This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit grandhotelabyss.substack.com

Welcome back to The Invisible College, my series of literature courses for paid subscribers. The introduction to and schedule for the 2025 season is here. The 2024 archive is here. This episode, of which the first 10 minutes are free, is the third in a four-week sequence on the works of John Milton. It concerns Books VII through XII of his epic poem Paradise Lost, with an emphasis sex and gender, the role of nature and the natural sciences, epic as a genre in relation to classical and Christian cultures, and the poem’s conception of Biblical and universal history. Please like, share, comment, and subscribe! The slideshow corresponding to the episode can be downloaded behind the paywall: