The March meeting of the Italian Book Club of Mumbai will be dedicated to Inferno, the first canticle of The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, with a special focus on two of the poem’s most powerful and memorable cantos: Canto V, which tells the tragic story of Paolo and Francesca, and Canto XXXIII, featuring the dramatic episode of Count Ugolino.
Through Dante’s journey across the circles of Hell, Inferno explores universal themes such as guilt, justice, desire, and moral responsibility. In Canto V we encounter Paolo and Francesca, symbols of a passionate and forbidden love whose story continues to evoke compassion and raise questions about the relationship between passion and sin. In Canto XXXIII, the figure of Ugolino appears in one of the darkest and most powerful narratives of medieval literature, marked by betrayal, revenge, and despair.
These two episodes, among the most famous in The Divine Comedy, showcase Dante’s extraordinary ability to give voice to the damned and to transform their suffering into immortal poetry.
The texts can be read in Italian or in English translation. The discussion is open to all lovers of Italian literature and culture.
Wednesday 25 March | Title Waves Bookstore, Bandra | 18:30