In spite of all the sheer effort put behind it, Dantes Paradiso is not easy to enjoy. It is an alliancebetween difficulty and controversy. It is a narration ofDantes so called visit to heaven, which seemstangible to no one but him. He slowly gives us hisperceived account while inserting an archive ofphilosophical tidbits, which often divert the readersattention from the supposed plot.Dante claims himself gifted and says that all his saidexperiences are ones that he encountered first-hand.And so the reader is assumed to believe that theauthor is not in a make-believe world and hisarguments with heavenly beings are actuallymarvelous adventures. The theme is not relevant atall to the present, as scholars today would say thathis ideas are primitive and unsubstantial. The onlything applicable to today be the fact that it is basedon the timeless issue: the afterlife. And as he insertshis personal views in life, he does it in anauthoritative method as his heavenly friends explainthem to him. Now if the reader assumes this is allmake-believe, it is tiresome to go on as the book isdirely detailed. On the other hand, if the readerbelieves Dantes account, then I am afraid he is verymisled. As many biblical verses are inserted in thetext, it is quite bothersome that his explanations andfabulous stories take on a less dogmatic direction. Itdoesnt seem right to quote religion to serve bothmisinterpreted purposes and claims to a divinephilosophy. This dissenting view is the only socialimpact I can make out of the book. As I read on thetranslated verses looking for some conflict or climax,I reached neither. It just seems as if this popularlysupposed story is intended to be educational just likea textbook. Nevertheless, it is not hard to see whyParadiso was dubbed a masterpiece. If the title of"masterpiece" is labeled upon the works of greatworth, I am afraid entertainment value is notsomething distinguishable in this case even if thereis an undoubted...
