The story was alright. It really needs to be read while keeping a perspective from the time period in the back of your mind. These days it has surely lost much of its former impact because of the antiquated settings and plots. Only take the messages to heart if you want to live your life in the way Dante deems to be a holy (imho it was saturated with his own religious views). While the vocabulary is quite beautiful, the verse can make it particularly difficult to read in English. Overall, the only reason to read it is if you want to get a feel for classic allegory, or to simply understand why the book is so famous. Don't expect to be overwhelmed with emotions unless your are extremely religious. If you are religious, prepare to cry yourself to sleep while praying, believing you are most likely going to hell anyways.