Paradise Regained, John Milton
Paradise Regained, John Milton
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Paradise Regained

Author: John Milton

Narrator: John Milton

Unabridged: 1 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/01/2012

Categories: Fiction, Classic


Synopsis

In Paradise Regained, Satan again is on the prowl, having successfully tempted Adam and Eve, and forced their departure from the Garden of Eden, here he sets out to tempt again - this time Jesus himself, as he comes to the end of his 40 days in the desert. The magisterial poetry of Milton enriches the encounter and, while not matching the greatness achieved in Paradise Lost, provides drama and depth.John Milton (1608-1674) was an English poet and scholar. His classic verse has been studied and enjoyed by many, both for its insight into Milton’s contemporary times and as a literary exploration of Biblical narrative and themes.

About John Milton

John Milton was born in London, England, on December 9, 1608, into a middle-class family. He was educated at St. Paul's School, then at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he began to write poetry in Latin, Italian, and English, while preparing to enter the clergy.

After university, however, he abandoned his plans to join the priesthood and spent the next six years in his father's country home in Buckinghamshire studying and preparing for a career as a poet. He gained proficiency in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, Spanish, and Italian, and obtained a familiarity with Old English and Dutch as well.

In 1642, Milton returned from a trip into the countryside with a sixteen-year-old bride, Mary Powell. Even though they were estranged for most of their marriage, she bore him three daughters and a son before her death in 1652. Milton later married twice more.

During the English Civil War, Milton championed the cause of the Puritans and Oliver Cromwell, and wrote a series of pamphlets advocating radical political topics, including the morality of divorce, the freedom of the press, populism, and sanctioned regicide. Milton served as secretary for foreign languages in Cromwell's government, composing official statements defending the Commonwealth. During this time, Milton steadily lost his eyesight and was completely blind by 1651. He continued his duties, however, with the aid of Andrew Marvell and other assistants.

After the Restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660, Milton was arrested as a defender of the Commonwealth, fined, and soon released. He lived the rest of his life in seclusion in the country, completing the blank-verse epic poem Paradise Lost, which is widely regarded as his masterpiece and one of the greatest epic poems in world literature. Milton also produced a sequel, Paradise Regained, and the tragedy Samson Agonistes. Milton oversaw the printing of a second edition of Paradise Lost in 1674, which included an explanation of "why the poem rhymes not," clarifying his use of blank verse, along with introductory notes by Marvell. He died shortly afterwards, on November 8, 1674, in Buckinghamshire, England.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Ria on May 12, 2019

i just had to add this. i HAD to. “Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav’n.” Did I buy it because our king Magnus Bane quoted it, bitch maybe. I ain’t admitting shit. “Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is’’ I can’t even with the poetry part. Also Paradise Regained is not......more

Goodreads review by Michael on October 10, 2019

I read both of these in high school, what feels like millennia ago. I remember enjoying them a lot - the blank verse, the vivid description of Satan and Pandemonium, his palace in Hell (which is portrayed with dismaying terror in a painting by John Martin preserved at Musée du Louvre). Milton's blan......more

Goodreads review by Kris on August 22, 2021

Like Dante: great literature, terrible theology. I can see why everyone says Satan is the most interesting character. I was rather disappointed when he drops out of the story halfway through. The passages about Eve's special susceptibility to sin particularly infuriated me. As if Adam wasn't just as v......more