"Enter The Story" is an interactive world based on classic novels.

A new classic story will be added every six months. All the stories will link together to make the world's largest adventure game.

You've probably heard of The Divine Comedy from its first section, Dante's Inferno. But the original classic - and the

game - go much further. You have to guide Dante through Hell,

to Purgatory, then Paradise, and through heaven to finally see the face of God. The Divine Comedy is without question the greatest work of literature the medieval world ever produced. The word "comedy" is in the old sense of "a story that begins sad and

ends happy."

Victor Hugo mentions Dante no less than fourteen times in his novel. Both deal with grand themes of religion and justice, and in his private life Hugo contacted other stars and planets through the practice of table turning. So there are more connections than you might think. Victor Hugo often had his central characters use alternate names (Valjean is also 34601, Madeleine and Ultime Fauchelevent; Cosette is also the Lark and Ursule). Dante has ancient characters feature in later times, and saw nothing wrong with apparent chronological inconsistencies - heaven and hell appear to be timeless. Both these features are continued and expanded in the game.

Another theme that features strongly in both books is different points of view. In Les Misérables, one man's saint is another man's criminal. In the Divine Comedy, everything has its symbolism, and the greatest philosophers of all time are seen by Dante as lost and confused (because they weren't Christian). This theme is expanded in the game, where Dante's interpretation is not always shared by others, and people are not always how they appear.

Chris Tolworthy

Chris Tolworthy

None known

Windows 95, 98, XP, Vista

Download & CD-ROM

http://enterthestory.com/