Suggested Reading: In Dante’s Wake by John Freccero

In Dante's Wake by John Freccero

For anyone interested in following up on Dante and the extraordinary impact he had on Western thought and literature, (see Jim Boitano’s “Il Professore” essay) I recommend for your reading pleasure, ‘In Dante’s Wake,’ by John Freccero (Fordham University Press, 2015, ISBN 978-0-8232-6428-5).

Dr. Freccero is recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on Dante. . .and he is the father of Marin Superior Court Judge Stephen Freccero, former Assistant US Attorney, ND CA, and a member of the team of federal lawyers and FBI agents who built and then prosecuted the case against the notorious “Unibomber.”

One of the most significant takeaways from Dr. Freccero’s book is his opinion that ‘The Divine Comedy’ was the bridge from epic poem to the novel, an accomplishment far more important than the usually noted contribution ascribed to it, i.e. that it was written in the vernacular rather than Latin language which made it readable by the masses, not just the elite.

Contributed by Joe Russoniello

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