La Vita Nuova

“The Vita Nuova, Dante’s first major work of certain attribution, is an original and sophisticated creation, too often cast aside as little more than a youthful prologue to the Divine Comedy… This handsome English edition of the Vita Nuova is translated by David R. Slavitt and prefaced by an engaging essay by Seth Lerer… Freed from the customary shackles of academic apparatus, the poetic quality of its lyrics freshly reinstated, the Vita Nuova’s signature hybrid texture is here elegantly conveyed.”—Tristan Kay, The Times Literary Supplement

“Some translators have been too academic, draining the vigor and wonder from this work but Slavitt’s version stays true to the spirit… Considering all the books today about finding one’s center in our crazy, image-driven culture, then, La Vita Nuova—especially in Slavitt’s version—couldn’t be more relevant.”—Nick Owchar, The Los Angeles Times

“Graceful, readable, and just—David Slavitt’s translation is a delicate and surprising achievement. This is another triumph for Slavitt, and a treat for the rest of us.”—Henry Taylor