Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Paradise Lost

Beautifully written 17th century theological fanfiction that suffers irreparable damage from the author’s gross takes. It comes dangerously close to having some good ideas sometimes. There just wasn’t enough cool imagery and beautiful prose to save it for me from the trash ideas and imagery. Things can be beautiful and iconic for the time they were written, they can even be important for literature, and we can still recognize that things not aging well sometimes means those good things are soured enough that it is no longer an amazing or even great book.

Also, the number of times Milton reminds us eve is inferior to adam even before the fall is giving insecurity. The way he needs to remind us eve is a hot sexy lady but not to be trusted because she’s an idiot woman and adam is a hot sexy strong capable man is weird. I could not keep a straight face sometimes.

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robdob's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Epic poetry very beautifully written

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thatone2112's review against another edition

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4.0

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potterpav's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

if i wasn’t a big bible fan, i know i wouldn’t have rated this epic so highly, but i rlly rlly love the bible so… kind of goes hand in hand. some parts of this text (like all books) dragged like CRAZY but i really liked the final books of the poem, john milton is a genius! i agree that it is like bible fan-fiction but it’s also not because it literally is just genesis.. like there are whole stanzas that are taken straight from the first book of the old testament LOL! john you think you’re so sneaky🤭super interesting how satan fell away for the last few books as the importance of the Messiah was stressed and how the ending was hopeful, i thought that was a rlly interesting touch - satan got rejected by his snake friends and had to continue his journey with his (insanely messed up) daughter and son/grandson. anyway satan was not the hero of the text, you guys just only read the first 4 books in school. I ACTUALLY ENJOYED THIS. EN101 FOREVER!!!!!!

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aeudaimonia's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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librarymouse's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I just spent the past 6 weeks reading this, in detail, for an independent study. I'd love to leave a more detailed review at a later date, and possibly some favorite lines with citations, but for now I will leave you with:

Read it, had an existential crisis, bon appetit

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livruther's review against another edition

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challenging

Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

read for my early modern british lit class. it was fine, just really not what i was in the mood for to read rn.

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