A review by casspro
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl

1.0

The book started off with a bang and slowly fizzled out. The details were too dry, too historical--and yes, I realize it's a historical read of sorts. And I'm all for historical fiction, but I need the fiction to balance out the historical, otherwise it feels like I'm reading a dusty tome in the scary university library basement. I starting skimming around page 80, searching for the more gruesome details regarding Dante's Inferno. Once you find them (about 150 pages in), the read picks up dramatically. It's hard not to compare it to DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons--a highly intelligent man who's good at one very specific subject happens to solve a crime that revolves around his very area of expertise. In this case, the Robert Langdon is the Fireside Poets and Co. If you've got the patience to slug through the highs and lows in the canticles, then it might be worth the long read. But if you're like me and want a little more action and lot less exposition, then I'd pass this one by the wayside.