&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LI&&RParadise Lost&&L/I&&R, by &&LB&&RJohn Milton&&L/B&&R, is part of the &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R&&LI&&R &&L/I&&Rseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R: &&LDIV&&R

• New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars
• Biographies of the authors
• Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events
• Footnotes and endnotes
• Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work
• Comments by other famous authors
• Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations
• Bibliographies for further reading
• Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate

All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/I&&Rpulls together a constellation of influences-biographical, historical, and literary-to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LP style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&&R &&L/P&&R&&LP style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&&RAs a young student, &&LB&&RJohn Milton&&L/B&&R fantasized about bringing the poetic elocution of Homer and Virgil to the English language. Milton realized this dream with his graceful, sonorous &&LI&&RParadise Lost&&L/I&&R, now considered the most influential epic poem in English literature.&&L/P&&R&&LP style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&&R &&L/P&&RA retelling of the biblical story of mankind's fall from grace, Milton's epic opens shortly after the dramatic expulsion of Satan and his army of angels from Heaven. What follows is a cosmic battle between good and evil that ranges across vast, splendid tracts of time and space, from the wild abyss of Chaos and the fiery lake of Hell to the Gate of Heaven and God's newly created paradise, the Garden of Eden. Controversy still swirls around Milton's magnificent and sympathetic characterization of Satan, a portrait so compelling that many critics have maintained that he is the true hero of the story.&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R &&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LB&&RDavid Hawkes&&L/B&&R is Associate Professor of English at Lehigh University. His books include &&LI&&RIdols of the Marketplace&&L/I&&R (2001) and &&LI&&RIdeology&&L/I&&R (second edition, 2003), and he has contributed articles to &&LI&&RThe Nation&&L/I&&R, the&&LI&&R Times Literary Supplement&&L/I&&R, and the &&LI&&RJournal of the History of Ideas&&L/I&&R. &&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R