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Paradise Lost: A Graphic Novel by Pablo Auladell
Milton’s epic poem charts humanity’s fall from grace and the origin of the struggle between God and Satan, good and evil, life and death. In the aftermath of the Angels’ devastating defeat in the war for Heaven, Satan determines to seek his revenge. Meanwhile, Adam and Eve have newly awakened in the Garden of Eden . . .First published nearly three hundred and fifty years ago, Paradise Lost has now been reimagined by the Spanish artist Pablo Auladell. His astonishing artwork portrays the complexity and tragedy of one of the great stories of all time. His bleak and surprising imagery captures the lyricism of Milton’s original for a new audience — and is a masterful tribute to a literary classic.
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First published January 1, 2012
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August 29, 2025
A Darkness visible
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven
More than ten thousand canonized 17th century blank verse audaciously metamorphosed into a graphic epic poem, into elegantly drawn mostly dichromatic imagery in graphite, charcoal and pastels, creating a melancholy unworldly atmosphere of grandiose beauty: Milton’s epic tragedy has inspired many notable illustrators and artists (Blake, Doré and Dalí) before, but the Spanish illustrator Pablo Auladell endeavoured to visually retell the story. Is he guilty of the mortal sin of hubris, like Milton’s Lucifer, by pursuing such towering aspirations?
This adaptation of Paradise Lost reminded me of Vondel’s Lucifer, which we read in class at secondary school. The play Lucifer, by Joost Van den Vondel, a major work of the Dutch literary canon, was published in 1654 and thus preceded Paradise Lost. Unlike common assumption, Peter Verstegen, who translated Paradise Lost into Dutch, proved that Vondel didn’t inspire Paradise Lost at all, even if both focus on some similar biblical elements (Lucifer as a central character, the battle in Heaven, the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise). At school we scrutinized this text for months, and surprisingly, as I am not at all well-versed in the Scriptures and the reading the 17th century Dutch verse wasn’t a walk in the park, my appreciation for it grew while analyzing the text and I came to really love it– looking back, it is to be considered as a first personal step in acknowledging the importance and aesthetic worth of Biblical cultural references inspiring Western art and literature. Anyway, as I remember Lucifer as a though ride, I never considered reading Paradise lost, presuming it an assignment many more bridges too far for me to accomplish.
However, Auladell’s carefully picked snippets and lines from Milton, essential as they are to bear the well-paced, breath-taking visualization of the storyline, incite tremendous gusto to turn to its source. So I couldn’t resist the temptation to take a closer look at Milton’s poem while reading this, and glancing through the lines, soon I found myself falling under the spell of the magical lines, carried away by the mesmerizing cadence of the poem and the radiant eloquence of the tragic anti-hero, sensing the flavor of the poem’s majestic lyricism:
We are in Hell, a lake of darkish fire. Questioning and challenging the celestial order and hierarchy, the rebellious angel Lucifer, the light-bearer, has become Satan, the Adversary. Satan and the seraphic angels whom chose to follow him in his insurrection, have just been banned from Heaven after their failed coup d’état and defeat. Reconsidering military strategy, god’s new creature, man, will be approached in the Garden of Eden and serve as a vehicle of vengeance on the almighty. Follow the episodes on the Tree of Knowledge, the temptation and Fall of humankind into sin and death and the expulsion of Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden due to man’s disobedience: the illustrious elements from the ever fascinating book of Genesis.
Auladell’s graphic version of the poem is a work of art in his own right, not just a mouth-watering legging up to Milton’s. The artwork is superb: the atmosphere, the expressiveness of the figures, the pain, anger and despair showing through Satan’s torments, distorting his face in sharp contrast with the hieratic composure of the archangel Michael and the other faithful angels, the tender traits and the Raphaelesque glance of Eve, recalling Italian Renaissance paintings. Only the depiction of God resembles somehow a bloated simpleton, not to say a puffy pigeon, instead of an almighty, lofty ‘matchless King’. Evil beats infallible perfection in imaginative power.
Reminiscent of the effects of Milton’s poem on Romantic poets like Blake and Shelley, Auladell’s graphic version gains one’s sympathy for Lucifer/Satan’s plight. Without engaging in the discussion about the real hero of the story, this Satan unequivocally is the most intriguing personality in the story: a tragic, persuasive character which vices are human, all too human in his unwavering desire for freedom, his ingratitude, his unrepentant pride and arrogance, his refusal to subjugate to higher powers:
Auladell greatly warmed me for Milton’s original creation. The mere fact that Paradise Lost does not stop to inspire powerful fresh works of art today, only proves its indestructible, everlasting artistic significance.
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven
More than ten thousand canonized 17th century blank verse audaciously metamorphosed into a graphic epic poem, into elegantly drawn mostly dichromatic imagery in graphite, charcoal and pastels, creating a melancholy unworldly atmosphere of grandiose beauty: Milton’s epic tragedy has inspired many notable illustrators and artists (Blake, Doré and Dalí) before, but the Spanish illustrator Pablo Auladell endeavoured to visually retell the story. Is he guilty of the mortal sin of hubris, like Milton’s Lucifer, by pursuing such towering aspirations?
This adaptation of Paradise Lost reminded me of Vondel’s Lucifer, which we read in class at secondary school. The play Lucifer, by Joost Van den Vondel, a major work of the Dutch literary canon, was published in 1654 and thus preceded Paradise Lost. Unlike common assumption, Peter Verstegen, who translated Paradise Lost into Dutch, proved that Vondel didn’t inspire Paradise Lost at all, even if both focus on some similar biblical elements (Lucifer as a central character, the battle in Heaven, the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise). At school we scrutinized this text for months, and surprisingly, as I am not at all well-versed in the Scriptures and the reading the 17th century Dutch verse wasn’t a walk in the park, my appreciation for it grew while analyzing the text and I came to really love it– looking back, it is to be considered as a first personal step in acknowledging the importance and aesthetic worth of Biblical cultural references inspiring Western art and literature. Anyway, as I remember Lucifer as a though ride, I never considered reading Paradise lost, presuming it an assignment many more bridges too far for me to accomplish.
However, Auladell’s carefully picked snippets and lines from Milton, essential as they are to bear the well-paced, breath-taking visualization of the storyline, incite tremendous gusto to turn to its source. So I couldn’t resist the temptation to take a closer look at Milton’s poem while reading this, and glancing through the lines, soon I found myself falling under the spell of the magical lines, carried away by the mesmerizing cadence of the poem and the radiant eloquence of the tragic anti-hero, sensing the flavor of the poem’s majestic lyricism:
Infinite wrath, and infinite despair?
Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell;
And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep
Still threatening to devour me opens wide,
To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven.
Oh, then, at last relent: Is there no place
Left for repentance, none for pardon left?
None left but by submission; and that word
Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame
Among the Spirits beneath, whom I seduced
With other promises and other vaunts
Than to submit, boasting I could subdue
The Omnipotent. Ay me! they little know
How dearly I abide that boast so vain,
Under what torments inwardly I groan,
While they adore me on the throne of Hell.
We are in Hell, a lake of darkish fire. Questioning and challenging the celestial order and hierarchy, the rebellious angel Lucifer, the light-bearer, has become Satan, the Adversary. Satan and the seraphic angels whom chose to follow him in his insurrection, have just been banned from Heaven after their failed coup d’état and defeat. Reconsidering military strategy, god’s new creature, man, will be approached in the Garden of Eden and serve as a vehicle of vengeance on the almighty. Follow the episodes on the Tree of Knowledge, the temptation and Fall of humankind into sin and death and the expulsion of Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden due to man’s disobedience: the illustrious elements from the ever fascinating book of Genesis.
