Paradise Lost [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

John Milton (Author), Nadia May (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2006

Of Man's first disobedience and the fruit // Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste // Brought death into the world and all our woe, // With loss of Eden, till on greater Man //Restore us and regain the blissful seat // Sing, Heavenly Muse... // Thus begins the epic poem, considered the greatest in the English language, as John Milton seeks to “justify the ways of God to men” through relating the story of Satan’s rebellion in Heaven, the deception and fall of Man, and the presaged event of Redemption through Jesus, the Son of God…the “Second Adam.” // An English cleric with a classical education, Milton lost his eyesight in 1652, and thus the story was largely dictated by the blind poet, lending a certain quality of the ancient oral epics, which only serves to enhance the telling of the tale. Weaving classical mythology with a deep knowledge and reference to Scripture, Milton's genius for narrative unfolds what his biographer, Samuel Johnson, called his "peculiar power to astonish." // Nadia May has narrated over five hundred audiobooks and has earned the prestigious AudioFile Golden Voice award, as well as fourteen Earphone awards. She is an accomplished film, TV, and theater actress. Wanda’s native British voice complements her graduate education in English Literature from UC Berkeley to make her delivery of John Milton’s Paradise Lost engaging and nuanced.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Pullman sagely advises the uninitiated to put sound before sense, allowing the power of Milton's music to work its magic. --Wall Street Journal --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

About the Author

Philip Pullman is the author of numerous children's books, and most famously the trilogy His Dark Materials, popular with both children and adults. His Dark Materials has been adapted for the stage and performed at the National Theatre, London in 2003 and 2004. The first part of the trilogy, The Golden Compass, was released as a film in 2007 starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman.
--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hovel Audio; Unabridged edition (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596442441
• ISBN-13: 978-1596442443
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,157,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Handsome Devil of a Book, October 20, 2005

By 

Akimon Azuki - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paradise Lost (Oxford World's Classics) (Hardcover)

I have other editions of Paradise Lost, many with lengthy and preachy introductions, but this one has become my favourite. The design is beautiful, with a great cover, blood red inside covers and red ribbon marker. The original engravings that illustrate the story are a unique feature and look great.
The introduction and notes on all chapters written by Philip Pullman are short, refreshing and suprisingly funny. Even if you studied Paradise in depth, his comments may shed new light on this classic work. As he reminds the readers, these are his views as a fan rather than a scholar, and he tries to clear some cobwebs that gathered on Milton's opus and bring it closer into focus for the modern readers. Among his references are Alfred Hitchcock's movies and novels of Frederick Forsyth. And he tackles that age old dilema- if he is so evil, why do we find Lucifer so damn likeable...?
If you want to read Paradise Lost for the first time, possibly after/before devouring Pullman's own Dark Materials trilogy, look no further than this beautiful edition. And even if you have other copies, this is a great addition to your home library. Nothing wrong with a good looking book, when the content matches the design in quality, as it is the case here.

56 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful edition, October 8, 2005

By 

Joe Glaser (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paradise Lost (Oxford World's Classics) (Hardcover)

Interesting but skimpy comments from Philip Pullman, but the real attractions are a very clean and historically sensitive page design and the Michael Burghers engravings from the first illustrated edition of 1688. I own other PL's, but from now on this is the one I will take down to read.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Malt Does More Than Milton Can, April 9, 2008

By 

Jay Young (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paradise Lost (Oxford World's Classics) (Hardcover)

This is an excellent edition of "Paradise Lost" to own. The binding and dustjacket are nice, a red ribbon bookmark makes reading it handy, there are gorgeous illustrations before each chapter, as well as introductions by Philip Pullman before each chapter. To understand Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, it is essential to understand "Paradise Lost." Of course, Pullman has his own unique views on Milton's masterpiece, and not everyone will agree with them, but they are interesting to read in any case. Anyway, this is an essential read for anyone who wants a grasp of modern English literature.