Which Audiobook Narrators Perform Paradise Lost Best?

I typically listen to ‘Paradise Lost’ on walks, so for me, pace is everything. I need the narrator to read Milton’s long sentences at a decent pace or I’ll lose interest within a few minutes, but I also don’t want them to read it too quickly, as if it were a newspaper, or so slowly that it becomes operatic. My preference would be between Michael York, who reads it in a dramatic, stage-like style and really brings out the characters and Simon Vance, who reads it in a clear and steady style, really bringing out the structure and clarity of the text. I would also be open to a volunteer or university recording, which would likely be lower quality but cheaper.
I follow along with a printed copy of the text on the first listening through to get a handle on the long syntax of the poet. Then I can decide whether to splurge on the full unabridged version or not. It’s a good way to try out a sample too, to see whether you want to listen to more of the same narrator or not. It’s the best test really.

I approach recommending narrators for poems like this the same way I approach choosing whether to read a book of poetry on a given day – I have pretty clear ideas about what I’m looking for. Most days, I want thunderous, epic speech, and I need a huge, operatic voice to fill out the space of that poetry. On other days, I just want to treat the Milton like my quirky friend and have someone to talk to about it. For a really intellectual take on this and to make sure I can follow the argument and Milton’s theological wanderings, I default to Simon Vance.
On the theatrical side, Michael York brings an amazing dramatic cadence to the material, which suits the scenes with Satan very well, and is also great for capturing the crowd scenes in both Heaven and Hell. For short commutes or just variety, I often jump back and forth between full-cast and single-voice versions of the material. (And remember to check for abridgments – you want to make sure you’ve got the full complexity of Milton in all his glory). Sampling the narrator on your local Audible store (or wherever you buy your audiobooks) usually gives you a good sense of whether you’re going to like them within the first minute or so.

I love hearing Milton aloud, as he clearly requires a performer who can maintain the cadence of a sermon while at the same time allowing the full music of the verse to resonate. A good reader is a powerful creature, and for me there are few as good as Michael York. A dramatic, somewhat classical reader who brings Satan and the rest of Milton’s ‘larger than life’ characters to full life while still allowing us to glimpse the quiet, guilt-ridden man behind them, York is the first person I suggest to friends looking for a good reading of Paradise Lost. (If he’s reading it, make sure it’s the full, unabridged version).
If I want to listen to the same book but with a different flavor, I go to Simon Vance. He is wonderful for long chapters and does a superb job of keeping syllables distinct and, therefore, avoiding mud. His sense of a book’s syntax as a map to be followed is superb. He reads the book as if it were a road map to a long and complicated journey, and I have enjoyed his version of this book very much. Samuel West and Derek Jacobi also read this very well and with a great deal of subtlety and warmth. Vocally, they are both, for me, superb choices for this work.
Listen to a sample first. Milton’s long periods of verse are personal to the narrator. The same work will be experienced very differently through Heaven and Hell and the famous fall of man with different narrators. Choose an unabridged recording.