My Ariosto Project
The masterpiece of Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533) and one of the glories of Italian renaissance poetry is the Orlando Furioso, published in three editions between 1516 and 1532. Its over 35,000 lines, dozens of characters, and intricate plotting may make reading it a daunting journey for some. Fortunately, there are now two excellent verse translations, one by R. S. Kline available for free download from www.poetryintranslation.com. But for those who wish to get an idea of the breadth and intricacy of the poem without (or in preparation for) reading the whole thing in the original or in translation, I have prepared a crutch that might be useful.
The results of two years or more spent with the Furioso, I have published in digital and paper format a detailed synopsis, actually a stanza-by-stanza summary/paraphrase that attempts to convey more of the flavor of the original than a usual plot summary without pretending to be a full translation. The book includes a comprehensive list of names of persons active or mentioned in the Furioso with brief identifications and the canto and stanza where they first appear. Omitted are mythological figures and names of actual persons mentioned in the various disquisitions on future events. Reading Orlando Furioso is over 500 pages in printed form and you can buy it from Amazon. It is also available in Kindle format.
For visitors to this website, however, it is available for free download as a .pdf here:
https://addilettante.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Reading-Orlando-Kindle-7-x-9-inch-0309-24.pdf
Not included in the book is a poster-size chart, which you can view on your computer screen by following the links below.
As an accompaniment to the text or as an aid to study, I have compiled a chronology or set of timelines of the principal characters. These I have attempted to synchronize in the form of an enormous Excel spreadsheet, which you can download here. Incidents in each timeline are briefly identified with canto and stanza numbers and placed in order in parallel columns. With some practice navigating around the document, you can quickly find where in the poem events occur and how they may correspond in time to other events. Of course, this is all conjectural, but I find it useful. The introductory essay explains in more detail how the material is presented, what some of the issues are, and how I have tried to resolve them.
Use this link to view or download the brief Introduction to the Chronological Summary/Index:
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Use this link to view the large spreadsheet in MS Excel:
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4 Responses
Hello, Mr. Sundquist, I’m very excited to write you. I reached your website through a long research on the web about Orlando studies from authors and professors all around the world. One of the recent was https://ralspaugh.wordpress.com where i have found a link to your website. I’m working on this theme and literature subject from years during my free time from job. I write you to buy or have the permission to use your excel file of chronology of orlando. Is the best example of chronology, should be very usefull for me. Please let me know the price. I wrote you another mail to exprime my surprise about the affinity of my personal story compared to yours. I’m an ADD, probably a result of a infancy meningitis transformed in epilepsy at the age of 3. I have the same characteristic that you wrote in the home article in your website. This haven’t inhibit in a long time to give me a strong personality but not a clear idea of my mission in my life.
Ihave changed lot of works, all in the same artistic field, set design in the operas, illustration, animation movies, now comics, at 58 I’m not sure i know what I want to do when I grow up. I would like to express you my gratitude to your article that open my eyes. You describe me in perfect mood. I don’t want to annoying you. Please answer me. I need to ask you a lot of thing about your life and suggestions on my work on Orlando. I know that in internet we meet a lot of strange pe2rson, and maybe you can think …”who is this…”. I’m serious. Please check my website here: tommasogomez.artstation.com
Thank you for your kindness. Best wishes
Tommaso Gomez
Hello, Tommaso, I am sorry I have not answered sooner. I have not been keeping track of comments since I don’t expect anyone to be reading this. Your artwork is amazing. Can you tell me how precisely you would use my chronology? I wish I could turn it into a huge poster, but that may be too expensive for me. If you messaage me on Facebook we can discuss.
Hello Dr Sundquist,
Thank you for these wonderful resources, which I will use in my brief introduction to the Orlando furioso for my students at the Australian National University.
I am wondering why Angelica is absent from your GLOSSARY OF NAMES OF MAJOR AND MINOR CHARACTERS document?
With more thanks, and hopes for the safety of those near to you, and that we will have many more years of world peace to cherish the jewels of human civilization,
Julie Robarts
Wow, I didn’t expect anyone to find my site, so I have not been aware of comments. Thank you for pointing out the unthinkable overisght. I with I had recognized it and corrected it before publishing the stuff on Amazon. I will make corrections soon and resubmit the draft. Meanwhile, I’ll repost it all on the website with Angelina restore.
restored.