Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained

Didn’t realize I was paying $30 for a book that was taken from a library. Stamped and with the library logo and barcode taped to it.

Let's face it. Reading Milton is no cakewalk. Oscar Wilde once said a writer was a "prose Milton" then added, "but so is Milton." That's why Anton Lesser's reading is genius. It's so genius, it demonstrates the genius of Milton. Laura Paton can't quite match Anton in his Shakespearean crispness and demonic force, but she only reads the few speeches of Eve.Yes, it's an abridged version. But when they say abridged, they barely mean it. Whole books are included on the three (THREE!) CDs and ones that aren't read fully are here in Milton's own summaries. I recommend getting the NORTON CRITICAL EDITION OF PARADISE LOST to read along with this (although everything that's read is included in a booklet that also comes (!) with the CDs. The Norton Crit has the full text (should you want it) along with good footnotes and essays.This is all so well done and so mindbogglingly cheap for how long it is (four hours!), I'm a little baffled why I hadn't heard of it before. Every English teacher will tell you that Milton should be read aloud. So why not have Anton Lesser do it for you? He does it so dern well.

Naxos audio maintain their high reputation with this excellent production of Milton's classic; wonderfully read by Anton Lesser, with Laura Paton as Eve.Paradise Lost can be a difficult read. Personally, I could never get round to comitting myself to the book, but this reading really brings it to life, and is well worth spending the time and money. Milton creates many wonderous and fantastical images and characters. Satan is shown as a tragic hero, tormented by the innocence of Adam and Eve, and prompted to revenge. Milton actually uses his characters to play 'devil's advocate' (literally!) by asking many paradoxical questions of the biblical story. Considering this book was first printed at the height of the witchcraft paranoia of the seventeenth century, it's amazing he managed to get away with it.Full of allegory and layers of meaning, this is a CD set you can enjoy again and again.

Ricks provides the most helpful and least pedantic footnotes since James Holly Hanford's edition. They are unobtrusive and on the same page as the text. The text itself is reliable and in modern spelling, but Milton's apostrophes have been retained to make certain that the pronunciations he specified (for metrical reasons) are indicated. There could, perhaps, be wider margins for making annotations.

I am only 16 years old, and I read this book for interest's sake last fall. I liked it so much that I asked for it for Christmas--and got two copies! This book is a masterpiece. Though many people consider Shakespeare to be an even greater literary genius than Milton, I think that Milton was the best of the time. His ideas and the way that he fills out the story is amazing. He has so many unique ideas and thoughts! I had to stop all the time during this book to ponder the truths of what Milton wrote. I definately recommend this book--to readers of any age!