Paradise Lost

Looks like a nice volume. I have yet to read Paradise Lost and will eventually pick up Folios edition but this I will consider. I'm liking the illustrations quite a bit.
http://www.eastonpress.com/prod/A0C/PARADISE-LOST_2980.aspx

Yes it does look nice. Anyone have ordered this and can show real pictures?

Thanks for the heads up, I am surprised I didn't get an email announcing this edition, since I seem to get something from them almost daily. This is probably a must have for me. I find the cover design very attractive and I too love the illustrations. I notice there are no pictures of the text on the website, so that does have me a bit concerned, given EP's tendency to reproduce in a poor photocopy of the original, but overall this seems very well done and surprisingly affordable, compared to recent offerings. I have no idea why this would be cheaper than the Landmark Thucydides and Herodotus, but I will not complain about the price point on this one.

Is this a DLE?

Paradise Lost is not mentioned as a DLE

The title of the promotional email I received today says it is a DLE, but I'm pretty sure this is the second misstatement their emails have made in the last few weeks (the other being an extreme exaggeration of the number of illustrations in Gargantua and Pantagruel).

Paradise Lost is not posted on their DLE page, and the listing does not call it a DLE nor does it state a limitation. I will avoid it because the posted photos do not include a printed page so that we can tell how readable the text is.

I am very interested in this as well. Must recover from my 20% of sale purchases though first :)

Just looked at my original email from EP related to this dated Dec. 29th, and it doesn't indicate that it's a DLE.

Funny I was also under the assumption that it was a DLE also (smh).

>9 GOBOGIE:
Look at the subject line of the email. It says "Announcing a magnificent Deluxe Limited Edition..."

So I didn't just imagine it! Thanks jroger1... Looks like I can put off senility at least for another day!

I'm going to send them an email. Will post back...

Ok - here is the response I just received from EP on he question of wether this is a DLE:

"Thank you for contacting us regarding the Paradise Lost Set, item #2980. All information that we have available refers to a Deluxe Set. There is no slip case included and we have a limit of just 800 copies."

Hope this helps

Any research into this 1827 Illustrated Edition?

I received this book in the mail today from Easton Press. First, I can confirm that it is indeed a DLE limited to 800 copies per the limitation page. Second, as mentioned in > 13 above this DLE does NOT come with a slipcase, somewhat unusual for the series.

However, what is not mentioned or pictured on the website and was a VERY pleasant surprise is that the inside edges of the leather boards (the part that is exposed when viewing the machine marbled endpages) are nicely tooled and gilded giving these volumes an overall richer look and feel than most EP DLE offerings. The paper quality seems very thick and tactilely satisfying and for once the print reproduction is nice with bold black type. The illustrations, while beautiful, do seem a bit cloudy and opaque but since I have never seen the originals I cannot assess how well they have been reproduced.

Overall, this is a top quality DLE that does not suffer from the many disappointments of previous releases and seems well worth it's $300 price tag.

Pictures?

😉

I would if posting pictures on LT wasn't such a PITA.

You are correct sir!

Actually, posting pics is trivial. Just upload to tinypic, and then copy the address directly from tinypic into here, and voila!

I received my copy today and I concur with what Sean (UK History) has said. This is a beautiful reproduction and the illustrations are stunning.

Forgot to thank UK History fan for the pics he sent me. I'm glad I ordered it. It is as nice as everybody has stated. Very happy!

Looks like EP and FS are competing head-to-head on this one:

http://www.foliosociety.com/book/PDL/paradise-lost

>15 UK_History_Fan: I wonder whether there is a significant qualitative difference in the illstrations between the editions

22: Interesting! I would have to say I really like the commentary volume by the FS. That is one point in their favor. On the other hand, this is an open edition while the EP edition is limited (is that correct)? In which case it is a point in favor for EP. Also, the EP is closer to the original edition (2-volumes, same dimensions). After shipping, the EP edition is actually a bit cheaper too! Although right now the FS has the book on sale.