Auladell’s graphic version of the poem is a work of art in his own right, not just a mouth-watering legging up to Milton’s. The artwork is superb: the atmosphere, the expressiveness of the figures, the pain, anger and despair showing through Satan’s torments, distorting his face in sharp contrast with the hieratic composure of the archangel Michael and the other faithful angels, the tender traits and the Raphaelesque glance of Eve, recalling Italian Renaissance paintings. Only the depiction of God resembles somehow a bloated simpleton, not to say a puffy pigeon, instead of an almighty, lofty ‘matchless King’. Evil beats infallible perfection in imaginative power.
Reminiscent of the effects of Milton’s poem on Romantic poets like Blake and Shelley, Auladell’s graphic version gains one’s sympathy for Lucifer/Satan’s plight. Without engaging in the discussion about the real hero of the story, this Satan unequivocally is the most intriguing personality in the story: a tragic, persuasive character which vices are human, all too human in his unwavering desire for freedom, his ingratitude, his unrepentant pride and arrogance, his refusal to subjugate to higher powers:
Flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free
And equal over equals to let reign,
One over all with unsucceeded power.
Auladell greatly warmed me for Milton’s original creation. The mere fact that Paradise Lost does not stop to inspire powerful fresh works of art today, only proves its indestructible, everlasting artistic significance.
November 1, 2025
Amazing - a modern classic. Pablo Auladell has taken this cornerstone of world literature and added a wonderful dimension to it with his viceral art. I strongly suggest you read this before you read Paradise Lost; will add a graphic dimension to a very complex work that is often hard to visualize. The angelic hosts in battle will stay with you - highest recommendation.
June 10, 2017
Who reads the classic Milton’s Paradise Lost anymore? In a high school Brit Lit survey course, you would get a snippet, so most people know of it. Maybe. If you are an English major, you will read sections of it, and sometimes courses in Milton are offered so you can read it all. I think I did, in the seventies. Once. Few English majors in the US will go on to grad school now to study Milton, so I can say with some confidence almost no one knows the poem, which has the reputation of greatness. I read some of it while looking at Auladell’s fine book, and I found what I read powerful; it is a great poem about the fall of Satan and the fall of man, among other things. Milton's Satan is one of the great characters in literary history, and Auladell creates a complex and sympathetic portrait of him.
I was reminded, when viewing this, of Kurosawa’s adaptation of Macbeth, Throne of Blood. One of the glories of Macbeth is the language, but Kurosawa seemingly takes a chance; he strips all of those words away to leave you with the language of film, images of “Macbeth” that are as powerful and arresting as Shakespeare's words. Auladel does a similar thing; he shows you an expressive version of the text, the lyricism behind or below the text.
Can you tell us about your graphic take on Paradise Lost?
It is an epic poem, so it is already “drawn” by the writer in some way because the author already describes and details a lot of visual situations and characters. Great artists like Dore or Blake had already made powerful and unforgettable images about it too, so I try to forget all that and concentrate on the music and tempo of Milton’s poem, on translating into images the lyricism, the feeling which is expressed by language in the poem. And of course, I concentrate on translating the majestic, grand style of Milton’s text into comic graphic language, making it more dynamic for visual readability.
What has most influenced and inspired your vision?
The masters of silence and invisibility. (from an interview with the author)
This book took the artist 5 years to complete, and it was an anguishing process for him. He began, did a fourth of it, returned after a year to complete it. To take on the master poet, to climb that mountain! What hubris? To fly that high toward the sun?! In the end he said, at last, when he had completed this work: hen I had inked the last image, I felt finally ready to begin drawing Paradise Lost.
Here’s some images of the artist’s work, done largely in graphite, charcoal, a little color.
https://www.google.com/search?q=parad...
The artist at work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMR20...
I was reminded, when viewing this, of Kurosawa’s adaptation of Macbeth, Throne of Blood. One of the glories of Macbeth is the language, but Kurosawa seemingly takes a chance; he strips all of those words away to leave you with the language of film, images of “Macbeth” that are as powerful and arresting as Shakespeare's words. Auladel does a similar thing; he shows you an expressive version of the text, the lyricism behind or below the text.
Can you tell us about your graphic take on Paradise Lost?
It is an epic poem, so it is already “drawn” by the writer in some way because the author already describes and details a lot of visual situations and characters. Great artists like Dore or Blake had already made powerful and unforgettable images about it too, so I try to forget all that and concentrate on the music and tempo of Milton’s poem, on translating into images the lyricism, the feeling which is expressed by language in the poem. And of course, I concentrate on translating the majestic, grand style of Milton’s text into comic graphic language, making it more dynamic for visual readability.
What has most influenced and inspired your vision?
The masters of silence and invisibility. (from an interview with the author)
This book took the artist 5 years to complete, and it was an anguishing process for him. He began, did a fourth of it, returned after a year to complete it. To take on the master poet, to climb that mountain! What hubris? To fly that high toward the sun?! In the end he said, at last, when he had completed this work: hen I had inked the last image, I felt finally ready to begin drawing Paradise Lost.
Here’s some images of the artist’s work, done largely in graphite, charcoal, a little color.
https://www.google.com/search?q=parad...
The artist at work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMR20...
January 21, 2023
A magnificent graphic novel that retells one of my favourite texts. Although extensively abridged, it retains central elements of the poem (barring structure). The art is dark and compelling; it made me view characters and events in a vastly different manner to when I read the poem. I would highly recommend this for those that wish to revisit Milton's poem in an abridged format—or simply enjoy great art and poetry.
February 6, 2018
John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” a graphic novel? Who’d a thunk it could work! Only the mind of Spanish artist Pablo Auladell could capture so well the mysterious ethereal storied quality of God, the Son, Holy Ghost, Archangel Michael and a fallen Satan/Lucifer and his minions tempting Adam and Eve to triumph over their — Satan, Adam and Eve’s — own egos and the Heavenly hosts.
John Milton’s greatest work of prose poetry tells the story of the Fall of Man and the Heavenly battle between Good and Evil in the third canto “First Memories of the World” which turns out to look an awful lot like the final, great battle in “The Return of the King” in Book III of “The Lord of the Rings.” Satan’s fall and naive attempt to rise again are beautifully illustrated here by Auladell, who took five (5) years to illustrate this complex English classic. Simply put, his Herculean effort paid off in spades. Auladell has made a name for himself illustrating great classic novels and this coffee table quality graphic novel done in black, white, gray and muted tones of blue and sepia will proudly grace any library with magnificent splendor. Take that e-readers!
Curiously, Milton wrote “Paradise Lost” after Charles I was overthrown and executed by the people of England. “Paradise Lost” could then be considered Milton’s metaphoric tribute to that “simpler idyllic” time before the rabble and riot acquired “the knowledge of good and evil” and loped off Charles I’s head. Talk about your tragic tale of the price of ultraegoism for all ages! Milton meant to write an epic poem of the King Arthur legend but found plenty of fodder for his version of “The Fall” from then contemporary events in his own home country. Regardless of its source, Pablo Auladell does it great justice here.
Having not yet read one wit of Milton’s great poetic tome, but I hope to one day if I am granted a much longer life than I assuredly deserve. I do know this, however, my understanding of Milton’s masterpiece will be entirely owed to Pablo Auladell’s gifted graphics.
