[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/lit/ - Literature

View post   
File: 268 KB, 979x1210, Paradise_Lost_12[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5125132 No.5125132[DELETED]  [Reply] [Original]

Is the whole of Paradise Lost worth reading or only certain books? I've read book 9 and loved it, so I was wondering what to do next. Start from the beginning?


Also what edition should I buy? Is there an edition in print which has the Doré illustrations?

>> No.5125276
File: 308 KB, 959x1210, Paul+Gustave+Dor%25C3%25A9+Paradise+lost+Book+1[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5125276

bumping with doré

>> No.5125282

>>5125132
yeah, you read them in order, dumbass.

they're not literally twelve books, it's one book divided into twelve parts.

>> No.5125284

>>5125132

>Worth reading

Up to you. It's considered to be excellent and influences much imagery and literature to this day, so if you have a pragmatic view of literature, this might make it more worthy. Otherwise it's a very interesting read.

>> No.5125297

>>5125284
>worth reading
Ok forget that arrogant-sounding turn of phrase
I was really asking if the other books were as vivid, eloquent and psychological as book 9, as it's the only one I've read
What, very broadly-speaking, happens in the other books? Is it concerned mainly with the war in heaven between Lucifer and God?

>> No.5125309

>>5125297
Seriously mate, read it and find out.

>> No.5125318

>>5125309
will do
would you happen to know of any particularly nice editions?

>> No.5125347

>>5125318
I have the oxford world classics one, but I don't know how it compares. The notes are fairly extensive at least.

>> No.5125359

>>5125347
stop stalling and read it, you don't need notes.

>> No.5125361

i read just the first two books for my english lit a levels and they were fucking amazing in themselves

and then i read it all and it was all amazing

>> No.5125387

>>If you just read Book 9 you're missing out on the brunt of Milton's Satan, which has been one of the richest subjects for scholars. How Milton characterizes and presents him has been crucial in creating how we now view Satan in almost all media.

>> No.5125498
File: 47 KB, 620x324, john-milton.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5125498

>mfw Michael describes the creation of the Earth in Book the Seventh

>> No.5125691

How is Paradise Regained?

>> No.5126051

>>5125691
Almost the entire thing is a verbal debate between Satan and Christ. Read it, but after Paradise Lost. It isn't nearly as much of a time commitment.

>> No.5126113

>>5125297
Wikipedia would solve this pretty easily, but you get everything there is. All of profundity ingathered
and bound by love into one single volume.

Also, I highly recommend Merritt Hughes's edition. He's the absolute gold standard in modern Milton editing, and there is a great edition by Odyssey Press from the 60s and 70s that's easy to find online (pic related):

www abebooks com/servlet/SearchResults?an=milton&kn=hughes+odyssey&tn=paradise+lost

Stay away from Hackett's updating of Hughes... it's set terribly and removes Hughes's introduction. The Oxford World Classics is very attractive, but less useful and you have Pullman's brain-dead introduction taking up space. Take Hughes because you'll read it and leave aside the pretty editions that make it a chore to read.

>> No.5126118
File: 51 KB, 260x260, milton_hughs_paradiselost_165x260.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5126118

>>5126113
Dammit... pic related.

>> No.5126164

>>5126051
>>5125691

The style of Paradise Regained is much less flashy than Paradise Lost as well. I think I read somewhere saying that Milton did that on purpose as a way to better reflect Jesus' own humility and preference for simplistic poetry. (It said somewhere that Jesus had expressed liking simple Hebrew poetry more than complicated Greek poetry, but really I have no idea what source they got that from.)

>> No.5126840

It is great. The scene in which Satan meets Sin and Death at the Gates of Tartarus is a favorite of mine. Editions don't matter as long as you have Internet access in case you run across a reference you don't know/understand.

>> No.5127133

Not OP here, how hard is it to read if your first language isnt English? Im pretty confident in my English reading skills, but you can never be sure with poetry-like works, since even native speakers often have problems with them.

>> No.5127812

>>5127133
It is quite difficult. Though if you are pretty confident in your English reading skills you should manage alright. But, again, it is tough.
If you really don't know what's going on you can find a short summary of each chapter here:
http://www.paradiselost.org/5-sum-simp.html
(Don't read these beforehand).
But do read it. It is definitely worth it. Have fun.