Paradise Lost (Penguin Classics)

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Summary: Milton's Art for eternity
Review: This is one of the timeless classics of our language. Milton's great masterpiece was written in his failing years. He had just narrowly escaped execution and was quite blind. Despite all this he penned his best work and cemented a reputation second only to Shakespeare. This epic in blank verse is not an easy read but it is worth the effort. His gift for language, words and grand ideas not least of which pens Lucifer as a sympathetic figure ... is amazing. Read this work.

Rating:
Summary: A piece of literature that'll enrich your life
Review: This is widely considered the finest work in the English language--can anyone think of anything that rivals this? To be sure, mastering Miltonian verse is quite a daunting task. In my experience, the best way to tackle this work is to focus one's energies on one book at a time. Even then, it is rare that a person can read Paradise Lost once and grasp everything. And for the record, only losers use Cliffs Notes.

Another good read is Paradise Regained, which is much easier to grasp than Paradise Lost and encourages a more positive outlook.