In the Hand of Dante
This novel defies labels or even description. Nick Tosches is a streetwise tough guy and a self-taught medievalist. Nick Tosches is the author of this novel, and he is also the main protagonist in the modern era of the novel. Dante is the protagonist in the middle ages. Nick tells the story of how he came to possess a rare and priceless manuscript, The Divine Comedy, written in Dante’s own hand. Dante tells how he came to write it.
The author presents us with a number of bizarre, even disturbing juxtapositions. The novel starts with a description of the most foul-mouthed, bloodthirsty, savage mobster you could ever hope to avoid meeting. Nick is not much better, describing how he committed his first murder when he was 6 years old. The images and language of these two characters contrast tremendously with the language of Dante, who waxes poetic about his childhood and people who influenced him. Unfortunately, Dante’s serene, mildly poetic chapters are just not beautiful enough to compensate for the gritty, violent imagery of the modern day. This is not a novel for the weak of heart, or the easily offended.
