David lazarus, the san francisco chronicle the dante club is a thoroughly accomplished first novel. The dante club by matthew pearl reading guidebook club. In 1865, the preparations of the dante club led by henry wadsworth longfellow and oliver wendell holmesto release the first translation of dante s the divine comedy are threatened by a series of murders that recreate episodes from inferno. David liss, edgar awardwinning author of a conspiracy of paper. The sun shines down on a mountain above him, and he attempts to climb up to it but finds his way blocked by three beastsa leopard, a lion, and a shewolf. The man murdered was artemus prescott healey, who was the highest official of the massachusetts courts.
Considering that the prodigiously clever firsttime author, matthew pearl, is a harvard and yaleeducated dante scholar who won a 1998 prize from the dante. In 1865, the long american civil war had drawn to an end, and boston crawled with intellectuals. Matthew pearl is the new york times bestselling author of the dante club, the poe shadow, the last dickens, the technologists, the last bookaneer, and the dante chamber, and the editor of the modern library editions of dantes inferno translated by henry wadsworth longfellow and edgar allan poes the murders in the rue morgue. Its a followup to my debut novel, the dante club, but you do not have to read one before the other, each stands on its own two feet.
The dante club draws much of its energy from dantes masterpiece, inferno, and its first american translation by henry wadsworth longfellow. With the police baffled, more lives endangered, and dantes literary future at stake, the dante club must shed its sheltered literary. Though readers can fully enjoy the novel without any knowledge of dante, with the new modern library edition of longfellows inferno book clubs and reading groups have a perfect opportunity to discuss both. Fields are finishing americas first translation of the divine comedy. Or perhaps, try historicalfantasyfictionliterarymurdermystery. The dante club matthew pearl, 2003 random house 464 pp. After healeys death, reverend talbot and several other people are killed.
The dante club about a murderer who kills people with methods described by dante. Matthew pearl uses this historical event as his canvas to flesh out his tale of murder, madness, fear and friendship in his first novel, the dante. The dante club summary supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. When other shocking deaths erupt across the city, all in the style of the penances dante memorialized in purgatory, poet christina rossetti fears that her missing brother, the artist and. The dante club this is actually matthew pearls first novel and while it doesnt flow quite as well as the poe shadow that might be at least partly due to me not knowing much dante though it is still a superb read. The dante club posted on july 12, 2010 by stewartry over the weekend, unable to put my hands on dear theo or to kill a mockingbird there must be a box of books somewhere and not quite up to committing to song for arbonne or lions of alrassan, i picked up something i received a while back through. Pals henry wadsworth longfellow, james russell lowell, and oliver wendell holmes are translating dante together when a serial murderer strikes town, committing brutal offings modeled after the punishments in dantes inferno. But youd miss an entertaining and at times illuminating read. It also concerns a club of poets, including such historical figures as henry wadsworth longfellow, oliver wendell holmes sr. Fields knows what people read, he shall never quite understand why. This moment in literary history, when dante became a part of american culture, is accurately reconsidered, yet creatively retold in matthew pearls the dante club 2003. In 1865 boston, henry wadsworth longfellow is a celebrity, admired, even idolized not only for his literary standing as a poet, but for his familys impeccable history and social position. Inferno opens on the evening of good friday in the year 0.
Find all available study guides and summaries for the dante club by matthew pearl. Find sample tests, essay help, and translations of shakespeare. Five years after a series of danteinspired killings stunned boston, a politician is found in a london park with his neck crushed by an enormous stone device etched with a verse from the divine comedy. Matthew pearl keeps this mystery sparkling with erudition. Review by vesna mcmaster jun 30, 2011 you could classify the dante club loosely as historical fiction. A series of murders, all of them inspired by scenes in dantes inferno. It was around this time, that he began writing his first novel, the dante club. When the wrathful person strikes out wildly, dante has no pity and would possibly strike back. It is the story of the fireside poets henry longfellow, oliver wendell holmes and james russell who initially form the dante club to assist longfellow in finishing the first american translation of dante alighieris commedia divina. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. I clicked on it and found the summary to be interesting as well as the comments of those who. The new york times bestselling author of the international sensation, the dante clubwhich bring you to mid 19th century boston, where a brutal series of murderscan only be stopped by americas first scholars of dante. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the dante club by matthew pearl. The book is set in the 1860s, and focuses around a group of poets.
Matthew pearls novels have been international and new york times bestsellers translated into more than 30 languages. In one of his literature reading groups,at yale, he was asked to lead the discussion on dante and the concept of justice. The serial murderer who draws gory inspiration from the torments of. Matthew pearl s novels have been international and new york times bestsellers translated into more than 30 languages. The dante club is a mystery novel published by matthew pearl. Matthew pearl s dazzler of a debut novel, the dante club, is just what an historical thriller should bea creative combo of edgeofyourseat suspense, fully imagined characters, fictional and real, and an evocative, wellresearched, wellrealized setting. The dante club is a wonderful debut novel from matthew pearl. The chief justice is murdered because of his neutrality about the issue of runaway slaves.
He also has the power to respond to certain vicious sinners in a manner befitting their sins. He has the ability and intellectual dexterity to bring forth the kinds of large fictions nineteenth century readers were accustomed to books in which an individual could immerse herhimself and come away stimulated with new ideas. Fields are finishing americas first translation of the divine comedy and preparing to unveil dantes remarkable. The dante club summary and analysis like sparknotes. Matthew pearl, the dante club this is a historicalfiction thriller set in 1865. Not since umberto ecos the name of the rose has a literary novel of such scholarly density enjoyed international success on.
