This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit grandhotelabyss.substack.com

Welcome back to The Invisible College, my series of literature courses for paid subscribers. The introduction to and schedule for the 2026 season is here. The 2024 and 2025 archives are here. This episode, of which the first 20 minutes are free, is about Dante’s Inferno. We consider the conceptual and philosophical basis of Dante’s afterlife, his sense of sin and punishment, his placement of himself within the western poetic lineage, his attack on avarice as the ruin of secular and spiritual power, and more. Please also like, share, comment, and subscribe! The slideshow corresponding to the episode can be downloaded behind the paywall: