Paradise Lost.

[Animavore]

Has anyone ever read this - it's... it's amazing. The use of language... th.. the... I wish I had the proper words to describe it.

I think I might read it aloud later when everyone is gone. Surely some famous actor or someone has done a rendition of this at some point?

[Callan]

Ahehehe - Ani discovers Milton. Eeeeeeexcellent. About bloody time too.

Ian Richardson did some bits and bobs on youtube. I believe there is an audiobook version too, with several readers.






edited for link

[Animavore]

It's awesometacular.
I can't wait to read page 2

[Callan]

If you want to go down the lazy fucker's route, this is your best bet for an unabridged audio version. Anton Lesser is always good value, and his was the best Richard III I've ever seen, so I'd imagine he does a good job.

Paradise Lost is one of the most staggering artistic achievements the world has yet known. And you have it all before you to discover for the first time! I'm almost jealous.
You're not going to like the Creation very much though. But I wait eagerly for your thoughts on Satan.

[charlou]

*lurk*

[tattuchu]

I've heard of it of course, but have never read it. There are so many books I should read but haven't.
So what's it about? Can you give me the skinny?

[Animavore]

Hey! i just reaised there's over 250 pages of notes in this
It's not as long as I thought.

I've heard of it of course, but have never read it. There are so many books I should read but haven't.
So what's it about? Can you give me the skinny?

It's about Satan, the Fall of Man and is God actually evil?

[Santa_Claus]

God was losing the war until the Americans turned up (3 years late).

[odysseus]

Shit, there was me thinking that it was a discussion about the Symphony X album......

[Callan]

Hey! i just reaised there's over 250 pages of notes in this
It's not as long as I thought.

Oh yes it is. Twelve solid books of it, each one a masterpiece in its own right.

It will probably help your reading if you bear in mind that before he decided to write it as an epic poem, Milton originally conceived of the idea of the Fall(s) as a tragic play - it's perfectly possible to read it that way if you play close attention to who's speaking, and to whom.

You might also keep reminding yourself that by the time he wrote PL, Milton was completely blind. I always find that an extremely humbling thought.

[Hermit]

"People who liked this novel also bought into Remembrance of Things Past, Ulysses and The Plumed Serpent."

[Lozzer]

I bought it, read some of The Argument, and then became dizzied with tediousness as I tried to interpret what was actually occurring. There's some really quotable shit in it, though, and I made sure I memorised a verse or two for posterity. My edition has a series of side notes by Phillip Pullman, but it did more to envelope my understanding of it I am a dumb fuck, farewell happy fields where joy forever dwells!

[FBM]

If you don't want to spend the rest of your non-senile years on a single work, you can just read George Bernard Shaw's Don Juan in Hell (part of Man and Superman. It's kinda like driving a Kia instead of a Lexus, but you still wind up at the same place, anyway.