The poetry is, of course, beyond need for praise so I'll focus on the physical book. This is a superb and beautiful edition of Paradise Lost. It is a delight to handle. The quality of the binding is exceptional, the cover art by Stephen Crotts is a creative joy to see, and including the Dore illustrations is a wonderful addition. The paper quality is a pleasure to handle, the print is large enough to easily read (appreciated by aging eyes), and the explanatory notes in the margins are both helpful and unobtrusive. This is an heirloom quality book that can be passed to future generations and should be. Aside from the esthetic aspects, at this price it is an excellent value.

This is a beautiful book and I love the illustrations by the French graphic artist Gustav Dore’. “Paradise Lost” by John Milton was first published in 1667 and expanded in 1674 meaning it was written and published roughly 350 to 360 years ago (as of 2026). John Milton began composing the epic poem around 1658 and completed it in 1664 -65 while in virtual exile and blind. Having biblical backgrounds in its plot of being about Adam and Eve‘s temptation and humanity’s fall from grace, “Paradise Lost” should be read for its unparalleled sonorous language, it’s profound exploration of human freedom, disobedience and rebellion, and it’s impact on Western literature. It offers a complex, timeless, psychological portrait of Satan serving as a foundational text for understanding the archetypal antihero. Milton was also greatly inspired by Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who wrote “The Divine Comedy” as well.

Milton was a poet, a man of letters, and civil servant under the commonwealth of England and later under the Oliver Cromwell’s rule. The epic Milton is most known for is “Paradise Lost”. It was written in the decades of 1640s and 1650s; during the strife between the Church of England and various reformist groups and between the monarch and the Parliament. He mostly used his poetry to address issues of politics and religion.

“Paradise Lost” is recognised as Milton’s major work that changed his status amongst his fellow authors. This epic piece of literature has managed to influence other authors and artists for centuries, even until now. It was was first published in the year 1667; then reorganised and republished again in 1674. This epic solidified Milton’s position as one of the greatest English poets of his time. The main characters in the poem are God, Adam, Eve and Lucifer(Satan).

The book 1 of this epic was Milton’s attempt to retell the story of Genesis while showing his readers that the intent of God was the right one. So Milton had in no way intended to portray Satan as a heroic character. Milton may not have intended to showcase Satan as a tragic hero but he gave the character certain qualities that make him stand out to readers. Milton was a puritan poet and many scholars hold the belief that he inspired the people of his time to rebel against the Catholic church and the King by portraying Satan’s rebellion against God. This argument is valid till today. After Milton came the Romantic Age which brought with it ideas of rebellion against established forms of authority and independent thought. Milton basically put forward the idea of ‘Free will’ in “Paradise Lost”.

Beautiful book. Heavy paper, the woodcut pictures are also absolutely amazing.

Must read, religious or not. Collectible. So beautifully designed.

This book is exactly what I wanted. I have loved Paradise Lost ever since I took a Milton Seminar from Dr. James Gargano at Washington and Jefferson College c. 1967. Dr. Gargano brought this majestic poem to life (along with many other of Milton's poems), and I still have faint memories of his reading aloud from the poem in class. It was sublime, as is the poem itself, my favorite of all time. I wanted a beautiful hardbound edition of the poem itself, with some explanatory notes, but not so many as to overwhelm the reading. This edition fulfills everything I wanted. It is simply beautiful. The paper is perfect, the illustrations superb, the notes unobtrusive, and the book is, quite simply, "just" Milton's poem beautifully and tastefully presented. The Introduction by Dr. Leland Ryken regarding "the central literary work of my life" is a delight to read. This edition has been lovingly put together and is lovingly received in the same spirit. I can only add as a note that C. S. Lewis's A Preface to Paradise Lost is a helpful, delightful, and informative companion to this masterpiece.

I can't believe this didn't cost $200. The cover is this maroon felt material with gold font. The gilded pages are really nice smooth thick paper. It has a nice fabric ribbon bookmark. 10/10.

Paradise Lost is the best English poem ever written.

Now that that's out of the way, this review only covers the quality of this edition (Paradise Lost: Legacy Edition Clothbound Hardcover with 50 Classic Illustrations by Gustave Doré).

The book is clothbound in crimson with gilded lettering. The cover is nice-looking, but I'd say the typeface and layout of the spine doesn't give it as much shelf appeal as it deserves. If the spine was given as much attention as the cover, I would like seeing it on my shelf a lot better! In my copy, everything was intact. No damage or wear from shipping. No flaking gold, although in my experience most books with this effect will wear off with use. I keep a paperback 'reader's copy' for reading, and this one to pull out and admire. The paint looks like it will flake, but that doesn't mean it will. I have Barnes and Noble copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare, which is almost 30 years old now and the gilding is still intact on the leather. Not sure why modern manufacturing can't figure it out. Are we in a dark ages of copy printing and no one told me?

There is a ribbon bookmark: functional. I REALLY appreciate the font size! It's large without being comically so. The typeface suits the material. There is marginalia to explain some archaisms. The illustration plates by Gustave Doré are large and well rendered without any bleed onto other pages. They're a highlight; Dore's style seems perfectly suited to Paradise Lost's epic voice.

There was a barcode sticker stuck directly onto the back of the book. I winced when I saw it, peeled it off, and a bit of residue remained but it wasn't bad at all. Hardly noticeable after rubbing it a bit with my thumb. But it puzzled me because the book was shrink-wrapped with an insert that also had a barcode inside the shrink. Why do you need the sticker if it was covered up by the insert anyway?

Overall it's a beautiful production at a good price. Don't bet on the gilding on the spine to remain intact unless you read it without handling it much. Otherwise, I'm very happy with it.

A high quality edition of an established masterpiece. It contains illustrations and cliffnotes to assist in comprehension of it's content. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in religious/moral philosophy, or the contrast of good and evil. Written by a highly educated writer and poet from a time long before our own.

Gran edición. Notas al margen. Papel excelente. Ilustraciones fantásticas.

Very high quality production in this book. Feels expensive in the hands, weighty, well crafted. It's beautiful to look at, the gold gilt is brilliant, the illustrations are crisp and well defined. You won't be disappointed.

Great quality

Still a classic read