>23 astropi: judging from the photos, the illustrations in the FS edition look sharper than those in the EP edition

24: But, you should never judge a book based on photos posted on the EP website :|

>25 astropi: why not? Short of buying both books and comparing, what else can you judge by?

26: EP does a poor job of advertising their books online. The books often look *much* better in person.

>27 astropi:

I would agree. Even the two photos posted in this thread are better than what's on the EP website.

> 26, 27

astropi may be referring to the fact that EP often posts the bookbinder's mock-up images (note I didn't use the word 'photos' here) that are used in the contract negotiations for a book's particular print run, not actual photos of the product for sale. This is why we often see glitches, like a book advertised with a slip case but ships without one (or vice versa).

Has anyone acquired this DLE? If so, what are your impressions?

>30 ultrarightist:
See post #15 in this thread.

It is superb! Very impressive illustrations! I am very pleased with it.

I just found this book today in the Easton Press catalog. Did anyone ever post real pics of it? I would love to see some.

Received my copy yesterday so just posting pictures for those interested. I really like the paper used here, very thick and textured. Exactly the same paper used in the POE DLE, RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS DLE. End pages are printed marble but as post >15 UK_History_Fan: mentioned there a nice intricate foiling done on the edge that's really a nice touch. My only criticism is the absent slipcase. Nice leather like this should be protected housed in a slipcase with EP's notable interior lining.

Nice pictures Jules! I agree that this is an extremely well done set. It's one of my personal favorites.

I was on the fence and UK_History_Fan was kind enough to email me some photos of his set along with a personal write up. It was the little push that I needed lol.

Never thought about a slipcase. That would be nice!

Anybody ever tried any of the online custom slipcase makers?

Very nice set and thank you for the pictures and sharing your thoughts about this set JuliusC. It's nice to see these DLE's through pictures everyone shares on LT for those of us who can't afford to buy the real thing.

> It looks like EP has found another batch of Paradise Lost DLE :D (Item#2980; $300):

https://www.eastonpress.com/all-categories/deluxe-limited-editions/paradise-lost...

>38 EPsonNY: I saw that and bought it instantly. I’ve been looking unsuccessfully for a nice copy of Paradise Lost, mainly a Folio Society edition, but couldn’t find anything at all except for the Arion Press edition which is just a little too pricey for me.
I had originally purchased the Easton Press Paradise DLE three or four years ago but had to sell them, so I’m glad to have them back.
Now I just need them to release Shakespeare’s First Folio.

>39 mad_yosemite: I sold mine a while ago as well, but I do not plan on replacing it with EP's DLE, but rather with an annotated version. Any recommendations?

>40 EPsonNY:
I posted this note in the Limited Quantities thread:

“EP and FS published Paradise Lost at about the same time, and both incorporated the same John Martin mezzotints. EP’s edition was two volumes, while the FS version printed the poem in one volume but added a second volume containing an introduction and a line-by-line commentary. I remember struggling to decide which to buy, finally settling on FS, but either one would make a fine addition to any library.”

I like doing my own research, I just find it fun, so I don’t have any personal recommendations but I’ve heard people say they love the Folio Edition that comes with a companion book of commentary. The companion book looks almost as big as Paradise Lost itself.

>40 EPsonNY: I really like my ep dle of paradise lost and it gave me a great reading pleasure. Very thick paper. If you like leather buy EP. it looks more classic than FS. They also did a great job on reproducing illustrations. My edition still has strong smell of leather lol. It is very classic looking. Big and crisp font. See pictures below.
https://postimg.cc/gallery/K3q6b1g

>42 mad_yosemite: I appreciate your reply. I am trying to avoid reading another book like a commentary volume while reading the main work. This is one of the reasons I ended up doing my research while buying Shakespaere's works and I am trying to do the same with Paradise Lost :).

