Buondì.
Hope you had a nice Ferragosto.
The 15th of August is a public holiday in Italy and represents both the apex and the last gasp of the summer.
From today on, everyone starts thinking about the inevitable ‘rientro’ (return to work/normal life).
But not to worry! Summer may be drawing to an end, but we’ve got plenty more of Dante’s Inferno to get through.
And reading through today’s exciting, new episode (Canto XII), I couldn’t help reflecting on how, had Dante had the technology, and financial backing from some Hollywood mogul, he would likely have been directing action-movies, rather than writing poetry.
Our two brief extracts from Canto XII, for example, feature a narrow escape from mortal danger, then a timely intervention from some friendly supporting characters, who happen to be skilled in medieval weaponry.
It’s fast-paced stuff, though Dante-the-action-movie-hero is more hobbit than Sylvester Stallone or Jean-Claude Van Damme character – he’s rather overwhelmed by his adventures, and wishing he’d stayed at home in his burrow!
But ‘Inferno’ is not just dare-devilry and narrow escapes…
No doubt with one eye on the box office receipts, Dante-the-writer ensures his production also contains plenty of gore!
Today, for example, we have a river of boiling blood (I wonder why it didn’t congeal?)
Dante-the-writer as the original splatter-movie director?
You read it here first!
Now someone just needs to fix the script…
P.S.
Or, if you’d rather read something ‘easy’, well what about yesterday’s bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news?
There are floods and massacres, but also discoveries, miracle cures and sport!
A lunedì, allora.
Buon fine settimana!