"Paradise Lost" has been justifiably called the greatest English epic poem. Milton takes us immediately into the action of the tale, gliding over what we all know from the Bible, developing the story's background as he goes. We learn how Satan came to be in Hell after the war in heaven, see warfare and the ambitions of the angels -- come to know God's wisdom, power, and His wrath. Milton gives us characters who personify Death, Chaos, Mammon, and Sin, and they interact with more traditional figures -- Adam, Eve, Satan, and, ...
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"Paradise Lost" has been justifiably called the greatest English epic poem. Milton takes us immediately into the action of the tale, gliding over what we all know from the Bible, developing the story's background as he goes. We learn how Satan came to be in Hell after the war in heaven, see warfare and the ambitions of the angels -- come to know God's wisdom, power, and His wrath. Milton gives us characters who personify Death, Chaos, Mammon, and Sin, and they interact with more traditional figures -- Adam, Eve, Satan, and, yes, God. If you have not read "Paradise Lost," it's likely that you're already familiar with a lot of it -- it's a tale that's become a part of our culture. To understand it truly, you need to read this book.
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Written in 1667 Paradise Lost is an epic poem depicting the events of the Bible with an emphasis on Genesis Chapters Two and Three. The following is a list of events included in the narrative: God casting a prideful and arrogant Satan with one-third of the angels out of heaven, the creation of Adam and Eve, the deception of the serpent, the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and their subsequent removal from the Garden of Eden. The Son of God and the archangels Gabriel and Michael play major roles in the story. God's grace, wisdom, and love and Satan's pride, arrogance, and ambition are the major themes of this work. I will admit that this is not easy reading and I really had to focus to understand what was taking place in the narrative. Still, I did like this book a great deal with its rich vocabulary, vivid imagery, and many references to Near Eastern mythology, Egyptian mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, the Bible, and classical literature.
Shanlee2405
Apr 1, 2010
I ordered this for my fiance and he is liking it a lot. He hasn't finished it b/c he has school work to do, but he can't wait until the semester is over so he can start reading again.
The Pageturner
Oct 29, 2008
Gigantic, Difficult Book Worth Reading
Imagine a book the size of the 7th Harry Potter book, but you don't understand any of the language. Welcome to "Paradise Lost". This book in itself is a literary masterpiece and sheer genius. Using poetry to describe the Fall of Man from different perspectives, it is a great way to open discussions ranging from religion to the secular world. I will admit that this book is very lengthy, so lengthy that you feel like you are dying on the inside and want to rip out your hair. But, it is a sort of accomplishment reading it and if you have a book to interpret the language or Cliff notes, you will find this story fascinating. If it were a motion picture, most likely it would be worth seeing. Read "Paradise Lost". If you enjoy that book, read the sequel. I think it is called "Paradise Returned".