One (1) star off only because Auladell’s awesome graphic novel did not include one of the most important and pivotal parts of the story of “The Fall”; namely, when Adam is forced out of Paradise by Archangel Michael and his flaming sword, Adam is given a vision of all that transpires in the Old Testament from the coming of the Flood to the birth of Christ and the beginning of the New Testament. Michael said to Adam, “Do not lament, look within yourself for you will find a wellspring of far greater happiness” or words to that effect. Philosophers would posit that it was at that great moment of existential angst, Adam and Eve could no longer commune directly with the Creator and were, thus, “born” with a death sentence looming over them only to discover their true purpose in the now cold, unfeeling, unanswerable Universe. But I should cut Auladell some slack here because he admits in the Preface, “only now that I have finished drawing it do I feel truly ready to start drawing ‘Paradise Lost’.”
Pick “your bad ol’ self” up a copy of this beautiful book guaranteed to entertain and enlighten and impress your friends. I was lucky to get a copy because of a gift card my ex-wife and mother to my awesome kiddos gave me for the holidays. For that, Christen, Milton and Pablo, I am most grateful.
John Milton’s greatest work of prose poetry tells the story of the Fall of Man and the Heavenly battle between Good and Evil in the third canto “First Memories of the World” which turns out to look an awful lot like the final, great battle in “The Return of the King” in Book III of “The Lord of the Rings.” Satan’s fall and naive attempt to rise again are beautifully illustrated here by Auladell, who took five (5) years to illustrate this complex English classic. Simply put, his Herculean effort paid off in spades. Auladell has made a name for himself illustrating great classic novels and this coffee table quality graphic novel done in black, white, gray and muted tones of blue and sepia will proudly grace any library with magnificent splendor. Take that e-readers!
Curiously, Milton wrote “Paradise Lost” after Charles I was overthrown and executed by the people of England. “Paradise Lost” could then be considered Milton’s metaphoric tribute to that “simpler idyllic” time before the rabble and riot acquired “the knowledge of good and evil” and loped off Charles I’s head. Talk about your tragic tale of the price of ultraegoism for all ages! Milton meant to write an epic poem of the King Arthur legend but found plenty of fodder for his version of “The Fall” from then contemporary events in his own home country. Regardless of its source, Pablo Auladell does it great justice here.
Having not yet read one wit of Milton’s great poetic tome, but I hope to one day if I am granted a much longer life than I assuredly deserve. I do know this, however, my understanding of Milton’s masterpiece will be entirely owed to Pablo Auladell’s gifted graphics.
One (1) star off only because Auladell’s awesome graphic novel did not include one of the most important and pivotal parts of the story of “The Fall”; namely, when Adam is forced out of Paradise by Archangel Michael and his flaming sword, Adam is given a vision of all that transpires in the Old Testament from the coming of the Flood to the birth of Christ and the beginning of the New Testament. Michael said to Adam, “Do not lament, look within yourself for you will find a wellspring of far greater happiness” or words to that effect. Philosophers would posit that it was at that great moment of existential angst, Adam and Eve could no longer commune directly with the Creator and were, thus, “born” with a death sentence looming over them only to discover their true purpose in the now cold, unfeeling, unanswerable Universe. But I should cut Auladell some slack here because he admits in the Preface, “only now that I have finished drawing it do I feel truly ready to start drawing ‘Paradise Lost’.”
Pick “your bad ol’ self” up a copy of this beautiful book guaranteed to entertain and enlighten and impress your friends. I was lucky to get a copy because of a gift card my ex-wife and mother to my awesome kiddos gave me for the holidays. For that, Christen, Milton and Pablo, I am most grateful.
March 3, 2019
Depicting Milton's Paradise Lost is an epic challenge. William Blake, John Martin, Gustave Dore all took up the challenge. Blake incorporated Milton into his own cosmic view. Martin and Dore were content to illustrate Milton within a traditional, biblical framework. Recent attempts have been made by Terence Lindall and now, Pablo Auladell, though he has gone where the others feared to tread: he has taken Milton's words also and created a graphic novel.
Is the result successful? That is a question that has to be answered from the correct angle. The book has been very well received (a masterpiece?) especially as "reading Milton [is] a difficult and daunting prospect." In 2017, John Carey, Emeritus Professor at Merton College, Cambridge, adopted a similar line to this and published The Essential Paradise Lost: 60% of the epic was removed in an attempt to create a streamlined, action-packed version. If a reader wants an abridged Milton, s/he should go to Carey, not Auladell. This Milton-is-too-difficult heresy is also echoed by The Guardian which sees Auladell's "abridgement" as adding "vigour" to a "remote" original. The critical line seems to be: Auladell has created a substitute for Milton because Milton is too difficult for a modern audience. Yet difficulty is exactly what our superficial, modern culture of "I like" or "I don't like" needs. If Auladell's work is just a dumbing down of Paradise Lost for those who cannot read at depth, then that is an unworthy goal.
But I don't think that is what Auladell has achieved. He has read Paradise Lost with an artist's eye, and selected episodes that follow Milton's line of vision. This is not a picture book for those who struggle with words. It is a graphic transformation of Paradise Lost-- an alchemical distillation, not a reduction of Milton. Like Dore and Martin before him, Auladell captures the Satanic fall marvellously, but whereas his predecessors relied on detail and visual complexity, Auladell turns to tone and simplicity. Satan's fall is reminiscent of Medieval alchemical manuscripts that saw psychic life as a mixture of light and shade:
Yes, Auladell cannot recreate Milton's complexity, the elaborate Hermetic structures, the biblical and classical allusions, sections of dialogue where line- count carries meaning-- "the magic of numbers" (Francis Yates). But he does create emotion and characterisation true to Milton.
The Fall, viewed from a distance, becoming an immediate reality. Adam holding his hands, a mixture of terror and beseeching. Triumphant Eve. A sexualised glow not seen before in Paradise.
Rather than see Auladell as a substitute for Milton, an illustrative view of a major literary creation, his Paradise Lost should be read as a work in its own right. Interestingly, the War in Heaven, which borders on the mock-heroic in Milton, transmutes perfectly into the graphic novel genre of BIFF and BANG.
Is the result successful? That is a question that has to be answered from the correct angle. The book has been very well received (a masterpiece?) especially as "reading Milton [is] a difficult and daunting prospect." In 2017, John Carey, Emeritus Professor at Merton College, Cambridge, adopted a similar line to this and published The Essential Paradise Lost: 60% of the epic was removed in an attempt to create a streamlined, action-packed version. If a reader wants an abridged Milton, s/he should go to Carey, not Auladell. This Milton-is-too-difficult heresy is also echoed by The Guardian which sees Auladell's "abridgement" as adding "vigour" to a "remote" original. The critical line seems to be: Auladell has created a substitute for Milton because Milton is too difficult for a modern audience. Yet difficulty is exactly what our superficial, modern culture of "I like" or "I don't like" needs. If Auladell's work is just a dumbing down of Paradise Lost for those who cannot read at depth, then that is an unworthy goal.
But I don't think that is what Auladell has achieved. He has read Paradise Lost with an artist's eye, and selected episodes that follow Milton's line of vision. This is not a picture book for those who struggle with words. It is a graphic transformation of Paradise Lost-- an alchemical distillation, not a reduction of Milton. Like Dore and Martin before him, Auladell captures the Satanic fall marvellously, but whereas his predecessors relied on detail and visual complexity, Auladell turns to tone and simplicity. Satan's fall is reminiscent of Medieval alchemical manuscripts that saw psychic life as a mixture of light and shade:
Yes, Auladell cannot recreate Milton's complexity, the elaborate Hermetic structures, the biblical and classical allusions, sections of dialogue where line- count carries meaning-- "the magic of numbers" (Francis Yates). But he does create emotion and characterisation true to Milton.
The Fall, viewed from a distance, becoming an immediate reality. Adam holding his hands, a mixture of terror and beseeching. Triumphant Eve. A sexualised glow not seen before in Paradise.
Rather than see Auladell as a substitute for Milton, an illustrative view of a major literary creation, his Paradise Lost should be read as a work in its own right. Interestingly, the War in Heaven, which borders on the mock-heroic in Milton, transmutes perfectly into the graphic novel genre of BIFF and BANG.
April 18, 2018
This book ,a adaptation of the classic by Milton is wonderfully illustrated by the spanish illustrator Pablo Auladell born in Alicante following the way of other famous illustrators of the classics as for example the french Gustave Dore that has illustrated El Quijote and La Divina Comedia,the illustrations are very good and get catched perfectly the epic,the grandiosity,the atmosphere and the sufferings of this myth,a myth that is heavily influenced by sumerian and mesopotamian similar myths.
Now a woul like to give my personal opinión about this myth.
It has a deep meaning and could be given several readings,I see it as a sort of chilhood end for the human,where he leaves the inocence and ignorance and the blind obedience of the chilhood and takes the decisión of to be free, responsible and to know the secrets of the universe;the expulsion of the Paradise is not a tragedy or a sin,it is the liberation of the ignorance and servilism ,being holder of his own fate in a sort of rite of growin up,in this sense the devil is right,in touching and eating the fruits of science tree the human becomes a sort of god,perhaps the only inteligent being in the universe,but this wonderful gift has indissolubly joined the permanent torture of knowing that he is mortal by sure, and the things that are wrong,the animals and the young childs have not the wisdom nor the inteligence of the man but they are in the Paradise, as they are not aware of their own mortality.
Seen by to day eyes this myth has a inverse moral charge and God gets away in bad shape as a arrogant,conceited,in search of servilism and blind obedience ,intolerant,inaccesible to critic and revengeful,implacable cruel being,the devil is more human ,in search of self-determination and full of doubts,the myth also has a machist charge because Eva the woman is weak , gilty of all and a servant of Adan, and for finish the myth has a antienvironemental message as the Earth is a object to be exploited and wholly domined by the humans,I personally think that all this wrong moral values have negatively influenced the monotheistic Jew-Christian-Islamic cultures.
A very recomendable book.
Now a woul like to give my personal opinión about this myth.
It has a deep meaning and could be given several readings,I see it as a sort of chilhood end for the human,where he leaves the inocence and ignorance and the blind obedience of the chilhood and takes the decisión of to be free, responsible and to know the secrets of the universe;the expulsion of the Paradise is not a tragedy or a sin,it is the liberation of the ignorance and servilism ,being holder of his own fate in a sort of rite of growin up,in this sense the devil is right,in touching and eating the fruits of science tree the human becomes a sort of god,perhaps the only inteligent being in the universe,but this wonderful gift has indissolubly joined the permanent torture of knowing that he is mortal by sure, and the things that are wrong,the animals and the young childs have not the wisdom nor the inteligence of the man but they are in the Paradise, as they are not aware of their own mortality.
Seen by to day eyes this myth has a inverse moral charge and God gets away in bad shape as a arrogant,conceited,in search of servilism and blind obedience ,intolerant,inaccesible to critic and revengeful,implacable cruel being,the devil is more human ,in search of self-determination and full of doubts,the myth also has a machist charge because Eva the woman is weak , gilty of all and a servant of Adan, and for finish the myth has a antienvironemental message as the Earth is a object to be exploited and wholly domined by the humans,I personally think that all this wrong moral values have negatively influenced the monotheistic Jew-Christian-Islamic cultures.
A very recomendable book.
November 24, 2020
Paradise Lost is an epic poem written by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. The actual version of the book is roughly twelve volumes with nearly 10K lines of verse. That can be quite a reading task. Thus this graphic novel can help to introduce people to this wonderful book.
While I am not a huge fan of comic versions of classic novels, sometimes it turns out well. While Auladell's art is strange and it took a while for it to grow on me, it is adequate for the story. Though I am not sure about that hat Lucifer is wearing.
Without too many spoilers this is the tale of Lucifer's rebellion, the War in Heaven, and, finally, Lucifer's corruption of Adam and Eve, leading to the Fall of all the rebel angels.
That's the story in a nutshell. I would always advise reading the original, but if that seems a bit too much-then this is a viable alternative and hopefully will motivate you to read the original work.
While I am not a huge fan of comic versions of classic novels, sometimes it turns out well. While Auladell's art is strange and it took a while for it to grow on me, it is adequate for the story. Though I am not sure about that hat Lucifer is wearing.
Without too many spoilers this is the tale of Lucifer's rebellion, the War in Heaven, and, finally, Lucifer's corruption of Adam and Eve, leading to the Fall of all the rebel angels.
That's the story in a nutshell. I would always advise reading the original, but if that seems a bit too much-then this is a viable alternative and hopefully will motivate you to read the original work.
June 14, 2021
Amè esta primera novela grafica
quiero seguir leyendo màs.
quiero seguir leyendo màs.
April 12, 2023
A wonderful adaptation of Paradise Lost. The artwork is distinct and atmospheric. Having just read the poem, I think Auladell did a great job selecting the key lines and captures the story. He has a lot of silent pages that capture the action the poem is describing. It shows Auladell's confidence to let his artwork stand on its own, most adaptations I think would have included the poetry in those scenes, but here all (I believe) of the text is from dialogue.
He also mercifully skips over the final couple books of the poem that just show Adam the future of mankind (Noah's Ark etc).
Here we mostly get Satan's story, that's him on the front cover!
He also mercifully skips over the final couple books of the poem that just show Adam the future of mankind (Noah's Ark etc).
Here we mostly get Satan's story, that's him on the front cover!
October 28, 2016
Bijzonder knappe graphic novel-adaptatie van Miltons klassieker over Lucifer, Adam & Eva en de zondeval. Onwaarschijnlijk knappe grafiek en hoewel we allemaal het verhaal kennen heel erg spannend. Moderne klassieker.
February 4, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ EL PARAÍSO PERDIDO de John Milton. Versión de Pablo Auladell (ilustrador).
¿POR QUÉ UN POEMA ÉPICO DEL SIGLO XVII SIGUE HOY TAN VIVO?
“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven”. Satan. El Paraíso Perdido.
“Milton was of the devil’s party without knowing it”. William Blake.
EL PARAÍSO PERDIDO DE MILTON
A Milton hay que entenderlo en su CONTEXTO. Milton era hombre de vasta cultura, puritano convencido, teórico de la revolución que decapitó a Carlos I y partícipe del gobierno de Cromwell. Escribió su poema épico entre 1658 y 1663, tras la caída de la Commonwealth, es decir, tras el fracaso de la república puritana, tras la “pérdida del paraíso”. El poema está escrito desde la DERROTA. Es un lamento y una reflexión sobre ella. En menos de 20 años habían triunfado, habían depuesto a un monarca supuestamente enviado por Dios, se habían hecho con el poder… y habían caído. Si ellos, los puritanos, eran los elegidos por Dios ¿qué había pasado?
Para “la más grande historia jamás contada” la elección del estilo era importante. Tras considerar y descartar el formato teatral, Milton opta por la POESÍA ÉPICA. Paraíso Perdido es Homero narrando un tema bíblico: la caída por excelencia en la cultura judeo-cristiana.
LUCIFER/SATANÁS es ese “héroe” cargado de “hybris”, es el héroe caído. Pese a la grandeza de sus palabras, a su defensa de la libertad –sí, libertad también para pecar- y su oposición a la tiranía monárquica de Dios, Satanás falló y arrastró en su caída a todos los suyos. Ni más ni menos que a un tercio de la hueste angélica. Para Milton ese resultado fallido es lo que priva de sentido y dignidad a Satanás. Son las vacuas palabras de un mal perdedor.
EVA, en su retrato petrarquista, es señalada como la última responsable de la Caída del Hombre. Si ADÁN cae, es por amor a Eva, no por ser débil ante la tentación del Satanás –esa debilidad recae en la Mujer-.
Milton era un conservador, un defensor de la jerarquía, del teocentrismo. Censura la curiosidad y las ansias de conocimiento. El ser humano debe conformarse con admirar lo que Dios ha hecho. Y sin embargo, pese a las advertencias, Eva y Adán comen del Árbol del Conocimiento. El Conocimiento del Bien y del Mal no viene de la fruta en sí, viene del acto, de la conciencia de la desobediencia. Y la desobediencia viene del deseo de conocimiento. El Paraíso Perdido es –también- su advertencia contra el espíritu inquisitivo de su época: la Ilustración estaba dando sus primeros pasos.
Tanto en contenido como en forma Milton iba en contra del signo de los tiempos… Y aún así, alcanzó la Eternidad. ¿Por qué? Porque su Paraíso Perdido y especialmente su Satán, reflejaban INVOLUNTARIAMENTE el espíritu de lo que vendría tras la Ilustración: El ROMANTICISMO. De ahí la apreciación de Blake. Y es que hoy, para bien y para mal, vivimos en tiempos herederos del Romanticismo. Un tiempo de antihéroes, de grandes cantos a la libertad, cantos a menudo vacíos, incendiarios, egoístas. Tiempos en los que las palabras se retuercen y los ídolos caen. Tiempos luciferinos, satánicos.
Milton, con su obra, posiblemente haya conseguido lo opuesto a lo que trataba. Trataba de llamar a la reflexión sobre la caída, advertirnos a todos usando el ejemplo de Satanás, el malvado entre los malvados (maldad sobre la que Milton no duda, no nos confundamos). Pero si quieres eso puede ser que escribirlo en 10.000 versos de vetusto lenguaje y compleja sintaxis no sea la mejor idea. Quizás sea mejor hacer un comic.
EL PARAÍSO PERDIDO DE AULADELL
Aterrizando en el terreno de las artes visuales, con Milton pasa como con LOS SIMBOLISTAS. ¿Por qué nos atraen hoy pese a que la ideología detrás de su arte era tan retrógrada? La respuestas es que (¿afortunadamente?) hoy han triunfado valores opuestos a los suyos. Un ejemplo: Von Stück y sus decadentes retratos de femme fatale hoy representan mujeres poderosas, empoderadas. Algo que producía terror (y fascinación) en la sociedad patriarcal de comienzos del XX.
Auladell, premio Nacional de Cómic 2016 por esta obra, es un ejemplo de esta resignificación de la obra. El artista alicantino posiciona sus simpatías y antipatías sutilmente, pero sin traicionar el texto de Milton. El retrato de DIOS es el de un gobernante distante, hierático, imberbe y obeso (que personalmente me recuerda a Ojoalvirus, el pérfido gobernador romano de Astérix en Helvecia). Por el contrario SATANÁS es expresivo, humano. La “culpable” EVA, de formas suaves, renacentistas, se ajusta visualmente a la descripción petrarquista de Milton. Por contra, ADÁN recuerda en su rostro y anatomía al de William Blake... y en su denuncia de Eva aparece como un cobarde y un pusilánime.
Además del renacimiento (Raphael, Miguel Ángel) podría mencionarse a Blake, a Doré, a los simbolistas, a los impresionistas, a Francis Bacon…
El artista recurre fiel, pero puntualmente al texto de Milton. Todo el peso recae en el poder de su rica narrativa visual. Su traslación visual de El Paraíso Perdido es una tarea épica que, contra todo pronóstico, resulta en ROTUNDO ÉXITO.
MENCIÓN HONORÍFICA: SEXTO PISO
Tal y como comenta el autor en el su nota inicial, ha sido un proceso difícil la edición de este libro. 3 editoriales lo intentaron, sólo Sexto Piso lo ha conseguido. Bravo por ellos.
RECOMENDACIÓN MUSICAL
Sugiero acompañar la lectura de este volumen con la música de CLINT MANSELL para la película NOÉ, de Darren Aronofsky. Añade una grandeza bíblica a la imagen.
¿POR QUÉ UN POEMA ÉPICO DEL SIGLO XVII SIGUE HOY TAN VIVO?
“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven”. Satan. El Paraíso Perdido.
“Milton was of the devil’s party without knowing it”. William Blake.
EL PARAÍSO PERDIDO DE MILTON
A Milton hay que entenderlo en su CONTEXTO. Milton era hombre de vasta cultura, puritano convencido, teórico de la revolución que decapitó a Carlos I y partícipe del gobierno de Cromwell. Escribió su poema épico entre 1658 y 1663, tras la caída de la Commonwealth, es decir, tras el fracaso de la república puritana, tras la “pérdida del paraíso”. El poema está escrito desde la DERROTA. Es un lamento y una reflexión sobre ella. En menos de 20 años habían triunfado, habían depuesto a un monarca supuestamente enviado por Dios, se habían hecho con el poder… y habían caído. Si ellos, los puritanos, eran los elegidos por Dios ¿qué había pasado?
Para “la más grande historia jamás contada” la elección del estilo era importante. Tras considerar y descartar el formato teatral, Milton opta por la POESÍA ÉPICA. Paraíso Perdido es Homero narrando un tema bíblico: la caída por excelencia en la cultura judeo-cristiana.
LUCIFER/SATANÁS es ese “héroe” cargado de “hybris”, es el héroe caído. Pese a la grandeza de sus palabras, a su defensa de la libertad –sí, libertad también para pecar- y su oposición a la tiranía monárquica de Dios, Satanás falló y arrastró en su caída a todos los suyos. Ni más ni menos que a un tercio de la hueste angélica. Para Milton ese resultado fallido es lo que priva de sentido y dignidad a Satanás. Son las vacuas palabras de un mal perdedor.
EVA, en su retrato petrarquista, es señalada como la última responsable de la Caída del Hombre. Si ADÁN cae, es por amor a Eva, no por ser débil ante la tentación del Satanás –esa debilidad recae en la Mujer-.
Milton era un conservador, un defensor de la jerarquía, del teocentrismo. Censura la curiosidad y las ansias de conocimiento. El ser humano debe conformarse con admirar lo que Dios ha hecho. Y sin embargo, pese a las advertencias, Eva y Adán comen del Árbol del Conocimiento. El Conocimiento del Bien y del Mal no viene de la fruta en sí, viene del acto, de la conciencia de la desobediencia. Y la desobediencia viene del deseo de conocimiento. El Paraíso Perdido es –también- su advertencia contra el espíritu inquisitivo de su época: la Ilustración estaba dando sus primeros pasos.
Tanto en contenido como en forma Milton iba en contra del signo de los tiempos… Y aún así, alcanzó la Eternidad. ¿Por qué? Porque su Paraíso Perdido y especialmente su Satán, reflejaban INVOLUNTARIAMENTE el espíritu de lo que vendría tras la Ilustración: El ROMANTICISMO. De ahí la apreciación de Blake. Y es que hoy, para bien y para mal, vivimos en tiempos herederos del Romanticismo. Un tiempo de antihéroes, de grandes cantos a la libertad, cantos a menudo vacíos, incendiarios, egoístas. Tiempos en los que las palabras se retuercen y los ídolos caen. Tiempos luciferinos, satánicos.
