In "Paradise Lost", Milton produced poem of epic scale, conjuring up a vast, awe-inspiring cosmos and ranging across huge tracts of space and time. And yet, in putting a charismatic Satan and naked Adam and Eve at the centre of this story, he also created an intensely human tragedy on the Fall of Man. Written when Milton was in his fifties, blind, bitterly disappointed by the Restoration and briefly in danger of execution, "Paradise Lost's" apparent ambivalence towards authority has led to intense debate about whether it manages to justify the 'ways of God to men', or exposes the cruelty of Christianity.

2008-03-06 Excellent work, average edition

Although "Paradise Lost" is one of the great works of the English language and should be read by every serious literary mind, I found the Penguin edition somewhat lacking. The notes are often brief and unhelpful, and the introduction, while well-written, misses certain key points of cultural history and context which are found in other editions. Overall, while this is a decent copy of the work for a first-time reader, I would recommend that the serious Milton fan find a more well-thought-out and better organised edition for further study and enjoyment.