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The Inferno and your favorite dark classics

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Map of Dante's hellWe often get so wrapped up in the new releases and our towering to-be-read piles, we forget about the dark, scary and horror classics. With Halloween edging closer, it is a good time to talk about the dark fantasy books that have stood the test of time.

People are often surprised to hear my favorite book is The Inferno by Dante Alighieri. It’s a 14th century epic poem, one you get more out of with a full set of footnotes. But for those who haven’t descended into the nine circles of hell with Dante, you’re missing out.

The allegorical journey takes the human Dante into the underworld. Guided by Roman poet Virgil, Dante witnesses horror after horror — punishments befitting each sin — as he moves deeper into hell. Each level is tied to a specific sin: lust, pride, avarice, etc. While the descriptions of this vivid world are reason enough to adore the work, the notes accompanying my favorite edition explain who the people we meet in hell are (often politicians of Alighieri’s day). The image of two beings frozen into the icy floor within The Inferno’s ninth circle (treachery) has stayed with me. I’ll leave the details out for those who haven’t read the book, but suffice it to say it’s shocking and very dark.

That brings me to my point: Which dark literature classic has stayed with you?

Are you a Bram Stoker fan through-and-through? A vampire purist adoring Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu? Do you like ’em hulking a la Frankenstein? Sound off in the comments.

5 Responses to “The Inferno and your favorite dark classics”

  1. Jessica S. says:

    Well I’ve always liked Dracula. But a classic that has really stuck with me, while it wasn’t a “dark” one, was The Count of Monte Cristo.

    I honestly don’t know why I fell in love with this book, it’s so weird. But I did. I read it my senior year in high school and just LOVED it to death when all the other books I HAD to read were dull and not a fave and I had to force myself to read. This one I devoured!

    Maybe it could be considered dark with the idea of revenge, but that is my all time favorite literary classic.

  2. Qwill says:

    I love Dracula AND Carmilla. One of my all time favorite vampire films is Blood and Roses, which is based on Carmilla. The director was Roger Vadim with Claude Renoir as cinematographer. It’s beautifully shot. Just a wonderful film.

  3. kristen says:

    That is TOO funny as The Inferno is my favorite too- and yep I get all kinds of strange looks. But it is absolutely beautifully written!

  4. Melanie says:

    I love the Inferno.

  5. Karen says:

    I’m a huge Edgar Allen Poe fan…I absolutely love the poem Annabelle Lee. Its so dark and beautiful.

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