Il purgatorio vs Morgante: 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.”
Com’ io l’ho tratto, saria lungo a dirti;
vs
Morgante
“In the beginning was the Word near God,”
A classic picaresque epic detailing the thrilling exploits of Orlando, Morgante is a tale of war and of the calamities that befall the romantic hero, his fellow knights, and their sovereign, Charlemagne. After…
The verdict
- Readers rate Il purgatorio highest: Il purgatorio 3.9 · Morgante 3.6.
- Il purgatorio is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 21 for Morgante.
- Il purgatorio has the widest readership — 54 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Il purgatorio | Morgante | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.2 (10) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (54) | — |
Reception
| Il purgatorio | Morgante | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 54 | 10 |
| Editions | 216 | 18 |
| Citations | — | 1 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 427 |
| Pages | 316 | 1179 |