>43 fancythings: As harsh as it may sound to you, I do appreciate EP's choice of certain editions in regards to illustrations and overall leather presentation; however, in many cases if you read for pleasure, comprehension and education, there are better editions out there in terms of translation choice and/or annotations or illustrations. What is more, from time to time, you can buy the actual original that EP has reproduced, in a good or very good condition, for less that they charge for a facsimile (treasure hunting can be exciting!). It ends up leaving some pocket change for purchasing other titles or for other guilty pleasures; something you will learn one day unless you end up living in your parents' basement...

>44 EPsonNY: didn’t ask for a life lesson from you. Just sharing my opinion of EP DLE paradise lost.

>41 jroger1: Thank you; I have missed your post (did not scroll up far enough :D). I will look into it as I do prefer Martin's mezzotints and would prefer edition that incorporates them as well as annotations.

>45 fancythings: I said in my post you referenced that I had owned this DLE, so I am more than familiar with its contents, which I do not find satisfactory.

>43 fancythings: I appreciate your evaluation of the books and your pic. I wasn't all that interested in the Paradise Lost DLE at first glance, but the rich brown leather looks especially nice on this edition, and also considering your opinion of the books, I'm really starting to warm up to the set. I'll probably wind up getting it.

Also, I spend as much money with Folio and I do with Easton Press, and although I don't mind buying on the secondary market, I much prefer ordering direct from the publisher whenever I can. So, it makes it easy to choose this edition. And while I do enjoy annotated editions and volumes of commentary. I'm just as happy to pick up a trade edition or even a digital copy for that purpose.

>41 jroger1: Also appreciate your input on this edition and the Folio one.

>44 EPsonNY: " something you will learn one day unless you end up living in your parents' basement..."

Not a very cool comment. Just makes you sound like a bitter old guy.

>47 whytewolf1: awesome. Glad to help. I also love FS DLE’s they are awesome too. We have a lot of them and it’s always a real pleasure to read them and my ep dles. Lol to your comment at >44 EPsonNY: Absolutely right

The EP 2-volume Paradise Lost DLE is beautiful, I have it. It's a little tall, but being split into two volumes makes it manageable to read.

>49 Betelgeuse: Cool. Thanks for the input!

Do they change the type of leather on reissued DLE? I saw one online for sale noting Italian cow leather. Just curious if this run would maintain Italian leather, or go cheaper with pigskin?

>51 trentsteel:
They won’t change anything about a DLE. Sometimes they will reissue a title in a different format (size, illustrations, etc., and then all bets are off.

>51 trentsteel: jroger1 is correct. And to be clear, this isn't a reissue, per se. As far as anyone can tell, EP is just doing an additional run of copies of the same edition, within the original stated limitation, when they reintroduce older DLEs like this. The presumption is that they haven't actually sold through the whole limitation on quite a number of older titles, so as sales slow, they seemingly decide to give certain titles a "rest," sometimes for a number of years, to allow demand to build up again, at which time they can relaunch the book to (presumably) brisker sales once again.

So, in direct answer to your question, these copies should be exactly the same as the copies they first offered a few years back.

Also, when jroger1 mentions a "reissue," he's literally talking about the times where they may introduce a brand-new edition of a title they have done previously, though this doesn't happen a whole lot. There have been at least a couple of examples this year, though. The Plutarch set currently being offered and the just-released Les Miserables set come to mind.

>53 whytewolf1: makes sense. Poor word choice on my end. Thanks for the info. Haven't purchased EP before, but this one looks very nice.

Paradise lost is Out of stock, as per EP site

>55 fancythings: What the heck? Did they find 5 copies in the corner of the warehouse or something and then quickly sold them? I don't think it was on the site for two whole days. Very odd.

>56 whytewolf1: if only few were left, ep should have put the number of remaining copies.

>56 whytewolf1: >57 fancythings:
Don’t give up quite yet. Sometimes new listings disappear for a day or two and then reappear. But if not, chalk it up to a lesson most of us have had to learn more than once: when we see a book we want at a reasonable price, buy it, because waiting is seldom a winning strategy.

