3.69 AVERAGE


Talk bible to me Milton… I’ll listen…

Jokes aside, this was such a rich read. I can’t say that I loved every book out of the 12 within the epic, but I loved enough to feel fulfilled and frankly, literate as FUCK! Super profound, definitely one I will revisit later in life and use to get along with my Nana in dire Jesus-esque scenarios around the holidays.
challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I read this for a Gothic Lit course I’m taking. It’s a challanging read but it’s a neat perspective since this story is in Satan’s POV. It’s a bit sad, actually. Or maybe that’s just me. Lol

If you struggle with older texts, find you an annotated version. It’s worth it! 

A lot of biblical yapping, some books were fantastic and some flopped, feel bad for Satan but I think that’s the point? Adam is a bit of a bitch, and Eve just wants autonomy. Slay to Milton for accomplishing this insane project
challenging dark reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This just wasn’t for me. Old language and old poetry

This is, perhaps, one of the best epic poems ever written by a human. It tells the story how Satan rebelled against God and was sent down to hell, how the world was created and inhabited by first people, how those were later seduced by Satan. You don't even need to read Bible to understand what's going on.
A masterful piece of literature.

WOW! This poem is epic, daring, and beautifully written! If you ever have a chance to read this work, please do!

read for a class at psu... not my cup of tea

It's the tits, frankly. Awesome, horrific, funny, and thoughtful.

And it's a fun and inspiring way to kick off an epic poem with fallen angels waking up in Hell, and arguing with each other what to do next (and the fact one demon says, "We're already in Hell, it can't get worse" and another says "Ohoho I don't want to find out" is an absolute delight). And there's Satan himself, encouraging a can-do attitude. A charismatic and heroic immortal buccaneer that steps into Chaos itself.

And the fact that God keeps treating Lucifer like Charlie Brown and repeatedly snatching away his precious football right at the last second is a frustratingly good cosmic joke.

The parts without Satan are not as fun, but are still some beautiful poetry. Milton does a marvelous job presenting Adam and Eve at first as noble, innocent, and naive creatures -- and after they eat the apple, as neurotic, moody, and petty. If you're hoping for Eve to get better treatment...that's not really going to happen. The story happens as it does, and so it goes. But it does make their Fall so much more human. Them sharing the Original Sin and everything that comes with it is an act of intimate doomed love.

Milton turned Genesis into a romantic, colorful exploration of the universe's origins. Satan, Adam, and Eve coping with the liberty of free will within a terrifyingly unknowable plan -- a creeping, stalking idea in 17th century or 21st. That blind ill aging man sure produced an evergreen beauty on the human condition, and will haunt my thoughts for a long long time.

Lowkey fire, probably would have enjoyed more if i didn't have to read it for a class.
adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings