Milton's epic was first published in 1667 and tells the story of Man's fall from grace and of the revolt of Satan against God.
Reading Paradise Lost reminded me of a quote about Wagner's operas as having wonderful moments but bad quarters of an hour. When Paradise Lost is good, it's very good; and when it's bad... Apparently the critical community has always been divided about the works virtues and I'm afraid that I end up siding with the critics. Why, for example does Milton include endless classical illusions, frequently at the cost of dramatic flow? And what about the justifications of God actions? Part way through I wondered who's side Milton was on! To be fair, I think that Milton was attempting the impossible. God in Paradise lost is omniscient and omnipotent, and either evil was created by God, or the whole thing is a mystery beyond understanding.
So after a month of struggle I would say that Paradise Lost is worth reading, if only for the dubious reasons that it is very well known and that the best bits are jolly good.
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