The Divine Comedy cover art

The Divine Comedy

Penguin Classics

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Divine Comedy

By: Dante Alighieri, Robin Kirkpatrick - translator
Narrated by: Kristin Atherton, Jot Davies, Robin Kirkpatrick
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin

The Divine Comedy describes Dante's descent into Hell with Virgil as a guide; his ascent of Mount Purgatory and encounter with his dead love, Beatrice; and finally, his arrival in Heaven. Examining questions of faith, desire and enlightenment, the poem is a brilliantly nuanced and moving allegory of human redemption. This major translation, described by Bernard O'Donoghue as 'likely to be the best modern version of Dante', is published here for the first time in a single volume.

(P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature Epic European Poetry Themes & Styles World Literature Italy Funny

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Aeneid cover art
Metamorphoses cover art
Shakespeare: The Complete Works cover art
Homer Box Set: Iliad & Odyssey cover art
Paradise Lost cover art
The Divine Comedy cover art
The Divine Comedy cover art
Republic cover art
Dante's Divine Comedy cover art
The Odyssey cover art
Paradise Regained cover art
The Iliad cover art
Dante's Inferno cover art
The Iliad of Homer cover art
The Decameron cover art
Ulysses cover art

Critic reviews

The perfect balance of tightness and colloquialism . . . Likely to be the best modern version of Dante (Bernard O'Donoghue)
Kirkpatrick brings a more nuanced sense of the Italian and a more mediated appreciation of the poem's construction than nearly all of his competitors
We gain much from Kirkpatrick's fidelity to syntax and nuance... His introduction...tells you, very readable indeed, pretty much all you need for a heightened appreciation of the work
All stars
Most relevant
Fascinating! will re-visit, probably many times
(and nine eight seven more words as requested optionally)

Now it makes sense!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The greatest work of literature you can set your mind to. Take your time to thoroughly enjoy this, I would recommend reading Virgil and follow up with The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Condrad. Then if you still have an appetite delve in the Vietnam War, according to Francis Ford Coppola & Martin sheen (Apocalypse Now). This book is everywhere and referenced by everyone. As ubiquitous as Shakespeare. Even if you've never read the Divine Comedy you'll know the story and use Dante's language. 🙂

A classic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narration is great, would listen to the Vergil voice actor again (Kirkpatrick).

Sometimes I've got lost on certain sections but can give great morals beyond religious beliefs. Watched summary for some explanations on YouTube if I have struggled with the story. Overall, loved it.

Moralistic based on belief.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I bought the physical book purchased by Sterling Publishing and found myself confused at the wording. This translation is more understandable for a modern audience.

A classic must-read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Coming on Dante for the first time I am blown away. So many subsequent literary styles are shown up as pompous and stilted. Now to relisten.

Dante's constant freshness

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews