Book Review: Paradise Lost, John Milton (Bell and Daldy; London 1861)

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Printed from the original text of a edition from the library of some Mr. Keightley who, apparently, kindly agreed to read each page one by one as they were printed.

It´s a great edition, pity it was not accompanied with some illustrations as it was the norm at the time with some publications of Milton´s poetical works.

John Milton (1608 – 1674)

Milton, while slowly going blind, worked as a foreign languages secretary for Oliver Cromwell’s commonwealth, a loyalty to which eventually had him thrown in jail when King Charles II was restored to his throne. Friend and fellow writer Andrew Marvell supposedly bailed Milton out of prison, and after being freed, Milton moved himself permanently to the country. There he wrote his epic poem Paradise Lost, printed in 1667 and considered to be one of the greatest pieces of writing in the history of literature. Illustrating the Biblical account of original sin, the work has inspired innumerable poets and writers of future generations. Milton published Paradise Regain’d (1671) and Samson Agonistes (1671) before his death on November 8, 1674 in England. http://www.poetry.com/GreatestPoets/poetbios.asp?ID=56

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