Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained

Having listened to both Naxos sets (Anton Lesser), Blackstone (Ralph Cosham) and (Nadia May) for some years, I have to say that Griffin really holds the listener. You can soon skip the biography if you wish. You can also enjoy and learn from 'Paradise Regained' as this, too, is really an added bonus in this set!

If you are troubled with understanding at first, read Lanzana's novel or his plain English version. C. S. Lewis has a famous 'Preface'. Nicolson's 'Reader's Guide to John Milton' is also a great way to start. Blarmire's 'Milton's Creation' is a superb commentary.

Keep listening to Milton, especially this set, and you'll find a life-long friend - by far the best writer of all!

I can confirm that the actual Paradise Lost narrative doesn't begin until the 2:09:45 mark. I'm amazed this audiobook spends the first two hours giving biographical info, sample poems that aren't actually a part of the main narrative, etc.

Otherwise, the reader's voice is by far the most engaging, dramatic and rich among the offerings here at audible. If cost is not an issue, I'd recommend this version and skip to the time hack indicated above.

Other reviewers criticized this audio book for the 2 hour bio of Milton. I thought the biography of Milton was excellent. It really puts the poem in perspective and gives the reader a better appreciation for Milton and for Paradise Lost. If you don't want to listen to the bio, just skip to the poem. Milton's beliefs about the relationship of church and state were way ahead of his time, and he quite literally put his neck on the line for his beliefs. Milton is often criticized for staying loyal to Cromwell long after it became clear that Cromwell had abandoned many of the principles which helped him come to power. But what choice did he have? The alternative to Cromwell was the Crown. With Cromwell and his successors there was some hope however slim, with the Crown there was none.

Anyhow, the poem itself is very well read, but listen to this when you can focus such as on a walk. If you're listening in the car you'll be hitting the 30 second rewind a lot or missing much. This is no fault of the narrator, it is just a very dense work.

You know you'll never read this heady classic, so why not let Charlton Griffin bring it to life as you listen. You might imagine, as you listen, the work as blind Milton dictated it to his daughter.

I have been listening for 2 hours and have yet to get to the first chapter of Paradise Lost. It has all been biographical information on Milton.
It doesn't mention this anywhere in the description. It would have been nice to know when deciding which version to purchase.

I have never encountered something at once so incredibly beautiful and awe inspiring as this account of Paradise Lost. I now see things from God's perspective. Milton, your a genius. This production is superb and captured my imagination. Will listen to this one often.

I would listen again. One, because it's necessary to understand everything that Milton is trying to say and two, it's very interesting. It makes you think about Christianity from multiple angles which takes you down trails of thought that you may have never ventured before.

Mr Griffon's performance was great. I couldn't ask for more than he delivered in this audio.

You could not take this all in one sitting. Unless you're very comfortable with Olde English and very versed in all the literary references. I am/was not. It would have taken me over 48 hours straight.

Gets sleepy at times. Easy to get lost in the language and references. Be prepared to rewind alot. Also helpfull to have some sort of study guide to reference while listening.

One of the separation points I have when reading classical poetry is that it's just not the same when reading to yourself. Poetry of this caliber demands a performance. From Homer to Shakespeare and beyond, epic poetry requires the performance from a master with a strong voice to get the drama across on a higher level. Charlton Griffin delivers that punch, catapulting the listener through some of the best epic poetry ever offered in this planet's history.

For those who only think they know the story, and especially for those who seem to think of Paradise Lost as merely "Biblical fanfic," I would invite those people to spend some time in the mind of the literary genius of Milton through this work. And as a bonus, you get the sequel for free, as well as a 2-hour bio of Milton so as to place these works in the historical and spiritual contexts in which they were written - a time of ecclesiastical upheaval. Getting the proper perspective makes all the difference when understanding and appreciating a work like this.

First 2 hours is biography. The rest was gravy. If you know the truth you will see it refected here to near perfection. Milton puts you in Satan' s Shoes, Adams shoes etc.

Griffin is in many ways just as extraordinary as his fans say: he captures nuance almost as well as Timothy West, and for the most part his accent is excellent.

If, however, like me, you know the proper British pronunciation of words like "Derby," "issue," and "Michaelmas," you may well, like me, find Griffin's ignorance of such things incredibly distracting. I would still recommend this audiobook very highly, but I do wish I had thought to verify the authenticity of the reading first.