This luxurious hardback edition presents John Milton's celebrated epic poem, Paradise Lost, with opulent gold cover embossing, striking illustrated page edges and classic illustrations by Gustave Doré. It is considered one of the greatest works in the English language, narrating the familiar Christian myth of the fall from grace. The poem begins in medias res, with Satan and his fallen angels cast into Hell after their failed rebellion against God. Milton's Satan, portrayed with both grandeur and tragic ambition, is one of the most complex and debated characters in literary history, particularly for his perceived heroism by some readers. The poem's portrayal of Adam and Eve emphasises their humanity, exploring their innocence, before the Fall of Man, as well as their subsequent awareness of sin. In Pandæmonium, the capital city of Hell, Satan employs his rhetorical skill to organise his followers; he is aided by Mammon and Beelzebub; Belial, Chemosh, and Moloch are also present. At the end of the debate, Satan volunteers to corrupt the newly created Earth and God's new and most favoured creation, Mankind. He braves the dangers of the Abyss alone, in a manner reminiscent of Odysseus or Aeneas. After an arduous traversal of the Chaos outside Hell, he enters God's new material World, and later the Garden of Eden. Influencing such writers as J. R. R. Tolkien and Philip Pullman, this epic poem explores the darker side of the human soul through the struggle for ascendancy between God and Satan. This beautiful hardback edition is produced with faux-cloth binding, and features 50 magnificent engravings by legendary French artist Gustave Doré. 384 pages in Arcturus Epic Classics series. 23.5 x 29cm. New, full price by arrangement with the publisher.
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