A first impression is the last thing that people forget, and Matthew Pearl has made an excellent first impression. In his debut novel, The Dante Club, Pearl shows his affinity for the subtle elements of writing and crafts a work that readers of all levels can appreciate.
The story, set in Boston in the 1860s, is centered on a group of Harvard poets who are trying to complete the first American translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy. The powers at Harvard are opposed to the project, as they fear it will undermine their age-old teaching strategy and introduce anti-protestant, pro-Catholic elements into the American psyche. A series of murders unravels, creating an excellent mystery that keeps the reader guessing unsuccessfully throughout the book. Readers familiar with The Divine Comedy will find the imagery in Pearl’s novel even richer than a Dante virgin. Pearl seamlessly blends aspects of Dante’s writing into his own, but that shouldn’t bother those who are unfamiliar with the Comedy. The parts of Dante’s masterpiece essential to the story are explained to the reader, so no previous Dante experience is required.
The book weaves together historical fact and literary fiction to bring many elements into one coherent story. It is part mystery, part historical criticism and part political commentary, all at the same time.
Few faults can be found with the plot of The Dante Club, but the writing does betray some minor weaknesses. Insignificant characters are left unexplained. Little attention is given to why they are placed where they are, which leads one to believe that they serve no real purpose other than filler. Action scenes are hard to follow, forcing the reader to go over them a few times to understand the broader scope of the story. Re-reading tricky parts is certainly worthwhile, though, to catch some of the details that make this novel a great read.
Pearl has done a great job for his first outing into the professional literary world. If his subsequent books are just as excellent in plot and tone, then this new author has a long and illustrious career ahead of him.
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