Anyone who’s been to an all-boys school knows that boys become a special kind of feral when there are no girls around, especially in that preadolescent stage. I’d wager that it would’ve been an entirely different dynamic if there were girls on that plane.

After reading The Passenger (set in Louisiana), I now more than ever want a True Detective novel. Preferably by Cormac McCarthy.

It could just be the translation. Terza rima is notoriously difficult to translate into English, which is why blank verse is often the way to go. I really like Allen Mandelbaum’s translation for this reason: extremely readable, with ample footnotes and a great introduction.

The Everyman’s Library edition includes Botticelli’s’ sketches throughout, which is great for visualising the various scenes and set pieces. That’s the edition I choose whenever I want to reread it.

Gustave Dore’s illustrations and engravings of the Divine Comedy are equally legendary, and i’d also recommend having those handy as you read the poem - it makes for an amazing experience.

I’m not quite daring enough to read on the treadmill, but recently I started reading on the spin bike.

I usually end my workout with a cardio session, but I was getting bored to tears while doing my runs so I started reading + cycling instead. I’ve found it so much more enjoyable and productive, and now I wish I started doing it sooner. But if you’ll only be walking I don’t see a problem with the treadmill - I really wouldn’t recommend running + reading (for obvious reasons).