Canto I - V

So I descended from first to second circle--
Which girdles a smaller space and greater pain,
Which spurs more lamentation. Minos the dreadful

Snarls at the gate. He examines each one's sin,
Judging and disposing as he curls his tail;
That is, when an ill-begotten soul comes down,

I picked this quote because it was one of the few that I actually understood and could visualize. I also kind of liked the part about the boatman that took people across the river styx but that got confusing halfway through and I honestly couldn't tell if they got ferried across or went and found another boat. On the whole though I am pretty unimpressed with the writing so far. I guess its a translation but its reasonably confusing most of the time. People start talking and then you find out later and the dialogue and the descriptions co-mingle and get all mixed up with one another. I've also found it lacking in imagery, maybe I'm used to having images shoved down my throat but for the most part nothing is described in any sort of startling detail. That's not really fair, he does describe things, maybe they're just not as graphic as they would have to be now. He goes on about "Black wind" for a while and I guess thats really scary or something but I just picture the tornado from the Wizard of Oz and it kind of takes it down a notch. Oh well, I'm only a fraction of they way through maybe I hear something new and it'll completely change my mind but for now, I'd have to say its no good.