Heaven and its discontents

by Paris, Bernard J.

"There is a tradition of little books that make a huge difference in how we read Paradise Lost, and Bernard J. Paris's Heaven and Its Discontents is a worthy member of this group. Rather than looking at Adam, Eve, God, and Satan in purely doctrinal or theological terms, Paris insists that we read Milton's creations as characters whose inner conflicts drive the story. His analysis of how God's and Satan's rivalry and psychological conflicts drives the story is revelatory. Milton's critics will profit from how the brilliant, short book continues the project of the New Milton Criticism, and...