Milton, con su obra, posiblemente haya conseguido lo opuesto a lo que trataba. Trataba de llamar a la reflexión sobre la caída, advertirnos a todos usando el ejemplo de Satanás, el malvado entre los malvados (maldad sobre la que Milton no duda, no nos confundamos). Pero si quieres eso puede ser que escribirlo en 10.000 versos de vetusto lenguaje y compleja sintaxis no sea la mejor idea. Quizás sea mejor hacer un comic.
EL PARAÍSO PERDIDO DE AULADELL
Aterrizando en el terreno de las artes visuales, con Milton pasa como con LOS SIMBOLISTAS. ¿Por qué nos atraen hoy pese a que la ideología detrás de su arte era tan retrógrada? La respuestas es que (¿afortunadamente?) hoy han triunfado valores opuestos a los suyos. Un ejemplo: Von Stück y sus decadentes retratos de femme fatale hoy representan mujeres poderosas, empoderadas. Algo que producía terror (y fascinación) en la sociedad patriarcal de comienzos del XX.
Auladell, premio Nacional de Cómic 2016 por esta obra, es un ejemplo de esta resignificación de la obra. El artista alicantino posiciona sus simpatías y antipatías sutilmente, pero sin traicionar el texto de Milton. El retrato de DIOS es el de un gobernante distante, hierático, imberbe y obeso (que personalmente me recuerda a Ojoalvirus, el pérfido gobernador romano de Astérix en Helvecia). Por el contrario SATANÁS es expresivo, humano. La “culpable” EVA, de formas suaves, renacentistas, se ajusta visualmente a la descripción petrarquista de Milton. Por contra, ADÁN recuerda en su rostro y anatomía al de William Blake... y en su denuncia de Eva aparece como un cobarde y un pusilánime.
Además del renacimiento (Raphael, Miguel Ángel) podría mencionarse a Blake, a Doré, a los simbolistas, a los impresionistas, a Francis Bacon…
El artista recurre fiel, pero puntualmente al texto de Milton. Todo el peso recae en el poder de su rica narrativa visual. Su traslación visual de El Paraíso Perdido es una tarea épica que, contra todo pronóstico, resulta en ROTUNDO ÉXITO.
MENCIÓN HONORÍFICA: SEXTO PISO
Tal y como comenta el autor en el su nota inicial, ha sido un proceso difícil la edición de este libro. 3 editoriales lo intentaron, sólo Sexto Piso lo ha conseguido. Bravo por ellos.
RECOMENDACIÓN MUSICAL
Sugiero acompañar la lectura de este volumen con la música de CLINT MANSELL para la película NOÉ, de Darren Aronofsky. Añade una grandeza bíblica a la imagen.
July 7, 2017
Beautiful and magical. The illustrations in this graphic rendering of "Paradise Lost" integrate the Christian story of the Fall with the mythical elements that preceded and inspired it.
Whether intentional or not, my sympathies here lie with the Fallen--both angel and wo/man. Perhaps I have too well assimilated the spiritual belief that the dark and the light are held equally in all of existence, both being necessary to a circle that is constantly renewing itself. Or maybe I just value the emotional depth of knowledge over ignorance-as-bliss, the chance to fail over servitude.
Auladell has created a world of mist and shadow, where clarity is as elusive as an escape from the transition of day to night.
Whether intentional or not, my sympathies here lie with the Fallen--both angel and wo/man. Perhaps I have too well assimilated the spiritual belief that the dark and the light are held equally in all of existence, both being necessary to a circle that is constantly renewing itself. Or maybe I just value the emotional depth of knowledge over ignorance-as-bliss, the chance to fail over servitude.
Auladell has created a world of mist and shadow, where clarity is as elusive as an escape from the transition of day to night.
July 25, 2019
Acho bacana pensar adaptações, sobretudo essas onde mudamos o suporte de uma forma tão radical, como a visão do novo autor para o que o original deixou. Parece uma lógica meio óbvia mas são inúmeras as reclamações de que Auladell não foi fiel à lógica provocadora e politicamente alerta do poema de Milton, preferindo se ater ao lirismo do embate de Satã contra os exércitos celestes. Ora, particionar e selecionar também fazem parte do processo, e tudo isso que Auladell ilustra tão bem, com pinceladas que em muito remetem à arte sacra, a um barroco sufocante, estão sim lá no texto de Milton. Entendo quem busca fidelidade total mas se é para ler o Paraíso Perdido eu vou lá e faço isso.
April 15, 2020
I have. So many thoughts and feelings about this.
The art is perfect, but I thought the adaptation lacked in some areas. Of course it isn't going to be the exact same as the poem, so I'm not too hung up on most of these little drops, but I did feel like the portrayal of Eve was a little quieter than Eve is in the poem. She has a lot to say, and here, she doesn't.
I wonder what effect of translating a 17th century English poem into Spanish and then into more or less modern English does to the characters as well.
In general, I love this. The art was so exquisite that there was no way I couldn't love it. It just makes me want to reread the poem itself.
The art is perfect, but I thought the adaptation lacked in some areas. Of course it isn't going to be the exact same as the poem, so I'm not too hung up on most of these little drops, but I did feel like the portrayal of Eve was a little quieter than Eve is in the poem. She has a lot to say, and here, she doesn't.
I wonder what effect of translating a 17th century English poem into Spanish and then into more or less modern English does to the characters as well.
In general, I love this. The art was so exquisite that there was no way I couldn't love it. It just makes me want to reread the poem itself.
June 10, 2021
Mi primera novela gráfica, ❤️👉🏻👈🏻 interesante...☀️
January 1, 2018
I didn't think it would be possible to enjoy an abridged version of Paradise Lost so much. This was wonderfully done. Beautiful and dark artwork retelling the essential story of Paradise Lost. The art fit the story perfectly and made me enjoy it even more. A seriously gorgeous and haunting abridgement of Paradise Lost for anyone daunted by the original text or any lovers of the original poem looking for a new take on it! Worth a read simply for the stunning artwork alone! I will be returning to this one often.
October 18, 2021
Lezen en herlezen. Deze adembenemende strip die je gewoon in de Zaanse Bieb vindt. De tekeningen zijn sketchy en verontrustend. Beetje symbolistisch van aard en dat past ook wel bij het verhaal: de verdrijving van de rebelse engel Lucifer, die met de overige samenzwerende engelen de hel, de Tartaros zijn ingetrapt, waarna Lucifer wraak neemt op de Schepper door de mens te verleiden tot het kwade. Een fenomenaal verhaal uit de Joods/Christelijke mythologie op fenomenale wijze in beeld gebracht. Een échte kijkstrip: de tekst is teruggebracht tot het hoogst noodzakelijke.
November 13, 2024
Auladell hace un gran trabajo y consigue adaptar una obra que parecía inadaptable. Un gran trabajo con el dibujo y una narrativa espectacular.
April 8, 2019
Una espectacular versió il·lustrada del clàssic anglès de John Milton. L'ús dels tons per marcar l'alineació de qui parla és impecable.
Una altra manera de conèixer clàssics molt llargs que no seria capaç de llegir…
Una altra manera de conèixer clàssics molt llargs que no seria capaç de llegir…
April 4, 2021
I'm a bit on the fence here. I always want to like Paradise Lost, but never quite seem to. This highly-abridged version, with pretty pictures, makes it easier to like, but I still can't love it.
May 15, 2023
Usually, not a fan of poetry. Because of that I was kinda fearful that I wouldn't like this.
