Paradise Lost, Book 1: A Slow Read

“What, though the field be lost?

All is not lost.”

Join Dr. Julie Sutherland in an engaging and rewarding study of Book I of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the opening movement of a mind-stretching epic that traces Satan’s quest for revenge against the Creator through the temptation of Adam and Eve.

This study follows the twice-sold-out London Literary Salon exploration of the entire epic, after which many participants expressed a desire to linger over every line. By focusing on a single book, we will have the opportunity to do exactly that: slowing down to appreciate the richness, complexity and cinematic beauty of Milton’s verse.

This immersive study is structured as a shared reading experience, where participants will read every line of the fascinating book aloud, pausing regularly for discussion. Along the way, we will explore Milton’s portrayal of Satan and the fallen angels, the epic’s opening vision of Hell, and some of the poem’s central themes, including freedom, rebellion, authority and ambition.

JOINING DETAILS:

• Three-meeting study led by Dr Julie Sutherland live on Zoom
• Tuesdays 22 and 29 September and 6 October, 6.00-8.00 pm (UK time)
• £120.00 for three meetings
• We will use the Penguin Classics edition: Paradise Lost by John Milton, edited by John Leonard (ISBN-10: ‎ 9780140424393)