>58 jroger1: "when we see a book we want at a reasonable price, buy it, because waiting is seldom a winning strategy."

It's good advice, and something I generally follow, but as someone who has only been back in the collecting world for about a year, I'm still working my way through the available backlist while trying to grab some of the new releases. Hopefully, by this time next year, I'll actually be caught up on everything I want that I can still get direct from EP! lol

Ah... here we go. The website has been updated again.

Paradise Lost
Availability: BACK IN STOCK SOON
Now accepting orders. This product will be available Sep 03.

I should note that the order button is not yet "live" again, but this does seem to indicate that they intend to restock this edition.

Edit: The website now shows an availability date of Sep 03.

>58 jroger1: I have it. We purchased it since it was released several years ago

>61 fancythings: Looks like a lovely edition. I'm definitely getting it, once that order button goes live again. :P

>62 whytewolf1: yes, very solid and beautiful. Font is sharp and easy to read. Let me know when you get it and holding it in your hands. I want to know your opinion.

>63 fancythings: Will do!

I love this set

There is also a Paradise Lost with Gustave Dore illustrations. It was published originally by Arcturus in 2005, and EP slapped a leather cover on it in 2008. There is no mention of EP involvement inside, but the spine carries the E/P logo. I don’t see this edition offered on the secondary market very often.

Wondering if anyone knows of any fine (or even just "nice") editions of Paradise Lost, featuring William Blake's illustrations?

Though I do like the illustrations in this DLE, and I'm sure I'll be very happy with it once it arrives, as always, Blake's illustrations are just stunning, and I'm not opposed to owning multiple editions of important and/or favorite works:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blake%27s_illustrations_of_Paradise_Lost

>67 whytewolf1:
EP’s 100 Greatest Books series includes the Blake illustrations in its Paradise Lost. Several copies are listed on eBay. Also, the Franklin Library 25th anniversary edition of the Great Books of the Western World uses the Blake illustrations.

>68 jroger1: Thanks so much! Had no idea that the "standard" EP edition of Paradise Lost used the Blake illos. Cool.

I would also recommend Franklin Library's 25th anniversary edition of the Great Books of the Western World if you like Blake's Paradise Lost illustrations. It's spine simply reads "Milton", and it contains other lesser known works by Milton as well, also illustrated by Blake. It's not a big book, but the quality is nice. All the illustrations are printed in one section near the beginning, which I found unusual but not problematic.

I haven't seen EP's standard edition of Paradise Lost, but *sometimes* their illustration quality is pretty bad. The quality of Blake's illustrations in my EP standard copy of Pilgrim's Progress was absolutely terrible. You might look into that before buying the EP one.

>70 RunneroftheMill: Thanks for the recommendation for Franklin Library's 25th anniversary edition. I'll definitely check it out.

And you make a good point about the reproduction quality in some of EP's standard editions being suspect at times. I have a good friend who has a copy of the standard edition. I'll be sure to ask him his opinion about the quality of the Blake illustrations.

>66 jroger1: More details please! Picture?

>72 GOBOGIE:
I don’t do photography, but if you search eBay on “paradise lost arcturus dore,” you’ll see some interior photos. The covers are standard EP fare, and mine flare out slightly from the spine. I bought mine directly from EP, so I don’t know if this binding defect might have affected a large batch or just mine.

>73 jroger1: thank you

I also own the standard EP Paradise Lost, which is a reprint of the 1940 Heritage Press edition. In my edition, at least, the Blake illustrations are not faded, but quite vivid and beautiful. The font used is elegant (14-point Caslon), and the whole production is nicely done. The introductory essay by John Winterich is a bit silly (Milton's "spiteful" daughters), but in such an excellent volume this is a small problem indeed.

>75 Eumnestes: Thanks for the comment about the quality of the Blake illustrations. Also, I should've realized this was one of the Heritage Press reproductions, but for some reason, it didn't occur to me. Much obliged.