I had a tough time getting into this book, but things picked up a good deal once I got going. I don't agree with the basic premise — that any work of literature (excepting the Bible) has value in itself. The idea that Longfellow, Holmes, etc. would wander around in the dark searching for a murderer was tough to believe. But the murders based on Dante's Inferno were clever. It was certainly a more enjoyable read than Dante.