Paradise Lost

There is a certain kind of machining, where two complementary pieces of metal can be cut and shaped so perfectly, with nanometers of precision, so that despite having wild and wavy manifolds of contact when placed together the seam between the two pieces is perfect and undetectable. Extremely satisfying content to watch. And that is what John Milton's writing is like, I think. Precise, correct, fit together so smoothly as to not make comprehensible how it is accomplished or where the bits came from. He is a masterful writer.

But also, the cold gunmetal grey surface that appears at the end when you slide the pieces together, I'm not sure I am compelled by. I imagine this has something to do with me not being a Christian in the ??th century, and I imagine there is work that I could do to more deeply understand what is happening here and its import and its beauty. But! At the moment, I'm not compelled to do so, and so Paradise Lost becomes unfortunately just a classic to check off my list, and not one that I am likely to recommend to anyone who wouldn't independently already decide to read Paradise Lost.