On Favorite Authors: Dante

Of all the possible topics of discussion, favorite authors easily tops my list and remains one of my all time most preferred subjects of discourse.  Being a voracious reader, the task of amassing a list of favorite authors is, naturally, a massive undertaking that will likely not be completed anytime soon, however, I will content myself with taking one step at a time. Thus, without further ado, I shall start with one of my more unique choices: Dante Alighieri.

Midway upon the journey of life

I found myself in a forest dark,

for the straight path had been lost.

So begins Dante's epic journey through the three realms of the netherworld, each realm being expounded on in its own book, those being "Paradiso," "Purgatorio," and "Inferno."
To basically summarize the trilogy, Dante projects himself into the three books, which have him, as the main character, as a man who loses his way and gets led to the gates of hell by an angel named Beatrice, who bids him go on a tour of the underworld.  This sends him on an ethereal journey which, at least in the case of "Inferno," resembles a twisted version of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland," as it has Dante and his guide, the soul of the ancient Greek poet, Virgil, traveling through ever-changing landscapes inhabited by countless souls, many of them immediately recognizable, as in the case of Aristotle, Plato, Homer, and many other famous personas of history.

Pros

Though I am not usually fond of poetry, there are a number of exceptions and Dante's famous epics most definitely top that list, sharing the position with Homer's two mythological masterpieces.  Dante's vision of divine justice is one of the most vibrant, unique, and imaginative classical works in existence and succeeds in providing a rich, if fictional, look at the other side. As an added bonus, history buffs and readers of the classics will find a host of exciting looks at the otherworldly fates of popular literary characters, such as Orestes and Achilles, and historical figures, like Ceasar, Alexander the Great, and Cleopatra.

Cons

Though Dante's innovation pervades the entirety of his works,  seeing souls being punished or rewarded in countless new, and often grisly, ways, can get old fast and definitely is not for casual reading.  Ultimately, the works' poetry, combined with their old English and incredibly arcane symbolism also make them hard to interpret without some extensive experience poring through the classics. 

Conclusion

Though not for the faint of heart (both due to interpretation difficulties and grisly content) the works of Dante have more than earned their place among the classics and occupy a very special place in my library for their complete uniqueness and rich descriptive mastery.