The official site for matthew pearl, author of the dante chamber, dante club, the poe shadow, the last dickens, the technologists, company eight, and the last bookaneer. Sparknotes are the most helpful study guides around to literature, math, science, and more. If 20something polymaths put you off, better pass on this clever, erudite murder mystery set in the literary boston of the mid19th century. While the literati grow concerned that gabriel is involved in the deaths, an expinkerton operative arrives in england to try to capitalize on the crimes the way he did with those in boston that pearl the last bookaneer, 2015, etc.
In 1998, he won the prestigious dante prize from the dante society of america for his scholarly work. Fieldssome of the greatest american poets of the 19th century. I enjoyed this, but the writing style made for a somewhat difficult read. Matthew pearl, quote from the dante club believe that when i am at once a mans friend i am always sonor is it so very hard to bring me to it. In 1865 boston, henry wadsworth longfellow is a celebrity, admired, even idolized not only for his literary standing as a poet, but for. This highly anticipated novel by matthew pearl combines a richly researched world with a gripping dramatic narrative. The official site for the dante club, a dazzling new work of historical fiction from random house. The literary geniuses of the dante clubpoets and harvard professors henry wadsworth longfellow, dr. Oliver wendell holmes, and james russell lowell, along with publisher j. Matthew pearl grew up in fort lauderdale and currently lives in cambridge, massachusetts. If there is a sparknotes, shmoop, or cliff notes guide, we. The dante club is a book about books, writers, publishing, boston and a bookbased murder mystery thrown in. The dante club is a mystery novel by matthew pearl and his debut work, set amidst a series of murders in the american civil war era. Only an elite group of americas first dante scholarshenry wadsworth longfellow, oliver wendell holmes, james russell lowell, and j.
Theres much to like about the dante club, matthew pearls homage to henry wadsworth longfellow, oliver wendell holmes, james russell lowell, and j. Matthew pearl, 26, a recent yale law school grad, became fascinated with dantes work while at. Hope youll enjoy any of books you choose to pick up. A in 1865, four dignitaries from cambridge, massachusetts formed the dante club for the purpose of translating the divine comedy from classical italian to english. And though a man may enjoy himself in being my enemy, he cannot make me his for longer than i wish. And so it is with the dante club, a very important book. The dante club summary and analysis like sparknotes free.
The dante club brings you into mid 19th century boston, where a brutal series of murders can only be stopped by americas first scholars of dante. Dec 03, 2015 the dante club is a book about books, writers, publishing, boston and a bookbased murder mystery thrown in. Summary the novel the dante club, written by matthew pearl, begins with john kurtz, chief of the boston police, investigating a murder that occurred in 1865. The dante club by matthew pearl is a novel that focuses on a series of murders including that of chief justice artemus healey. Displaying extensive knowledge of the period and the writers, pearl builds an. Nov 16, 2008 matthew pearl grew up in fort lauderdale and currently lives in cambridge, massachusetts. Project muse dantes introduction to the united states as. Pals henry wadsworth longfellow, james russell lowell, and oliver wendell holmes are translating dante together when a serial murderer strikes town, committing brutal offings modeled after the punishments in dante s inferno. In 1865 boston, the members of the dante club poets and harvard professors henry wadsworth longfellow, dr. Matthew pearls dazzler of a debut novel, the dante club, is just what an historical thriller should bea creative combo of edgeofyourseat suspense, fully imagined characters, fictional and real, and an evocative, wellresearched, wellrealized setting. A small group of elite scholars prepares to introduce dantes vision of hell to america. Matthew pearl graduated from harvard university summa cum laude in english and american literature in 1997, and in 2000 from yale law school, where he wrote the first draft of the dante club. Samantha murduagh setting boston the civil war had just ended i really like this book because i like the fact mixed in with the fiction, the old time period, and the fact it kept me guessing the end plot fire side poets and mr.
If there is a sparknotes, shmoop, or cliff notes guide, we will have it listed here. Matthew pearl does a marvelous job of evoking the period and making it come alive with finely drawn characters and an ingenious story. In 1865, the preparations of the dante clubled by henry wadsworth longfellow and oliver wendell holmesto release the first translation of dantes the divine comedy are threatened by a series of murders that recreate episodes from inferno. Buy a cheap copy of the dante club book by matthew pearl. Traveling through a dark wood, dante alighieri has lost his path and now wanders fearfully through the forest. If you did, please support me by giving the video a. Then, in the ironic description of the sullen, dante, for the first time, uses ridicule, and in the next circle he. The chief justice is murdered because of his neutrality about the. The novel is a historical detective story in which the illustrious members of longfellows real dante club which later became the dante society of america engage in a. In the ingenious new literary mystery the dante club, someone with intimate knowledge of the divine comedy appears to be staging murders that mirror the punishments of dante s inferno.
None of the characters are particularly moving or endearing. With the lives of the boston elite and dantes literary future in the new world at stake, the members of the dante club must find the killer before the authorities discover their secret. Theres much to like about the dante club, matthew pearl s homage to henry wadsworth longfellow, oliver wendell holmes, james russell lowell, and j. The eponymous club, whose members include oliver wendell holmes, james russell lowell, and henry wadsworth longfellow, meet regularly to plan promoting american interest in dantes masterpiece by now longfellows translation is well underway. This summary of the dante club includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. The literary geniuses of the dante club poets and harvard professors henry wadsworth longfellow, dr oliver wendell holmes, james russell lowell and publisher j. Matthew pearl, 26, a recent yale law school grad, became fascinated with dante s work while at.