Paradise Lost

What Hacker News says

1. bentleyAug 2026
   After reading Allan Asherman’s The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan a few years ago, I embarked on a Wrath of Khan–themed read of books that either influenced the filmmakers or were referenced in the movie: The Prisoner of Zenda, Paradise Lost, A Tale of Two Cities, and the entire Horatio Hornblower series. Very enjoyable! I still have one left: Moby Dick.
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2. rozabDec 2025
   In one of his essays, Philip Pullman suggested reading Paradise Lost out loud which was a revelation for me. I never considered reading anything out loud for myself but it changes the nature of the experience entirely.

   Tolkien recorded some passages of LoTR on a friend's tape recorder while it was still unpublished, I'd highly recommend checking them outz particularly the Ride of the Rohirrim.

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3. brobdingnagiansMar 2025
   Reminds me of the Paradise Lost quote, "Better to rule in Hell, than serve in Heaven", such an insightful book for understanding a certain type of person from Milton. Beautiful imagery throughout too, highly recommend.
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4. kibwenNov 2024
   I know that people spend a lot of time fixating on how to write a good opening line for their books ("It was a dark and stormy night", etc.), but Paradise Lost has I think the most beautiful closing passage of any book (spoilers for The Bible):

   They looking back, all th' Eastern side beheld

   Of Paradise, so late thir happie seat,

   Wav'd over by that flaming Brand, the Gate

   With dreadful Faces throng'd and fierie Armes:

   Som natural tears they drop'd, but wip'd them soon;

   The World was all before them, where to choose

   Thir place of rest, and Providence thir guide:

   They hand in hand with wandring steps and slow,

   Through Eden took thir solitarie way.

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5. Yodel0914Jul 2024
   > What I'm trying to tell you is that it's not easy for everyone.

   I think that's undeniably correct.

   > There is no amount of patience that I could apply to this pursuit that would yield success.

   I think that, however, is very likely incorrect. IMO, you need to develop patience with not understanding, and continuing anyway. Just read the play, see what you pick up, then read it again. Treat it like poetry and don't worry too much about understanding every word; see if you can get the feel. I found that Milton's Paradise Lost took me 3 or 4 false starts over a decade before I managed to get into the flow enough to read the whole thing. There's still probably a lot I missed, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.

   Sometimes it's handy have a study guide, though, especially to understand some of the wordplay:

   Hamlet[To Ophelia] > Lady, shall I lie in your lap?

   Ophelia > No, my lord!

   Hamlet > I mean, my head upon your lap.

   Ophelia > Ay, my lord.

   Hamlet > Do you think I meant country matters?

   I read this in high school and was thinking... what the hell are "country matters"? The footnote in the study guide quite succinctly pointed out:

   > The emphasis is on the first syllable

   Needless to say this became an highly used in-joke amongst my friends.

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6. jononomoMay 2024
   Just so we're all clear, no one has any idea how life could have emerged on Earth without external help.

   It's a long way from amino acids to life -- like the distance between the squiggles that make up the letters of the alphabet and Milton's Paradise Lost.

   I mean, why not just declare Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen to be "precursors for life" and then declare "the ingredients were already there!"

   For those who are genuinely interested, check out the book The Stairway to Life: An Origin-of-Life Reality Check by Tan & Stadler.

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