• Paradise Lost

  • By: John Milton
  • Narrated by: Anton Lesser
  • Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (354 ratings)

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Paradise Lost  By  cover art

Paradise Lost

By: John Milton
Narrated by: Anton Lesser
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Publisher's summary

"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.

Public Domain (P)2005 Naxos Audiobooks Ltd.

What listeners say about Paradise Lost

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Epic Poem Narrated Well

This edition of Paradise Lost seems superior to the one narrated by Fredrick Davidson, which is also available on Audible. Davidson'a intonations are more emphatic, but he misses the stately regality and austerity which are more appropriate for this epic.

Short music precedes each of the books of the poem, the baroque nature of which helps to prime the reader for a magnificent theme. Paradise Lost itself has been compared to organ music, and the analogy is an apt one.

Of course, listening to this audiobook with full perception requires wholehearted attention; it is not the one to mitigate the boredom of jogging or divert the mind while doing laundry.

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76 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Rewarding, but not for the faint-of-heart!

Have you ever read the Book of Job?
In the Book of Job, Lucifer approaches God and tells him that he has been to and fro across the entire world, and basically states that everyone in the world is a sinner and deserves to go to hell (paraphrase).

God replies by asking Lucifer if he has seen his servant Job. Satan responds that Job is only good, because of all the good things God has blessed him with. "take away all those good things, and Job will curse God". And thus begins the memorable story of Job's testing by Satan, God's protection, and the ultimate blessing on Job for his faith in God.

In Job, the reader is given a rare glimpse into some Heavenly workings, such as: what the armies of Heaven can be like, the Throne Room of God, Temptation from spiritual forces, and how God responds to rebel angels, and etc...

Milton, in his book Paradise Lost, has taken the same approach in story-telling to show how Satan led one-third of the angels of Heaven in an attempt to usurp the throne of God for their own glory, God's reprisal, and later how the Fallen sought to disrupt God's creation(s).

Although published in 1667, 'Paradise Lost' carries the power of religious truth that is still relevant today. The language, however, can present problems for modern ears. Milton seems to especially love to use words like: adamantine, obdurate, importune, and etc... Milton was obviously creating high-poetry on par with his subject, though sometimes it can feel almost too lofty to be attainable. The imagery, if patient, can be striking and profound, when Milton's voice is not so present.

Anton Lesser does a fine job of speaking life into the words without seeming artificial (though occasionally it can take on the tone of a Shakesperian play).

I would recommend this as an important listen, if you are in the right state of mind for such epic imagery (and sometimes tiring vocabulary).

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Beautiful!!

The greatest piece of English literature presented in the best possible format. The reading is masterful. My highest recommendation.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

a real keeper

I read and loved Milton in grad school, thanks to an outstanding professor. I have not read him recently, but hearing the blind poet read is how most people experienced him for many years. The work's greatness is even more apparent when heard than when read. This is not a work to breeze through either way, however.

I have yet to listen to the complete recording, but know this is one that I will treasure, playing over and over. The sound of Milton's epic is so much of the poetry and the meaning, and it helps to have an excellent reader.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The narrator understands what he's reading

Where does Paradise Lost rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's particularly easy to enjoy the poem in audio format since one doesn't get sidetracked by archaic spellings, etc.

What does Anton Lesser bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was very pleased with Anton Lesser's recording. There is a more highly rated recording available on Audible. I listened to the samples, and concluded that Lesser understood what he was reading. Listening to the entire poem confirmed that for me. Very well done!

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great performance

This is an amazingly lucid rendering of Paradise Lost. Previously, I had reservations about this recording, as it was not chaptered by the epic's own books -- but it looks like Audible fixed that! (Thanks!)

You'll not find a better narration of this poem than this one. Lesser understands what he's reading (unlike many readers, who just play the notes). His reading will assist and entertain confirmed Miltonists and the Milton-curious of all ages and abilities.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic

Still a great elegantly written classic. A must read/hear for anyone.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This Voice Talent Totally Gets It

Paradise Lost is one of those books that can be hard to deal with if you try to read through it on your own. The different spellings of words and the archaic language could drive you crazy.

Luckily, a good voice talent can bring the text alive, or, at the very least, give it clarity.

Anton Lesser is just such a voice talent. Even though I have only played the first few minutes of this recording, I can tell he really gets it.

Lesser is a Naxos regular, and he's recorded a lot of Shakespeare. Since Shakespeare and Milton both wrote in blank verse, I have to wonder if doing all that Shakespeare helped him prepare for Milton. He certainly knows how to pace the reading, and he truly understands the power of good poetry.

In short, this recording comes highly recommended.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Great poem, wrong reader

I actively seek out Anton Lesser's recordings, but he's the wrong pick for Paradise Lost, at least for my taste.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I've heard better...

Back in the cassette days I had a great edition of Paradise lost that enlightened, entertained, and inspired in a way missing from this edition. Ok for a refresher.

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2 people found this helpful