Nonsense. It was great!
Even though religion is a theme that doesn't interests me particularly, I still found this narrative very interesting.
Lucifer and his fall from heaven. Adam and Eve and the Paradise. The Serpent. Everything is in here with amazing illustrations.
It was like watching a theater play in a painting.
Well worth it.
Nonsense. It was great!
Even though religion is a theme that doesn't interests me particularly, I still found this narrative very interesting.
Lucifer and his fall from heaven. Adam and Eve and the Paradise. The Serpent. Everything is in here with amazing illustrations.
It was like watching a theater play in a painting.
Well worth it.
February 25, 2018
I won this book just after finding the 'giveaways' on Goodreads.
When I won this book, I thought I was getting the actual "Paradise Lost" by John Milton. As it turns out, it's a huge hardback graphic novel. I had never read the original book, but I decided to give this one a go, even though it uses the original (read: hard to understand) language.
The pictures are creepy, and there is nudity, so it's certainly for adults. Interestingly, the pictures quite helped with the understanding. I think that if I'd read the original, I would have stopped after two pages. But this way of showing the book grabbed my interest.
I love Satan's hat - I don't know why he has an awesome hat, but he does! The artist's depictions of the story are unique and rather off-puttingly creepy at first; however, the illustrations grow on you as you read it. It is a great story - one that I knew from discussions about religion, but I did not realize many of the ideas were Milton's.
Though this book is 304 pages, I read it in about an hour. I took my time poring over the illustrations. My favorite quote from p. 227, "Knowledge is as food, and needs no less her temperance over appetite." Suddenly that hit me as apropos to our information age today.
I recommend this for anyone trying to understand the original book but needing some images to help out. I would like to read "Paradise Regained" in this style.
When I won this book, I thought I was getting the actual "Paradise Lost" by John Milton. As it turns out, it's a huge hardback graphic novel. I had never read the original book, but I decided to give this one a go, even though it uses the original (read: hard to understand) language.
The pictures are creepy, and there is nudity, so it's certainly for adults. Interestingly, the pictures quite helped with the understanding. I think that if I'd read the original, I would have stopped after two pages. But this way of showing the book grabbed my interest.
I love Satan's hat - I don't know why he has an awesome hat, but he does! The artist's depictions of the story are unique and rather off-puttingly creepy at first; however, the illustrations grow on you as you read it. It is a great story - one that I knew from discussions about religion, but I did not realize many of the ideas were Milton's.
Though this book is 304 pages, I read it in about an hour. I took my time poring over the illustrations. My favorite quote from p. 227, "Knowledge is as food, and needs no less her temperance over appetite." Suddenly that hit me as apropos to our information age today.
I recommend this for anyone trying to understand the original book but needing some images to help out. I would like to read "Paradise Regained" in this style.
June 17, 2018
acabei de ler a edição ESPETACULAR da darkside (muito obrigada por encontrar ela aqui, André!!!) que livro maravilhoso, que imersão, que jornada. podia ler pra sempre, haha. deu muita vontade de reler Milton ♥️
maravilhoso. MARAVILHOSO
maravilhoso. MARAVILHOSO
October 14, 2017
Para degustar lentamente cada una de sus imágenes envolventes.
Read
January 9, 2025A verdade recordoume as pinturas negras nalgún intre. O segundo salmo é o mellor.
July 29, 2018
Gosto quando a DarkSide Books lança obras provocativas. Ousadia. Paraíso Perdido é uma daquelas ousadias legais que a gente aplaude e pede bis. Uma obra de um artista não tão conhecido a partir de um clássico da literatura mundial. Aposto que se fosse outra obra publicada do Auladell no Brasil, não teria tido o mesmo impacto do que esta. O legal é que isso abre espaço para outros trabalhos do artista por aqui. Paraíso Perdido é impactante, é ousado e mexe com nossas crenças ao trabalhar uma história conhecida a partir de outro ponto de vista.
Antes de mais nada é preciso elogiar a bela edição da DarkSide. Não tenho dúvidas de que a HQ vai figurar na lista de melhores do ano de muita gente. A capa possui uma ilustração belíssima do Auladell, aliado a um formato europeu que ajuda demais a destacar as ilustrações do artista. A folha de guarda dá um aspecto de livro antigo assim como o papel pólen empregado na HQ. A escolha por uma alta gramatura dá a impressão de que estamos lendo um papiro antigo. Tem um texto do Auladell logo no início em que ele explica as dificuldades que ele teve para a produção desta adaptação. Vale a pena ler para entender como foi todo o processo criativo por trás de tudo.
O ponto alto do quadrinho é o traço do Auladell. Inicialmente tenho certeza de que os leitores vão ficar chocados pelos traços exagerados e obscuros empregados pelo artista. É bem diferente do padrão além da quadrinização que dá um efeito bem distinto. Falando da quadrinização é possível perceber a opção por poucos quadros: a maioria deles é em dois quadros por páginas, mas pode chegar a mais (oito quadros) ou a menos (página inteira). A opção por dois quadros vai muito no sentido arcaico que o autor quis dar à história. É como se fossem trípticos religiosos abordando cenas bíblicas. Nesse sentido o autor foi muito feliz e conseguiu captar bem a essência do que Milton passou através de seus poemas. Já o traço tem um quê de barroco. É possível perceber no olhar dos personagens sempre melancólico ou austero, os traços exagerados aliados ao tema religioso em si. Quando eu vi a imagem de Lúcifer imaginei logo as pinturas barrocas. O emprego de uma atmosfera sombria vista nos traços do autor ressalta isso. Os dois primeiros cantos se passam no inferno, então as cenas são sempre muito claustrofóbicas, repletas de sombras e trevas por toda a parte significando a desolação do inferno. Quando passamos para as cenas no céu, a palheta de cores puxa mais para um azulado com bege que mantém o estilo barroco, mas imprime algo mais angelical. Deus tem um aspecto duro, talvez seguindo a abordagem miltoniana. Outra referência interessante tem a ver com o aspecto de Eva. Me lembrou bastante algumas pinturas de Madonnas do século XVII. Mulheres de rosto angelical pintadas por homens como Raphael e Da Vinci.
Não cabe tanto eu discutir sobre a obra em si do Milton e eu vou preferir tocar na adaptação do Auladell a partir de duas vertentes: a narrativa e o desenho. Vários críticos de quadrinhos dizem que esta é a melhor adaptação de Paraíso Perdido. Não li outras, mas posso dizer que o artista captou fielmente a ideia por trás do clássico. Ele manteve as ilustrações de Milton e trabalhou muito mais as cenas partindo das descrições dele. Mesmo assim, a narrativa consegue capturar a atenção do leitor. Isso porque Auladell faz um trabalho sensacional entre poesia e texto ilustrado. A transição é muito boa e os quadros conseguem passar a atmosfera de desolação e perdição colocadas pela obra original. Até mesmo a abordagem de Lúcifer como alguém resignado a aceitar a si mesmo como um ser maligno demonstra na obra uma ausência de maniqueísmo. Lúcifer parece arrependido em alguns momentos, mas sabendo de seu papel no universo enquanto Deus é apresentado como um ser duro e atento às regras, muito no viés do que é apresentado no Antigo Testamento. O Deus do Antigo Testamento é normativo e pune aqueles que o desobedecem. Quando Milton escreve Paraíso Perdido no século XVII a crítica é feita diretamente à dinastia Stuart que estava no poder na época. Milton escreve sua obra às vésperas da Revolução Gloriosa, quando setores da sociedade inglesa se revoltaram contra a opressão da nobreza. Governar ou servir? Uma crítica presente aqui e captada bem por Auladell é de um Lúcifer crítico do nepotismo divino e de uma série de privilégios concedido a poucos. O artista conseguiu passar essa dualidade para o seu traço.
