This was rewritten for children so it isn’t exactly like the original, but the vocabulary and the writing style was still a bit complex for kids. It’s a beautiful story and the illustrations were beautiful too, but I did have to slow down and explain quite a bit along the way because of how it was written. ( )

I first read this book many years ago, only because it was mentioned in Little Women - and I didn't like it at all. I thought that maybe I was too young for it and I didn't understand it, so I decided to read it again - and I still didn't like it. I think it was the last time I tried reading this book. ( )

This book is about a quest for virtue and the Path to Glory. An interesting read because this was one of the first novels in world history. The story is probably not very compelling to the average modern reader, but this is, given that it is an allegory on virtuous christian life, hardly surprising.
The storyline consist mainly of an enumeration of various trials, obstacles and people Christian, the main character, meets on his way to The Celestial City / Heaven / Eternal life / God. It quickly becomes boring, but since I was interested in the development of the European Novel through the centuries, I decided to keep on reading. ( )

To think that The Pilgrim's Progress was first published in 1678 and it’s still around speaks to its enduring relevancy. The level of sophistication is significant. Each character, location, and event in the story symbolizes spiritual truths and moral lessons. The book explores themes such as the nature of faith, the trials and tribulations of the Christian life, and the ultimate reward awaiting the faithful. Overall, it’s a profound allegorical representation of the Christian journey in simple and straightforward words, which makes it accessible to us modern readers and relevant for readers interested in spiritual and moral reflections. ( )

Simplesmente, fantástico. Encantador. Nos remete o tempo todo a passagens e imagens bíblicas muito vivas por meio das alegorias criadas por Bunyan. Especial demais... Todo cristão deveria ler esta jóia. ( )

Clearly dated, but still very relevant if not a bit simplistic ( )

I'm sorry, I couldn't read on after the first four "Headings". The Puritan theology made me uncomfortable, as does today's fundamentalist evangelicalism. Heathen I may be, and I have probably missed meeting everyday life as described further into the book, but I won't be picking it up again another time. As with all the other volumes in the "Kings Treasuries" series, I love and treasure the physical book. It will remain in my library. ( )

Part 1 of this allegory was published in 1678 and part 2 in1685. This edition with 8 original illustrations.

O Peregrino tem sido reimpresso, lido e traduzido com mais freqüência do que qualquer outro livro, exceto a Bíblia. Pessoas de todas as idades têm encontrando deleite nesta história simples e sincera de Cristão. Os acontecimentos assemelham-se a vida, sucedem-se, com rapidez e consistência. Esta nova edição traz elementos que estimularão a leitura: o texto integral da obra, notas explicativas das alegorias de Bunyan, referências bíblicas, os personagens e assuntos em foco, breve sentenças à margem do texto chamando a atenção ao conteúdo dos parágrafos, desenhos ilustrativos, 23 capítulos especificando os assuntos da obra e a visualização fácil do conteúdo da página, de modo que o leitor escolha o que deseja ler- somente o texto original ou somente as notas explicativas, ou somente as breves sentenças, Todos estes elementos tornarão a leitura ainda mais agradável.

it was a very good book ( )

A classic, worth reading, but after some years I don't recall enough to discuss it. ( )

good Condition . $25 value on Etsy. Some out there for much more.

Pilgrim's Progress is a Christian allegory, meaning that it has two levels of significance. On the surface, the story follows a man named Christian as he leaves the City of Destruction and journeys to a place called the Celestial City, encountering all sorts of roadblocks and fearsome creatures along the way.

The Pilgrim's Progress, religious allegory by the English writer John Bunyan, published in two parts in 1678 and 1684. The work is a symbolic vision of the good man's pilgrimage through life. At one time second only to the Bible in popularity, The Pilgrim's Progress is the most famous Christian allegory still in print.

Pilgrim's Progress is in the top three most read Christian book of all time, It is a religious allegory published in two parts in 1678 and 1684. The work is a symbolic vision of the good man’s pilgrimage through life. Spurgeon name it his favorite book and claimed to have read it more than one hundred times.

