Paradise Lost

by John Milton

Stephen Orgel (Editor) and Jonathan Goldberg (Editor)

'Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world...
Sing heavenly muse'

From almost the moment of its first publication in 1667, Paradise Lost was considered a classic. It is difficult now to appreciate both how audacious an undertaking it represents, and how astonishing its immediate and continued success was. Over the course of twelve books Milton wrote an epic poem that would 'justify the ways of God to men', a mission that required a complex drama whose source is both historical and deeply personal. The struggle for ascendancy between God and Satan is played out across hell, heaven, and earth but the consequences of the Fall are all too humanly tragic - pride, ambition, and aspiration the motivating forces. In this new edition derived from their acclaimed Oxford Authors text, Stephen Orgel and Jonathan Goldberg discuss the complexity of Milton's poem in a new introduction, and on-page notes explain its language and allusions.
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

• ISBN10: 0199535744
• ISBN13: 9780199535743
• Publish Date: 17 April 2008 (first published December 1951)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Oxford University Press
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[bearley]

Really appreciate the novel as a whole and the history of it, but it was just so much work to read this one. There was also inconsistencies between the prose that threw me off, as well as with the ordering of the events that happened.
Also, I went into the novel expecting it to be entirely in the devil’s perspective and I his presence was almost nonexistent in the last quarter.

[Sarah Says]

I made it through book one and book two, but I can’t contemplate reading ten more parts. I've got so much going on at the moment that my brain can’t slow down. I think I’ll try picking this up in a few more years and see how I go.

[ladygrey]

I shouldn't count this because I only half read it for school. But I remember the gist of it.