A Preface to Paradise Lost

By: C. S. Lewis

Narrated by: John Lee

In Preface to Paradise Lost, C. S. Lewis presents an illuminating reflection on John Milton's Paradise Lost, the seminal classic that profoundly influenced Christian thought as well as Lewis's own work.

Lewis a revered scholar and professor of literature closely examines the style, content, structure, and themes of Milton's masterpiece, a retelling of the biblical story from the Fall of Humankind, Satan's temptation, and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Considering this story within the context of the Western literary tradition, Lewis offers invaluable insights into Paradise Lost and the nature of literature itself, unveiling the poem's beauty and its wisdom.

With a clarity of thought and a style that are the trademarks of Lewis’s writing, he provides answers with a lucidity and lightness that deepens our understanding of Milton’s immortal work. Also inspiring new readers to revisit Paradise Lost, Lewis reminds us of why elements including ritual, splendour and joy deserve to exist and hold a sacred place in human life.

One of Lewis's most revered scholarly works, Preface to Paradise Lost is an indispensable read for new and lifelong fans of Lewis's writing.

©1961 C. S. Lewis (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

‘Lewis, more than any other critic now writing, adds wit, learning and enthusiasm to that ability to discuss rather than destroy, which is the prerequisite of the critic's true function.’ The Dublin Review