From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9 - Willard's retelling is sensitive to the poet's imagery and preserves such inventions as the darkening flames of Hell and the golden architecture of Pandemonium. It also keeps Milton's chronology: starting "in the middle" and supplying suspense to the well-known tale. Thus, Satan is already in Hell when the story begins. He devises a plan for revenge, quickly escapes, and insinuates himself into Paradise. Only then do readers learn of his rebellion, endure 20 pages of battle (including the diabolical invention of the cannon), and witness the creation of the Earth and humans. Now Adam and Eve (as well as readers) are as aware as possible of God's goodness, so that the Fall immediately after is all the more shocking. In a swift denouement (Willard eschews Milton's stately pacing), Adam sees the future of his kind, and is reassured about the Messiah. Satan's triumph is foiled when he and his followers turn into hissing serpents. Daly's miniatures (small pages often further subdivided) are modern/medieval composites. More emblematic than realistic, they are too tiny to be much more than pleasingly decorative. While this volume lacks the full characterization of the actors, the epic grandeur of Paradise Lost, and other devices of the genre (catalogue, invocation, epithets, etc.), for those who would never read the poem, and for some devout Christians, it will do nicely. - Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-12. The biblical story of Adam and Eve's eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge and being banished from Eden (necessitating Christ's sacrifice) will be familiar to many readers. But the fall of Satan and his minions from God's grace was never told as well as in Paradise Lost. Here, in a prose retelling, Willard re-creates the epic poem, rendering it more accessible to younger readers. As in Milton's epic, Satan is by far the most interesting and dynamic character, and his complex motivations for evil are nicely elucidated. By borrowing much of Milton's imagery, Willard maintains a sense of poetry. But something is lost in translation. Willard aspires to a novel-like story arc; however, the characters of Adam and Eve are too thin to be supported by anything other than mythic storytelling. Willard does her best with that flaw, which is inherent in the project, and puts forth a capable rendition of Paradise Lost that still intrigues. Readers who otherwise would have missed this work will enjoy mulling over the questions that arise from this story--from the nature of God to the benefits of knowledge. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