Por outro lado, o desenho consegue fazer a passagem do texto para o desenho. Teria sido muito mais complicado encher o quadrinho de textos, apenas repetindo os poemas de Milton. E temos trechos inteiros dos cantos 1 e 2 sem qualquer diálogo. Apenas as cenas são reproduzidas sequencialmente. Aliás, Auladell consegue empregar muito bem o sistema de ângulos de visão em que ele passa a visão das cenas para outros personagens presentes no cenário. Outro elemento digno de destaque é o combate campal entre as forças de Lúcifer e as tropas de Deus. Que combate é aquele??? Quando Deus envia o Cordeiro para abater os seus opositores, a batalha se torna uma carnificina. Algumas cenas são épicas como a do quadro acima. Depois o trecho da tentação da serpente à Eva é apresentada de forma magistral. Com bastante sutileza vemos como a personagem cai na lábia da serpente e acaba mordendo o fruto proibido.
Quadrinho sensacional, Paraíso Perdido é algo divino, fazendo um trocadilho. Uma transposição muito eficiente de um texto clássico e difícil para uma outra mídia que é a do quadrinho. A DarkSide presenteia seus leitores com uma linda edição e que vai estar na lista de melhores do ano de muita gente.
Antes de mais nada é preciso elogiar a bela edição da DarkSide. Não tenho dúvidas de que a HQ vai figurar na lista de melhores do ano de muita gente. A capa possui uma ilustração belíssima do Auladell, aliado a um formato europeu que ajuda demais a destacar as ilustrações do artista. A folha de guarda dá um aspecto de livro antigo assim como o papel pólen empregado na HQ. A escolha por uma alta gramatura dá a impressão de que estamos lendo um papiro antigo. Tem um texto do Auladell logo no início em que ele explica as dificuldades que ele teve para a produção desta adaptação. Vale a pena ler para entender como foi todo o processo criativo por trás de tudo.
O ponto alto do quadrinho é o traço do Auladell. Inicialmente tenho certeza de que os leitores vão ficar chocados pelos traços exagerados e obscuros empregados pelo artista. É bem diferente do padrão além da quadrinização que dá um efeito bem distinto. Falando da quadrinização é possível perceber a opção por poucos quadros: a maioria deles é em dois quadros por páginas, mas pode chegar a mais (oito quadros) ou a menos (página inteira). A opção por dois quadros vai muito no sentido arcaico que o autor quis dar à história. É como se fossem trípticos religiosos abordando cenas bíblicas. Nesse sentido o autor foi muito feliz e conseguiu captar bem a essência do que Milton passou através de seus poemas. Já o traço tem um quê de barroco. É possível perceber no olhar dos personagens sempre melancólico ou austero, os traços exagerados aliados ao tema religioso em si. Quando eu vi a imagem de Lúcifer imaginei logo as pinturas barrocas. O emprego de uma atmosfera sombria vista nos traços do autor ressalta isso. Os dois primeiros cantos se passam no inferno, então as cenas são sempre muito claustrofóbicas, repletas de sombras e trevas por toda a parte significando a desolação do inferno. Quando passamos para as cenas no céu, a palheta de cores puxa mais para um azulado com bege que mantém o estilo barroco, mas imprime algo mais angelical. Deus tem um aspecto duro, talvez seguindo a abordagem miltoniana. Outra referência interessante tem a ver com o aspecto de Eva. Me lembrou bastante algumas pinturas de Madonnas do século XVII. Mulheres de rosto angelical pintadas por homens como Raphael e Da Vinci.
Não cabe tanto eu discutir sobre a obra em si do Milton e eu vou preferir tocar na adaptação do Auladell a partir de duas vertentes: a narrativa e o desenho. Vários críticos de quadrinhos dizem que esta é a melhor adaptação de Paraíso Perdido. Não li outras, mas posso dizer que o artista captou fielmente a ideia por trás do clássico. Ele manteve as ilustrações de Milton e trabalhou muito mais as cenas partindo das descrições dele. Mesmo assim, a narrativa consegue capturar a atenção do leitor. Isso porque Auladell faz um trabalho sensacional entre poesia e texto ilustrado. A transição é muito boa e os quadros conseguem passar a atmosfera de desolação e perdição colocadas pela obra original. Até mesmo a abordagem de Lúcifer como alguém resignado a aceitar a si mesmo como um ser maligno demonstra na obra uma ausência de maniqueísmo. Lúcifer parece arrependido em alguns momentos, mas sabendo de seu papel no universo enquanto Deus é apresentado como um ser duro e atento às regras, muito no viés do que é apresentado no Antigo Testamento. O Deus do Antigo Testamento é normativo e pune aqueles que o desobedecem. Quando Milton escreve Paraíso Perdido no século XVII a crítica é feita diretamente à dinastia Stuart que estava no poder na época. Milton escreve sua obra às vésperas da Revolução Gloriosa, quando setores da sociedade inglesa se revoltaram contra a opressão da nobreza. Governar ou servir? Uma crítica presente aqui e captada bem por Auladell é de um Lúcifer crítico do nepotismo divino e de uma série de privilégios concedido a poucos. O artista conseguiu passar essa dualidade para o seu traço.
Por outro lado, o desenho consegue fazer a passagem do texto para o desenho. Teria sido muito mais complicado encher o quadrinho de textos, apenas repetindo os poemas de Milton. E temos trechos inteiros dos cantos 1 e 2 sem qualquer diálogo. Apenas as cenas são reproduzidas sequencialmente. Aliás, Auladell consegue empregar muito bem o sistema de ângulos de visão em que ele passa a visão das cenas para outros personagens presentes no cenário. Outro elemento digno de destaque é o combate campal entre as forças de Lúcifer e as tropas de Deus. Que combate é aquele??? Quando Deus envia o Cordeiro para abater os seus opositores, a batalha se torna uma carnificina. Algumas cenas são épicas como a do quadro acima. Depois o trecho da tentação da serpente à Eva é apresentada de forma magistral. Com bastante sutileza vemos como a personagem cai na lábia da serpente e acaba mordendo o fruto proibido.
Quadrinho sensacional, Paraíso Perdido é algo divino, fazendo um trocadilho. Uma transposição muito eficiente de um texto clássico e difícil para uma outra mídia que é a do quadrinho. A DarkSide presenteia seus leitores com uma linda edição e que vai estar na lista de melhores do ano de muita gente.
November 17, 2018
An awe inflicting nightmare portrays legions of unholy angels in chariots and winged heads screaming flames across battlefields of eternity, as colossal field guns smash at Heaven's ramparts and the damned fall burning into the shadowy depths of Hell. Milton's words are stripped down almost to silent movie speech cards in this majestic and unsettling dreamscape of strange beasts in shadowy realms. If Pablo Auladell's art were reproduced as frescoes in a cathedral, your very soul would quake. This is a fearsome piece of work.
October 25, 2021
Reading this very dark graphic novel has motivated me to want to read the John Milton text. This graphic representation looks like it was drawn largely in charcoal, which is lends a dark and evil tone throughout. The author seems to have used Milton's text to accompany his drawings, and even with such limited text, a tension was created and maintained, and the story felt complete.
September 2, 2020
Pretty decent graphic adaptation of the classic Paradise Lost. The illustrations were a great addition to the story, with all the players in Hell having a different interpretation than I was expecting.
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