This book took me a while to read through because of it's style of language as well as the way it is set up but it is brilliant and worth a read. I will probably read it again in the future. I am actually amazed at how well Bunyan illustrated the christian life through story and would highly recommend that anyone read this book! ( )

Classic. Excellent. I highly recommend this to any Christian who desires to deepen his faith. Truth is timeless, and the struggles of the christian walk are shared by all. Essential reading. I recommend it to everybody. ( )

4/25/22

review of
John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - July 4-13, 2021

For the complete review go here: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/1352952-cult-indoctrination

3 or 4 yrs ago I started reading 8 bks, all of wch I found to be extremely tedious. Nonetheless, I decided to read them to their ends. I picked The Pilgrim's Progress b/c I remembered reading it as a child, possibly when I was 8, around the same time that I read Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack. I remembered the latter somewhat but basically nothing about the former. Both bks struck me as strange things to be reading at such a young age. They were probably recommended to me by my Elementary School's librarian or some other adult. SO, I decided to reread them both. I haven't started on the Franklin yet, I'm anticipating enjoying that more.

As for The Pilgrim's Progress? Of the 8 bks, this is the 2nd-to-last to be finished. I'm still working on The Complete Plays of Charles Ludlam. It was also, by far, the bk I've detested the most. It's a Christian bk, when I originally read it I wd've still been a Christian - maybe that's why I don't have a horrified memory of it that I will always have w/ me now. During this reading, I found myself frequently checking the back of the bk to remind myself of the page count & to calculate how much more of this drek I had to suffer thru before finally finishing it. Another factor in my reading is that I got a copy of a movie called The Wylds that was inspired by The Pilgrim's Progress so I thought it wd be interesting tio reread the bk & then check out the movie. Alas, when it came time for the movie the DVD wdn't play right in my deck so I just threw it away.

Here's a little about Bunyan:

"He became interested in religion after his marriage, attending first the parish church and then joining the Bedford Meeting, a nonconformist group in Bedford, and becoming a preacher. After the restoration of the monarch, when the freedom of nonconformists was curtailed, Bunyan was arrested and spent the next twelve years in jail as he refused to give up preaching. During this time he wrote a spiritual autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, and began work on his most famous book, The Pilgrim's Progress, which was not published until some years after his release.

"Bunyan's later years, in spite of another shorter term of imprisonment, were spent in relative comfort as a popular author and preacher, and pastor of the Bedford Meeting. He died aged 59 after falling ill on a journey to London and is buried in Bunhill Fields. The Pilgrim's Progress became one of the most published books in the English language; 1,300 editions having been printed by 1938, 250 years after the author's death." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bunyan

One might think that b/c Bunyan was a "nonconformist" who was actually imprisoned for being so that I'd take a natural liking to him. But, no, I imagine him as one of those sorts that if I'd've been alive & in his vicinity I wd've considered to be a total-pain-in-the-ass & wd've avoided.

In "THE AUTHOR'S APOLOGY FOR HIS BOOK" he writes:

"Well, when I had thus put my ends together,
I showed them to others, that I might see whether
They would condemn them, or them justify:
And some said, "Let them live"; some, "Let them die";
Some said, "John, print it"; others said, "Not so";
Some said, "It might do good" others said, "No."

"Now was I in a strait, and did not see
Which was the best thing to be done by me;
At last I thought, "Since you are thus divided:
I print it will"; and so the case decided:" - p 2

""Well, yet I am not fully satisfied
That this book will stand when soundly tried."
"Why, what's the matter?"
"It is dark." "What though?"
"But it is feigned." "What of that?" I trow
Some men by feigned words as dark as mine
Make truth to spangle, and its rays to shine."
"But they want solidness."
"Speak, man, thy mind."
"They'd drown the weak; metaphors make us blind."" - p 4

I find that last objection to The Pilgrim's Progress to be particularly interesting. I've generally avoided using metaphors (although not as a hard & fast rule, sometimes they're fun) b/c they don't say what I mean - is that the same as "mak[ing] us blind"?

Now, something that I'm not quite sure I ever 'got' is that this bk is presented as a transcription of a dream, a dream of highly improbable detail, a dream w/o any morphing, a dream interspersed w/ a large quantity of biblical quotes, etc. If I understand correctly, & I may not, the dreamer is the author.

