Inferno (The Gothic Chronicles Collection): Deluxe Edition (Hardcover)

"There is no greater sorrow than to be mindful of the happy time in misery." Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the first Canticle in the epic poetic masterpiece The Divine Comedy, is now available in an exquisite hardcover edition featuring a foiled cover and distinctive interior design elements, making it an ideal gift for literature lovers, fans of gothic horror and allegorical literature, and book collectors. Each collectible volume will be the perfect addition to any well-appointed library, or an attention-grabbing add for your fall reads tbr or spooky reading challenge.

Harper Muse Classics: The Gothic Chronicles Collection presents Dante's Inferno:

• Presents the fascinating and haunting allegory of a narrator (Dante himself, guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil) who journeys through the nine concentric circles of Hell, each level increasing in despair and wickedness
• Explores such universal themes as the necessity for piety, the ramifications of sin, the inherent dangers of fame, the tension between this world and the afterlife, the eternal value of love, and the permanence of storytelling as an art form
• Is ideal for fans of Dante, lovers of literary allegory and classic literature, and people who love the darker side of fiction and poetry

Whether you're buying this as a gift or as a self-purchase, this remarkable edition features:

• Beautiful foil-accented hardcover
• Distinctive decorative interior pages featuring pull quotes distributed throughout
• Part of a 4-volume horror collection including Bram Stoker's Dracula, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, and a volume of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known short stories. 

On Good Friday eve in the year 1300, a traveler (the narrator, Dante  himself) loses his way and wanders into a dark mysterious wood, where he happens upon the ghost of the ancient Roman poet Virgil. Virgil promises to help Dante find his way back to the top of the mountain (Heaven), but first they must traverse the nine levels of Hell. As each concentric circle increases in horror and wickedness, the traveler encounters monsters (human and otherwise) and other fantastical creatures as he comes to understand the various sins of humanity such as lust, gluttony, heresy, and violence toward others. Transformed by his harrowing experience, Dante reaches his mountain-top destination as the sun rises on Easter morning. 

Dante's Inferno is part of a four-volume collection that includes Bram Stoker's Dracula, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, and a volume of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known short stories.

Stephen is an illustrator in South Carolina. His illustrations have been featured in award-winning books, on album covers, in magazines, and on stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating from Winthrop University, he completed an artist residency in New Orleans before working in marketing and design jobs, including ten years with the York County Culture & Heritage Museums. His freelance work has included projects with HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and several faith-based publishing houses. He has received ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Awards and two Dove Award nominations for his album cover art.

He speaks on creativity at conferences and on podcasts and has shared and led workshops at The Rabbit Room’s annual Hutchmoot gatherings in Nashville. Locally, he founded Friday Arts Project, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to calling forth a more fully human community, and serves on the board of the Arts Council of York County and the Rock Hill Poet Laureate Committee. He and his wife, Erica, have two daughters. He enjoys cooking in giant iron pots, playing banjo, and researching reptile and amphibian conservation efforts.