The Oxford Handbook of Dante

The Oxford Handbook of Dante is a comprehensive collection of forty-four chapters by a diverse team of scholars from various disciplines, offering a fresh and critical perspective on Dante's works. It challenges the Commedia-centric approach and explores the themes, formation, and sources of Dante's poetry, highlighting the plurality and interpretative openness of his works.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 784 pages
Publication date: 22 June 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The Oxford Handbook of Dante is a comprehensive and innovative exploration of Dante's literary masterpiece, comprising forty-four meticulously crafted chapters. This remarkable volume brings together an interdisciplinary team of scholars from diverse backgrounds, spanning Anglo-American, Italian, and continental scholarship, encompassing a wide range of disciplines such as philology, material culture, history, religion, art history, visual studies, theory from classical to contemporary, queer, post- and de-colonial, and feminist studies.

In its endeavor to provide a fresh and critical perspective on Dante's work, the Handbook combines a rigorous reassessment of his formation, themes, and sources with a theoretically up-to-date focus on textuality. This approach offers a novel critical Dante, challenging the traditional Commedia-centric approach that views Dante's works as moving towards a grand reservoir of poetry and ideas. Instead, the Handbook presents a non-teleological understanding of how these works relate to each other, highlighting the plurality and openness of interpretation that define Dante's artistic vision.

The Handbook is organized into seven sections: Texts and Textuality, Dialogues, Transforming Knowledge, Space(s) and Places, A Passionate Selfhood, A Non-linear Dante, and Nachleben. Each section delves into different aspects of Dante's oeuvre, exploring his profound themes, intricate narratives, and the philosophical and cultural contexts in which he wrote. By challenging the Commedia-centric perspective, the Handbook seeks to unveil a non-teleological way in which Dante's works interconnect, shedding light on their complex relationships and resonances.

What makes this Handbook particularly exciting is its ability to capture the contemporary relevance of Dante's work. It suggests the many ways in which Dante's themes, narratives, and ideas continue to resonate with readers today, across different cultures and generations. Moreover, it provides valuable insights into the current state of Dante scholarship and offers directions for future research and exploration. In a global context, the Handbook serves as a valuable resource for scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike, offering a comprehensive and accessible entry point into the world of Dante's literary genius.

Weight: 1386g
Dimension: 248 x 176 x 46 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198883876