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IN THE HAND OF DANTE bears the label "A Novel" on the cover. This is inaccurate; to label a book as "A Novel" is to imply that it is a work of fiction. What Nick Tosches has done here is to take the ordered and deliberate gathering of printed word somewhere beyond that, into a realm where fact and fiction intertwine to the extent that what results is neither fable nor reality. It is simply what it is. This is a work of a type, like NAKED LUNCH, like THE SOUND AND THE FURY, a work that will cause discussion and argument and fisticuffs to take place. Tosches at one point during IN THE HAND OF DANTE puts forth the proposition that artists don't create for themselves, but for their descendants, since artists are never appreciated during their lifetimes. IN THE HAND OF DANTE at once presents this argument and is, perhaps, the main exhibit of its case-in-chief.
IN THE HAND OF DANTE is a difficult work, undoubtedly by design. It is almost impossible to read at one sitting --- there are passages where the language is so beautiful, and the ideas so deep, that one must simply look away for a time --- yet it is compelling to the point of obsession. When one is away from it, one wonders what is occurring within the universe contained within the binders. That universe proceeds on two tracks. One track follows Dante, as he is composing THE DIVINE COMEDY, and the influences upon him during that period. His main influence is an elderly Jewish rabbi --- and I use the term "rabbi" not in the clerical but in its true context. There are extended passages during which the elder explores the magic of language and the influence of cabbala upon the Christian religion and the fallacies upon which it is built. Look, he says, look, see what is to be plainly seen and what has been ignored. Are you ready, he asks Dante, and the reader, to see the truth? It is almost painful to read these passages; doing so may occasionally require two or three perusals, with time for reflection afterwards. There is much to consider here, and to reconsider. Tosches has a passion for knowledge of what we call The Middle Ages; one gets the feeling that what he gives us IN THE HAND OF DANTE skims only the surface.
The other track of THE HAND OF DANTE involves the quiet discovery in the Vatican of what appears to be the original manuscript of THE DIVINE COMEDY. The document is spirited away and nefariously becomes the property of a group of gentlemen that includes one Nick Tosches, an author, thief and expert on matters Dante. Another of this group is a gentleman known only as Louie, as frightening a character as one might encounter in modern fiction. He is frightening simply because there is no question that he exists and that you might encounter him, to your detriment, in the course of an innocent, unexcused brushing of shoulders some night in the Village along Sixth Avenue. This reservoir dog is one of Tosches' uneasy partners in the acquisition and verification the manuscript; as the witnesses to the acquisition are methodically dispensed with, Tosches comes to realize that he is next in line.
Tosches occasionally departs from this narrative and converts into a vehicle for presentation of autobiographical material, including an angry rant against publishers and editors, including his own, which goes on for pages. A portion of this consists of a memo by Tosches to his editor in response to a request for a subtitle to a previous work of his, WHEN DEAD VOICES GATHER. It is feared by the editor that, without the subtitle, readers will mistake this nonfiction work for a work of fiction. What is interesting and compelling here is that Tosches' extended dissertation of a response reveals that he is capable by turns of the most eloquent and the most coarse of language, depending on the subject matter. There are also layers of meaning within --- some immediately obvious, some not.
When Tosches recounts a dialogue between Dante and his patron, wherein the possibility is explored that Dante has interposed certain personalities in his work to please the patron, is this not a reminder that an artist must be mindful of commercial realities? Perhaps. With Tosches, one is never quite sure. And one is never sure how IN THE HAND OF DANTE will end. Just when you think Tosches might be out of running room, he introduces, within the last fifth of the book, one of the most interesting characters you'll encounter in fiction this year. And what does the last sentence of IN THE HAND OF DANTE infer?
IN THE HAND OF DANTE is a challenging work, a seductive work. It is compelling enough to love, and frustrating enough, at times, to hate --- but it is ultimately a brilliant work that demands attention, respect, and slow savoring, a work that, while not for everyone, should be read by everyone.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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