Il purgatorio vs Vita nuova: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Italian poetry, Continental european fiction, Poetry
Il purgatorio
“To course on better waters the little boat of my wit, that leaves behind her so cruel a sea, now raises her sails, and I will sing of that second kingdom in which the human spirit is made clean and becomes worthy to ascend to Heaven.”
More
Com’ io l’ho tratto, saria lungo a dirti;
vs
Vita nuova
“dress, on that day, was of a most noble colour, a subdued and goodly crimson, girdled and adorned in such sort as best suited with her very tender age.”
More
Frontispiece of the English version (''The New Life'', [[D. G. Rossetti, 1899)]]
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Vita nuova is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 5 for Il purgatorio.
- Vita nuova has the widest readership — 9249 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Il purgatorio | Vita nuova | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.9 (9249) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (54) | 3.5 (21) |
Reception
| Il purgatorio | Vita nuova | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 54 | 9249 |
| Editions | 216 | 231 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 12676 |
| Written reviews | — | 910 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 4164 |
| Pages | 316 | 128 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Il purgatorio or Vita nuova?
Vita nuova has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Vita nuova 3.9/5, Il purgatorio 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Il purgatorio or Vita nuova?
Vita nuova is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Vita nuova (128 pages, ≈ 2 h 22 m); Il purgatorio (316 pages, ≈ 5 h 51 m).
Which is harder to read: Il purgatorio or Vita nuova?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Il purgatorio: Demanding; Vita nuova: Demanding.