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Paradise Lost

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Paradise Lost

By: John Milton
Narrated by: Anton Lesser
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About this listen

"Of Man's First Disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe...."

So begins the greatest epic poem in the English language. In words remarkable for their richness of rhythm and imagery, Milton tells the story of man's creation, fall, and redemption, "to justify the ways of God to men". Here, unabridged, and told with exceptional sensitivity and power by Anton Lesser, is the plight of Adam and Eve, the ambition and vengefulness of Satan and his cohorts.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Public Domain (P)2005 Naxos Audiobooks Ltd.
Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature European Poetry World Literature

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What listeners say about Paradise Lost

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Literature Study

The study of this text is made easier because it has a tempo and rhythm where the reader might struggle on their own.

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Great narration

Simply loved it. You need to listed and you can visualise. I’ve wanted to read this for years but always been afraid to start but audible is definitely the way to go

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Wonderful

A beautifully performed work which greatly enhances this classic masterpiece of poetry and theology, to make it a thrilling drama, even if we know the end.

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Excellent narration

Epic story of that there's no doubt the narration was outstanding but be prepared listen to 10hrs of old English I could only loosely follow the story with the line after line of old English but as explained it is doable. Not dissapointed with this listen at all. Worth a try if you only know of the poem and story in general and I certainly couldn't have read it.

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Excellent narration

A fantastic story, delicious writing, all told with such expression - a top rate audiobook, and a great way to experience this classic of literature

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Exquisite book, masterfully read by the wonderful Anton Lesser. Every word a complete joy.

Can not thank ‘Audible’ and Anton Lesser enough for making ‘Paradise Lost’ so easily accessible. Enjoyed every minute cannot wait to re-listen. Exquisite, highly recommend .

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A constant delight

Over many years I have returned to this wonderful edition, firstly as a CD and now as an audiobook. Milton's genius is laid bare in a sublime reading.

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Sonorous metal

Paradise lost is a poem that gains greatly by being read aloud. Passages which on the printed page may seem convoluted and obscure can be made clear by a good reader, and Anton Lesser is, as always not merely a good but an outstanding reader. His voice at first may seem slight and lacking resonance but he follows the argument and pace of the narrative with great intelligence and is able to differentiate and characterise convincingly all the different voices that speak in the poem. This skill is essential, since unlike the abridged version published by Naxos some years ago, he is the sole narrator. As such he does a superb job throughout the long and varied length of this poem.
The old Argo recording of substantial portions of the epic still seems to me unmatched -with Tony Church as a superb narrator, Michael Redgrave as a splendidly theatrical Satan, Michael Hordern as a plausible God the father, Prunella scales as a movingly characterised Eve. The use of different voices is undoubtably better and more in keeping with the strong dramatic element in this epic. It is a pity that this and other Argo recordings are no longer available. But Anton Lesser as a single narrator does the job perhaps as well as it can be done (and is certainly preferable to the pedestrian version by Frederic Davidson). If you know Paradise Lost, you will find Anton Lessor's reading always clear and often illuminating.If you are approaching this marvellous poem for the first time, this reading is an ideal way to gain an overview of the whole epic.

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Lesser is more

Milton freaks me out. Anton Lesser's readings are superb. I'd like to see him do a Bond Villain. Then people would know what a Bond villain is.

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great narration, bizarre format

why is it not split into chapters properly...? super bizarre that each chapter isn't each book... desperately searching for book 3 to no avail, would be incredibly helpful if the description provided time stamps for each book...

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