"So I saw in my dream that the man began to run. Now he had not run far from his own door, but his wife and children perceiving it, began to cry after him to return:

""If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26" - p 10

Does anything strike you about that bible quote? Uh, y'know, Christianity, that religion of 'Brotherly Love' is obviously a religion of HATE if you wanna hang w/ Luke. &, yeah, there's plenty of that nastiness in The Pilgrim's Progress, downright murderous nastiness - all in God's name, of course - & that is the Christinanity I know & grew up w/, the Christinanity that's an endless excuse for any heinous crime.

From a formal perspective, The Pilgrim's Progress does have things that appeal to me: I enjoyed the way he gave characters names that supposedly described their dominant defining characteristic. & then there're the place names.

"there were two that were resolved to fetch him back by force. The name of the one was OBSTINATE, and the name of the other PLIABLE. Now by this time the man was a good distance from them; but, however, they were resolved to pursue him; which they did, and in a little time they overtook him. Then said the man, "Neighbors, wherefore are ye come?" They said, "To persuade you to go back with us." But he said, "That can by no means be. You dwell in the city of Destruction the place also where I was born.["]" - p 12

The person leaving, the man who's the main character, who's starting his pilgrimage, is named CHRISTIAN. He's leaving behind his wife & 4 young boys. Some people might say that that's irresponsible & uncaring of him but, NO!, he's CHRISTIAN, so God's telling him to n'at. Now, CHRISTIAN isn't being OBSTINATE, oh no, & heaven forbid that he be PLIABLE. Not to spoil things for you but CHRISTIAN dies eventually & never sees his family again until, ahem, they're reunited in heaven.

The bible quoting got to be monotonous from the get-go. This was largely b/c Bunyan has a character say something & then quotes from the bible as if to validate the 'truth' of what the character's sd. Formally, the problem is that the quote is often verbatim what the person just sd so we get to read the same thing twice. I'd probably find that boring in an experimental txt but I definitely found it boring here.

"Chr. There shall be no more crying nor sorrow; for he that is owner of the place will wipe all tears from our eyes.

""He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 25:8

""They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Revelation 7:16, 17

""And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4" - p 16

Ok, I think we get the idea. I've got news for you though, Bub, wiping away tears does not end crying or sorrow, it just dries the cheeks. As usual, 'God', the all-powerful & all-caring, doesn't actually solve the problem that he (or she or it or whatever) is hypothetically responsible for.

Bunyan mocks the philosophy of anyone who isn't absolutely obedient to what he perceives to be the precepts of Christianity. It's this very attitude that's still used to this day as an excuse for riding roughshod over anyone who gets in the way of Christian imperialism. Here's an excerpt from CHRISTIAN's dialog w/ Mr. Worldy Wiseman:

"W. Wise. Who bade you to go this way to be rid of your burden?

"Chr. A man appeared to me to be a very great and honorable person; his name, as I remember, is EVANGELIST.

"W. Wise. Avoid him for his counsel! There is not a more dangerous and troublesome way in the world than is that unto which he hath directed thee; and that thou shalt find if thou wilt be ruled by his counsel. Thou hast met with something, as I perceive already: for I see the dirt of the Slough of Despond upon thee; but that slough is only the beginning of the sorrows that do attend those that go in that way. Hear me—I am older than thou: thou art likely to meet with, in the way which thou goest, wearisomeness, painfulness, hunger, perils, nakedness, sword, lions, dragons, darkness, and, in a word, death, and what not! These things are certainly true, having been confirmed by many testimonies. And why should a man so carelessly cast himself away by giving heed to a stranger?

"Chr. Why, sir, this burden upon my back is more terrible to me than are all these things which you have mentioned: nay, methinks I care not what I meet with in the way, if so be I can also meet with deliverance from my burden.

"W. Wise. How camest by thy burden at first?

"Chr. By reading this book in my hand." - pp 21-22

But, no, Mr. Worldly Wiseman is deluded & CHRISTIAN is guided by the bible in deciding that this is the case:

""He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." John 12:25" - p 27

That's right, folks - in fact, don't enjoy anything about yr existence at all! &, yes, I find that to be an absolutely deranged philosophy - but, then, I don't believe in an afterlife. I do believe in an afterparty.

CHRISTIAN has been directed by MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN to LEGALITY for consultation. Afer this, he re-encounters EVANGELIST who sets him back on the annointed path.

"["]LEGALITY, therefore, is not able to set thee free from thy burden. No man was as yet ever rid of his burden by him; nor ever is like to be. Ye cannot be justified by the works of the law; for by the deeds of the law no man living can be rid of his burden. Therefore Mr. WORLDLY WISEMAN is an alien, and Mr. LEGALITY is a cheat; and for his son CIVILITY, notwithstanding his simpering looks, he is but a hypocrite, and cannot help thee. Believe me, there is nothing in all his noise that thou hast heard of these sottish men, but at design to beguile thee of thy salvation, by turning thee from the way in which I had set thee."

"After this, EVANGELIST called aloud to the heavens for confirmation of what he had said; and with that there came words and fire out of the mountain under which poor CHRISTIAN stood, that made the hair of his flesh stand up. The words were thus pronounced: "As many as are the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them".

""For as many as are the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Galatians 3:10" - p 28

I include the bible quote as it follows EVANGELIST's speech in the bk to give an example of the formal tediousness of how these quotes create repetition. Aside from the ongoing strangeness of the italicizing, the addition of the word "For" at the beginning, & the changing of "continues" to "continueth", it's basically a verbatim repetition. I reckon this shows the reader that EVANGELIST knows how to quote the bible & is, therefore, a righteous person (in the author's vision).

One chapter is short enuf to quote in its entirety:

"Simple, Sloth and Presumption

"Just then in my dream that he went on thus even until he came at the bottom, where he saw, a little out of the way, three men fast asleep, with fetters upon their heels. The name of the one was SIMPLE, another SLOTH, and the third PRESUMPTION.

"CHRISTIAN then seeing them lie in this case, went to them, if peradventure he might awake them, and cried, "You are like them that sleep on the top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is under you, a gulf that has no bottom.

""Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast." Proverbs 23:34

"Awake therefore, and come away; be willing also, and I will help you off with your irons." He also told them, "If he that goes about like a roaring lion comes by, you will certainly become a prey to his teeth".

""Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom they may devour:" 1 Peter 5:8

"With that they looked upon him and began to reply in this sort:

"Simple said, "I see no danger."

"Sloth said, "Yet a little more sleep."

"And Presumption said, "Every vat must stand on its own bottom."

And so they lay down to sleep again; and CHRISTIAN went on his way." - p 46

Maybe the lion's just a hungry carnivore & NOT the 'devil'.

Christinanity being the religion of "Thou shalt not kill" is astoundingly full of murder, both individual & mass. This bk presents that w/o any apparent troubling of the conscience.

"They also showed him some of the instruments with which some of the servants had done wonderful things. They showed him Moses' rod; the hammer and nail with which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps too, with which Gideon put to flight the armies of Midian. Then they showed him the ox's goad wherewith Shamgar slew six hundred men. They showed him also the jawbone with which Samson did such mighty feats; they showed him, moreover, the sling and stone with which David slew Goliath of Gath; and the sword, also, with which their Lord will kill the man of sin, in the day that he shall rise up to the prey. They showed him besides many excellent things, with which CHRISTIAN was much delighted. This done, they went to their rest again." - pp 63-64

Seems like a death cult to me, a cult of homicidal maniacs.

CHRISTIAN meets The Two Men who talk about arriving at the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

"Chr. "But what have you seen?" said CHRISTIAN.

"Men. "Seen! why the valley itself, which is as dark as pitch. We also saw there the hobgoblins, satyrs, and dragons of the pit; we heard also in that valley a continual howling and yelling, as of a people in untterable misery, who there sat bound in afflicition and irons; and over that valley hangs the discouraging clouds of confusion; death also doth always spread his wings over it; in a word, it is every whit dreadful, being utterly without order." - p 71

I've been reading Ivan Illych's Medical Nemesis &, around the time I finished reading The Pilgrim's Progress, I was reading the section on a history of the cultural depiction of death in relation to social changes such as those of the French Revolution. The depiction of death as a creature w/ wings might be comparable to 'primitive' beliefs that death occurs as a result of evil spirits & the like.

