All books

Wishlist

Queued for a future sitting or vote.

Paradise Lost

John Milton

Published1667
Pages326
Open Library3.8 / 5
Club average—

Excerpt

John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest epic poems in the English language. It tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny. The struggle rages across three worlds - heaven, hell, and earth - as Satan and his band of rebel angels plot their revenge against God. At the center of the conflict are Adam and Eve, who are motivated by all too human temptations but whose ultimate downfall is unyielding love. Marked by Milton's characteristic erudition, Paradise Lost is a work epic both in scale and, notoriously, in ambition. For nearly 350 years, it has held generation upon generation of audiences in rapt attention, and its profound influence can be seen in almost every corner of Western culture.

Literary origin

Country whose literature this title belongs to, based on author tradition —not necessarily where the story is set.

  • United Kingdom

Topics from Open Library

Subjects

  • Bible
  • Biography
  • Criticism and interpretation
  • Devil
  • Early works to 1800
  • English Christian poetry
  • English Epic poetry
  • English poetry
  • Fall of man
  • Fall of man in literature

People

  • Adam (Biblical figure)
  • Doré Gustave (1832-1883)
  • Eve (Biblical figure)
  • Jesus Christ
  • John Milton (1608-1674)
  • Samson (Biblical judge)

Times & places

  • Early modern, 1500-1700
Added to BBRC

Oct 13, 2026

Catalog slug

paradise_lost

Search the club

Find books, members, posts, and more across BBRC