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Paradise Lost

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Paradise Lost

By: John Milton
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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About this listen

 John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest epic poems in the English language. It tells the story of the Fall of Man, 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 rages across three worlds - heaven, hell, and earth - as Satan and his band of rebel angels plot their revenge against God. At the center of the conflict are Adam and Eve, who are motivated by all too human temptations but whose ultimate downfall is unyielding love.

Marked by Milton's characteristic erudition, Paradise Lost is a work epic both in scale and, notoriously, in ambition. For nearly 350 years, it has held generation upon generation of audiences in rapt attention, and its profound influence can be seen in almost every corner of Western culture.

Public Domain (P)2009 Tantor Classics Epic European Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Poetry Themes & Styles World Literature

Critic Reviews

"If you’re in the mood for a heart-pounding morality tale, this is the book for you. This seventeenth-century classic has survived all these years for many reasons, not least of which is that it portrays Satan as a sympathetic hero. Narrator Simon Vance is equipped with a forceful British accent, which he uses to accentuate the text and bring the story to life. He subtly changes his tone and emphasis as the story moves from heaven to hell to earth, and he enables us to appreciate the story’s different personalities without providing character voices. Vance's most effective attribute is his ability to interpret epic poetry by delivering the lines with rhythm and superb pacing. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award." (AudioFile magazine)
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There’s no denying the book itself is brilliant. The narrator is clear and portrays good feeling.

Great book, good narration!

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I found this story full of rich imagery and portraying a wide range of human psychological and religious experience that is still relevant today. I also found it historically interesting as it embodies so many aspects of the Renaissance and classic world views that Milton would have had access to, including the latest scientific/mathematical discoveries by Galileo.
Tip: Initially I found it difficult to follow the story because the language Milton used is quite rich compared with modern speech and literature. However I found that by replaying the first 3 chapters I got the gist of it and could follow the rest without repeat.

Worth persevering with.

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