Review (PDF) Paradise Lost (Barnes & Noble Classics)
Paradise Lost, by John Milton, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works. As a young student, John Milton fantasized about bringing the poetic elocution of Homer and Virgil to the English language. Milton realized this dream with his graceful, sonorous Paradise Lost, now considered the most influential epic poem in English literature. A retelling of the biblical story of mankind’s fall from grace, Milton’s epic opens shortly after the dramatic expulsion of Satan and his army of angels from Heaven. What follows is a cosmic battle between good and evil that ranges across vast, splendid tracts of time and space, from the wild abyss of Chaos and the fiery lake of Hell to the Gate of Heaven and God’s newly created paradise, the Garden of Eden. Controversy still swirls around Milton’s magnificent and sympathetic characterization of Satan, a portrait so compelling that many critics have maintained that he is the true hero of the story. David Hawkes is Associate Professor of English at Lehigh University. His books include Idols of the Marketplace (2001) and Ideology (second edition, 2003), and he has contributed articles to The Nation, the Times Literary Supplement, and the Journal of the History of Ideas.
Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Barnes & Noble Classics (August 26, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1593080956
ISBN-13: 978-1593080952
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.2 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (515 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #353,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #468 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Books & Reading > General #486 in Books > Literature & Fiction > British & Irish > Poetry #975 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Regional & Cultural > European
Paradise Lost was not part of my core curriculum in science and mathematics. I was of course aware that scholars considered it a great work, a classic. But it seemed a bit daunting - long, difficult, dated, and possibly no longer relevant.A few years ago I made two fortunate decisions. I elected to read Milton's Paradise Lost and I bought the Norton Critical Edition (edited by Scott Elledge). I read and reread Paradise Lost over a period of three months as well as the 300 pages of the Norton critical commentary. I was stunned by the beauty and power of Milton. Why had I waited so long to even approach such a literary masterpiece?Make no mistake. I had been right in several ways. Paradise Lost is difficult, it is long, and full appreciation requires an understanding of the historical and religious context. But Paradise Lost is a remarkable achievement. It explores questions regarding man and God that are as relevant today as in the 17th century. And the genius of Milton has never been surpassed.I found the Norton footnotes extremely helpful - definitions for rare or archaic words and expressions, explanations of the historical context, and links to the critical commentary section. The footnotes are at the page bottom, making them readily accessible.The Norton biographical, historical, and literary commentaries were fascinating in their own right. I may well as spent as many hours reading commentary as with Paradise Lost itself.John Milton led a remarkable life. His enthusiastic euology on Shakespeare was included in the second folio edition of Shakespeare in 1632. This was Milton's first public appearance as an author!
Paradise Lost (Barnes & Noble Classics) Howards End (Barnes & Noble Classics) War and Peace (Barnes & Noble Classics) The Odyssey (Barnes & Noble Classics) Anna Karenina (Barnes & Noble Classics) A Midsummer Night's Dream (Barnes & Noble Shakespeare) Paradise Lost: An Annotated Bibliography (Paradise series Book 1) Noble Intentions (Jack Noble #4) The Divine Comedy & Paradise: Paradise v. 3 (Classics) Paradise Lost (Oxford World's Classics) 101 Ways to Love Your Grandkids: Sharing Your Life and God's Love (Barnes, Emilie) The Lost Paradise: Andalusi Music in Urban North Africa (Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology) John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English LUCIFER'S BRIDGE: SCIENTOLOGY'S LOST PARADISE The Divine Comedy, Part 3: Paradise (Penguin Classics) The Divine Comedy: Paradise: 003 (Xist Classics) Paradise in the Sea of Sorrow: Our Minamata Disease (Michigan Classics in Japanese Studies) The Lost Patrol (Lost Starship Series Book 5) The Lost Starship (Lost Starship Series Book 1) The Lost Colony (Lost Starship Series Book 4)
