of this reading project.

LINK

Ted Gioia/The Honest Broker’s 12-Month Immersive Humanities Course (paywalled!)

My Amazon Book List (NOT an affiliate link)

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm