Author: C.S. Lewis. Translated by Junhai Deng and proofread by Jinyang Hu. Publisher: East China Normal University Press.

"A Preface to Paradise Lost" is a landmark work, occupying a place in Miltonic criticism roughly equivalent to that of "The Great Preface" in the study of the Book of Songs. Since its publication in 1942, the English-speaking world's interpretation of "Paradise Lost" has returned to orthodoxy, freed from the discursive entanglement of viewing Milton as a democratic fighter and Satan as a hero.
The first part of the book traces the origins, distinguishing between primary and secondary epics by discussing "The Homeric Epics" and "The Aeneid," thereby placing "Paradise Lost" within the secondary epic tradition founded by "The Aeneid." The latter part of the book refutes the universal human nature theory prevalent since the Enlightenment, placing "Paradise Lost" within the tradition of St. Augustine.
For the Chinese academic community, this book has at least two significances: 1. To read ancient texts as they are, without modern preconceptions; 2. Literary criticism should establish an awareness of literary genre, prioritizing "art" over "doctrine," first noting the genre chosen by the author, then what the author said.

About the Author
C.S. Lewis (1898—1963) was a multifaceted genius of 20th-century British literature. At the age of 26, he was appointed to a lectureship at Oxford University. In 1954, he was appointed Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English Literature at Cambridge University, a title he held until his retirement.
Throughout his life, he accomplished three very different careers. He is known as "three C.S. Lewises": first, an outstanding literary historian and critic at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, whose representative works include "English Literature in the Sixteenth Century (Excluding Drama)" in the Oxford History of English Literature series. Second, a popular science fiction and children's literature writer, whose representative works include "The Space Trilogy" and "The Chronicles of Narnia." Third, a popular Christian theologian and speaker, whose representative works include "The Pilgrim's Regress," "The Screwtape Letters," "Mere Christianity," "The Four Loves," and more. He authored over 30 books, including academic works, novels, poetry collections, and fairy tales. He has a massive global following, and to this day, his works continue to attract tens of thousands of readers each year.
Translator Deng Junhai, born in 1971 in Gansu, holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy and is a university lecturer. He currently works in the Chinese Department at Tianjin Normal University. He has published over 50 papers in journals such as "History of Chinese Philosophy," "Literary Theory Research," "Nankai Journal," and "Guangming Daily." He has translated several works by C.S. Lewis. In the spring of 2012, he co-founded the "Zheye Reading Club" with colleague Yang Bo. They read one classic book each semester.