Paradise Lost (Great Epics) [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Milton (Author), Lesser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 1995 | ISBN-10: 9626340029 | ISBN-13: 978-9626340028 | Edition: 3-CD Set, Abridged

Paradise Lost is the greatest epic poem in the English language. In words remarkable for their richness of rhythm and imagery, Milton tells the story of Man's creation, fall and redemption - to "justify the ways of God to men". Milton produced characters which have become embedded in the consciousness of English literature - the frail, human pair, Adam and Eve; the terrible cohort of fallen angels; and Satan, tragic and heroic in his unremitting quest for revenge. The tale unfolds from the aftermath of the great battle between good and evil to the moving departure of Adam and Eve from Eden, with human and eternal auguish intertwined in magnificent resonance. With music by Williams Lawes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . .an exemplary job both of presenting the major topics of Paradise Lost and of entering the selva oscura of Milton criticism. . . . Students and scholars alike will appreciate the balanced approach to the complexities, difficulties, and conundrums of Milton's poem and the criticism on it. Kastan's prose is not just lively but chiseled, and it is destined to affect students." —Patrick Cheney, Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 "Kastan is an exemplary editor, attuned to emerging critical currents, yet steeped in the scholarship of an earlier tradition, aware of the text's provenance and reception, alert to its topicality. His introduction, a model of theoretically informed, politically committed, historically grounded criticism, makes this edition of Paradise Lost all you would expect from one of the most erudite and perceptive figures in the field." —Willy Maley, Modern Language Review --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Publisher

Most popular student edition of Paradise Lost --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Naxos Records; 3-CD Set, Abridged edition (March 21, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9626340029
• ISBN-13: 978-9626340028
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 4.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,393,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great version of a great epic, November 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Paradise Lost: New Edition (Paperback)

The annotations in this version elevate it to a level above that of other Paradise Lost prints. Since this version runs about $20 more than other respectable versions (Signet Classics) I was hesitant about purchasing this Hughes version. However, I was immediately impressed with the amount of and the quality of the textual annotations. Milton's text is so enriched with allusions that a reader not seeking the sources of them is missing out on the full impressiveness of Milton's writing. The introduction by Merritt Y. Hughes (Editor) is both informative and enriching to the reader; it is further enhanced with its inclusions of illustrations that reflect Milton's world cosmos. Finally, a major inclusion in this version (missing in many low-cost versions) is Andrew Marvell's poem, On Paradise Lost. For reading Paradise Lost, any version will probably suffice. However, for the reader that truly wants to analyze and interpret, this New Edition of Paradise Lost is bloody excellent. Read on...

51 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much better than reading it yourself!, August 14, 2003

By 

J. Ott "John Ott" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paradise Lost (Great Epics) (Audio CD)

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.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant reading of a difficult poem, January 17, 2001

By 

"callimachus1" (Campbell, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paradise Lost (Great Epics) (Audio CD)

Paradise Lost, with its majestic but formidable language, is a masterpiece more often endured than enjoyed. Anton Lesser's superb reading in this Naxos Audiobooks recording brilliantly brings the poetry to life, infusing each character with a unique personality. Most impressive is his reading of Satan's speeches, wonderfully capturing the fallen angel's beauty and degradation. His agony when first beholding the happiness of Adam and Eve, and his humiliation at assuming reptile form, are worth the price of the audiobook. Though the recording is abridged, lovers of poetry will enjoy the bardlike meeting of actor and verse, and students will appreciate its accessibility and use of musical transitions.