"In this light therefore; he came to the end of the valley. Now I saw in my dream, that at the end of this valley lay blood, bones, ashes, and mangled bodies of men, even of pilgrims that had gone this way formerly: and while I was musing what should be the reason, I espied a little before me a cave, where two giants, POPE and PAGAN, dwelt in old time, by whose power and tyranny, the men whose bones, blood, ashes, etc, lay there, were cruelly put to death. But by this place CHRISTIAN went without much danger; whereat I somewhat wondered." - p 74

This bk often seems rather confused to me, but, then, it is Christinane doctrine so it has no need of being logical. Hence, the POPE and PAGAN are presented as allies despite the POPE's being Christian & despite Christians having commited as much genocide on Pagans as they cd, rather than the other way around. Another curious feature that The Pilgrim's Progress shares w/ other myths is this business about giants. Whenever the author wants to justify murder of someone he needs only to call them giants & it seems to be considered self-evident that killing them & cutting off their heads for display is obviously justified. More about that later.

Ah, but the names.. in many respects, The Pilgrim's Progress is imaginative, I'll give it that much.

"But pray tell me, did you meet nobody in the Valley of Humility?

"Faith. Yes, I met with one DISCONTENT, who would willingly have persuaded me to go back with him; his reason was, for that the valley was altogether without honour. He told me moreover, that there to go was to disobey all my friends, as PRIDE, ARROGANCY, SELF-CONCEIT, WORLDLY-GLORY, with others; who he knew, as he said, would be very much offended if I made such a fool of myself as to wade through this valley.

"Chr. Well, and how did you answer him?

"Faith. I told him that although all these that he named might claim kindred of me, and that rightly--for indeed they were my relations according to the flesh,--yet since I became a pilgrim, they have disowned me, as I also have rejected them;" - p 80

Wdn't it be interesting if we cd've had John Bunyan & Jim Bakker be cellies. Once Bunyan got out of prison he was pretty cozy. What's happened to Bakker since his release?

For the complete review go here: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/1352952-cult-indoctrination ( )

A journey to heaven although it bears great similarity to a journey to hell. Quite fair narrative poetry. ( )

Bunyan began writing his most famous work of theological fiction—his allegory at the age of 40 while serving 12 years imprisoned in the Bedford County Jail for a violation of the 1664 Conventicles Act. The harsh conditions he endured whilst writing the book adds extra urgency and depth to his story of Christian pursuing his pilgrimage through ‘Vanity Fair’, the ‘Slough of Depond’ and ‘Delectable Mountain’ towards the ‘Celestial City’ Bunyans writing is rich, inventive, and profoundly challenging. It is a work of imaginative intensity that has rarely been matched. Bunyan's writing is rich, inventive, and profoundly challenging. Though a work of fiction, it has an imaginative intensity that has rarely been matched. ( )

Insufferable. Period ( )

Every Christian should read this. ( )

I listened to this on Audible.

This was a great book, a great narration, and a great allegory. I'm more familiar with the modern abridged versions so it was good to go back to Bunyan's original.

There were a couple things I found wanting though:
1. as a story, it could use some editing to tighten up the pacing. Particularly at the end, there was a lot of "discoursing" back and forth.
2. some of the discourses the pilgrims had, especially with the misguided/evil individuals they met, felt very preachy. I don't know if that's because it was how people back then told each other they were wrong, or whether as a minister, he felt it was better to get straight to the point to care for someone's soul. But it felt as if they didn't really "love" these people, possibly because Bunyan knew they were destined for Hell anyway. There could have been more friendliness in the disputes.

Besides that, I'd recommend reading it. Bunyan sprinkles in relevant biblical allusions all through it, from passing sentences to characters and places. And though occasionally his allegory falls back down to earth in a few places and uses our experiences without translating them, most of the time it depicts real things in the Christian life in a very graphic, useful way. ( )

Part 1 and Part 2 provide an interesting contrast.

I am often amazed to find major works written from a prison cell.
( )