Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained

By: John Milton

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Paradise Lost, along with its companion piece, Paradise Regained, remain the most successful attempts at Greco-Roman style epic poetry in the English language. Remarkably enough, they were written near the end of John Milton's amazing life, a bold testimonial to his mental powers in old age. And, since he had gone completely blind in 1652, 15 years prior to Paradise Lost, he dictated it and all his other works to his daughter.

The main work represented in this recording, Paradise Lost, is divided into roughly three sections. In the first section, covering books one through four, we are shown how Satan manages to regroup his followers after their defeat in Heaven, how they decide to renew the struggle with God, how Satan escapes from Hell and makes his way to earth to do mischief, and how God discovers Satan's new plot and decides to allow it to unfold.

The next section, books five through eight, take place on earth as we are introduced to Adam and Eve, their discourses with God's angels, and a retelling of the battle between God and Satan as rendered by the angel Raphael.

In the last section, books nine through 12, Eve is seduced by a disguised Satan and eats the forbidden fruit. Adam, distressed at the event, yet unwilling to be parted from Eve, decides to eat the fruit and share her fate. God sends His Son to earth to render punishment, but only after the Son pleads successfully on their behalf for mercy. He descends and tells Adam that they can no longer remain in Eden, but then takes him to a place and shows him a vision of mankind's future.

Paradise Regained follows the Gospel of Luke in presenting the story of Satan's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. In striking contrast to Adam and Eve, Satan is utterly foiled in his attempt to corrupt the Son of God.

Public Domain (P)2008 Audio Connoisseur

Poorly planned

Would you listen to Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained again? Why?

Yes. Not this version though.

What aspect of Charlton Griffin’s performance would you have changed?

The 'short' biography is over an hour long. A total waste of time meant to pad the running time of the recording.

Gruff English Accent

The narrator's English accent is thick, gruff and entirely distracting from the prose. It sounds like it is narrated by a person who is old and wholly disgusted with the story.

To Reign in Hell

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.

An epic poem, brilliantly performed

While I hesitate to review Milton's masterpiece because it is indeed a masterpiece of Western literature, here's my best shot at it. "Paradise Lost" starts with the fall of the angels and ends with the expulsion from Eden. After Lucifer is cast out of heaven for leading a revolt against God, he gets revenge by setting into motion mankind's fall from grace. "Paradise Regained" is a sequel of sorts; it tells the story of Jesus's life with particular emphasis of the temptation in the desert.

"Paradise Lost" is Milton's magnum opus, with each word and each phrase seemingly hand-picked for its role in this epic poem. The language is necessarily dense with meaning, so don't rush through this one. In fact, in order to fully appreciate the work for its rythm and packing, it should be recited aloud, even if only to yourself.

"Paradise Regained" takes a different approach than its predecessor. It is excellent in its own right, although it lacks the impact of "Paradise Lost." Lucifer here is reduced to a wheedling minor character, whereas before he was a bold and insidious rebel.

In short, definitely read "Paradise Lost", and read "Paradise Regained" only to complete the epic story told in both poems.

Epic

This work demonstrates an inspired use of the English language. I'd recommend it to everyone.

Incredible

Excellent narration and incredible novel. The music is apropos and brings out the power and beauty of the poems.

A work to inspire Christian adoration

This work really challenged my mind as Milton masterfully dictated his interpretation of the events prior to the fall of man. While based upon the portraits of Milton, I would not expect his voice to be equivalent to that of this narrator, the rendering was beautiful and helped transport to realms beyond this world. Ultimately Milton helped to foster a deep longing for a better country not befell by sin as our world is. All who listen to this work will take something away and better understand their own desires.

Classic Literature with a Distinctive Voice

Would you consider the audio edition of Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained to be better than the print version?

No, this sort of thing is meant to be read. However, this is an excellent reading of the text.

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

Charlton Griffin is the BOSS. In the field of voice acting he is on par with Morgan Freeman and the like.

great narrative power

best part is chapter 8 (book 7) when Raph compared knowledge and folly to eating and farting.

beautiful reading of a true classic

there was absolutely disliked about this audio book which is a great work of classical literature