Part of the Norton Library series

The Norton Library edition of Paradise Lost features the complete text of the second (1674) edition, the last published during Milton’s lifetime, edited for the modern reader by Stephen B. Dobranski. An introduction by Dobranski discusses the epic’s innovations and its historical and religious contexts, illuminating for a new generation of readers the author’s radically ambitious undertaking to “justify the ways of God to men.”

The Norton Library is a growing collection of high-quality texts and translations—influential works of literature and philosophy—introduced and edited by leading scholars. Norton Library editions prepare readers for their first encounter with the works that they’ll re-read over a lifetime.



Inviting introductions highlight the work’s significance and influence, providing the historical and literary context students need to dive in with confidence.
Endnotes and an easy-to-read design deliver an uninterrupted reading experience, encouraging students to read the text first and refer to endnotes for more information as needed.
An affordable price (most $10 or less) encourages students to buy the book and to come to class with the assigned edition.

About the Editor: Stephen B. Dobranski is Distinguished University Professor of English at Georgia State University and the editor of the journal Milton Studies. He has published nine books including Readers and Authorship in Early Modern England (2005); The Cambridge Introduction to Milton 2012); and?Milton’s Visual Imagination: Imagery in “Paradise Lost” (2015).