Paradise Lost (MP3 CD) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

John Milton (Author), Nadia May (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2006

Paradise Lost is the great epic poem of the English language, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny. The struggle ranges across heaven, hell, and earth, as Satan and his band of rebel angels conspire against God. At the center of the conflict are Adam and Eve, motivated by all too human temptations, but whose ultimate downfall is unyielding love. This marvelous new edition boasts an introduction by one of Milton's most famous modern admirers, the best-selling novelist Philip Pullman. Indeed, Pullman not only provides a general introduction, but also introduces each of the twelve books of the poem. In these commentaries, Pullman illuminates the power of the poem and its achievement as a story, suggests how we should read it today, and describes its influence on him and his acclaimed trilogy His Dark Materials, which takes its title from a line in the poem. His observations offer a tribute that is both personal and insightful, and his enthusiasm for Milton's language, skill, and supreme gifts as a storyteller is infectious. He encourages readers above all to experience the poem for themselves, and surrender to its enchantment. Pullman's tremendous admiration and passion for Paradise Lost will attract a whole new generation of readers to this classic of English literature. An ideal gift, the book is beautifully produced, printed in two colors throughout, illustrated with the twelve engravings from the first illustrated edition published in 1688, with ribbon marker.

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

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.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hovel Audio; mp3 edition (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596442468
• ISBN-13: 978-1596442467
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 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: #2,148,365 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

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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.