peculiar grace
A long time ago, someone gave me a copy of Milton’s Paradise Lost. I’ve never read it, but I’ve looked at the pictures, which are beguilingly complex black and white engravings from the first illustrated edition, published in 1688. The story, of course, is familiar. Satan and his rebel angels, having been cast out of heaven, decide to corrupt the newly-created world. Satan, disguised as a snake, tempts Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit so that the two are exiled from Eden.
The introduction is by Philip Pullman, who explains how his trilogy, His Dark Materials (the phrase is from book II, line 916), retells Milton’s story, but reverses the emphasis, celebrating the Fall because, in Pullman’s version, trading innocence for knowledge is not a loss at all.
And inside the front cover, in a familiar slanting handwriting, are four lines copied from book VIII, describing Eve:
Her loveliness, so absolute she seems
And in herself complete so well to know
Her own, that what she wills to do or say
Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best.
11 comments:
I like the interpretation first presented by my Bible professor that Genesis 1-3 is a story of trading immortality for sexuality because on a limited (defined, as we have it) Earth you can't have both.
Was the inscription meant for you?
Have you read His Dark Materials? It's one of my most favourite books (I know it's a trilogy, but never mind!)I read the first one when it came out a very long time ago, I must have been about 10? and loved that, but I adore the way each book has got darker and more adult as I've grown older. I can't wait to read what he writes next.
Whose "familiar slanting handwriting"? I've never read Paradise Lost. I should. But then, I should do lots of things.
Julia, Magpie: Sorry, I didn't mean to be unclear. The inscription was to me from the person who gave me the book.
Katie: I've read the trilogy. But I think I'd probably enjoy it more if I read Paradise Lost and could better trace the allusions and references. 'Cause I'm weird like that.
The most striking parallel between Paradise Lost (which I read years ago for my generals) and HDM is the way that the Lucifer character is so much more compelling and interesting than the characters on god's side.
S -- Absolutely. In my original post I had that quotation about how Milton was of Satan's party without knowing it.
wow, I enjoyed the post, but now I'm so fascinated by what Julia said, I'm going to have to think about that one for a while. Trading immortality for sexuality. Hmmm....
On immortality and sexuality: in interviews about HDM, Pullman is very clear that he wanted to write a book in which the girl was not punished for growing up or becoming sexual. He points out that in the Narnia books, Susan is excluded from paradise because she's entered adolescence, which is awful.
Immortality vs. sexuality? Hmm, haven't I read somewhere about how hot angel sex is supposed to be? But I guess the key phrase was "on earth." Yeah, and don't ask about my reading material.
Speaking of inscriptions, I almost got rid of a book during home library weeding this weekend until I realized the inside cover featured a note from an old boyfriend. Oops. There's little sadder than finding an inscribed book in a used book store.
Actually, I read enough of Paradise Lost to know that it does feature angel sex. Though how hot it is is open to debate.
These are fascinating comments on a fascinating post.
Paradise Lost. I really should have read it by now.
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