The Pilgrim's Progress (Moody Classics)

by John Bunyan

book data

4,078 ratings, 3.55 average rating, 387 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		26%
4		26%
3		28%
2		13%
1		5%

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published

January 17th 1995 by Moody Press,U.S. (first published 1678)

details

Mass Market Paperback, 192 pages

isbn

0802400124 (isbn13: 9780802400123)

description

Join Christian and his companions on their journey to the Celestial City, as they pass through many experiences common to us all, in Bunyan's timeless…more

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Mar 02, 2008

Ryan rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528336)

bookshelves: classic-fiction, fiction, own, religion-theology

Owns a copy — Read in March, 2008

So you know when you hear that Citizen Kane is the best movie ever because of how revolutionary it was during its time period, and then you watch it and you realize that the key phrase is "during its time period"? Well, reading Pilgrim's Progress is likely to leave many with the same feeling. No doubt one of the greatest modern religious texts in terms of what it provided for early Puritans (an easy and concrete representation of their theology and daily living practices), it leaves a ...more

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Jul 06, 2008

Tara rated it:

(review of isbn 1557480745)

I just read this for the second time. It is really an amazing story. Through various characters that the pilgrim, Christian, and later his wife, Christiana, meet in their journies, we are introduced to various aspects of our own character and how those traits can help or hinder us in life's journey. The journey/story can get tedious at times, and while the story doesn't have the drama or excitement of a C.S. Lewis book, I find that John Bunyan's understanding of the scriptures in the 17th centur...more

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4 comments

Aug 27, 2007

Paul rated it:

(review of isbn 0854761756)

Read in August, 2007

I read this book during my second deployment to Iraq as well and it took me quite a while to finish it. I had seen this book referenced often and I wanted to read it on my own. The overall consensus is that it is a very compelling book and will pull at your soul's emotional strings with its simplicity and candor. But also there were three major hurdles to finishing this book--for me, at least:

It was first published in 1678 so it is not an easy read. The diction is alien to me, but al...more I read this book during my second deployment to Iraq as well and it took me quite a while to finish it. I had seen this book referenced often and I wanted to read it on my own. The overall consensus is that it is a very compelling book and will pull at your soul's emotional strings with its simplicity and candor. But also there were three major hurdles to finishing this book--for me, at least:

It was first published in 1678 so it is not an easy read. The diction is alien to me, but also one does not fall into the parlance of Mr. Bunyan's time as easily as even the made-up language of A Clockwork Orange. Here is an example of the text: "Mercy. Then said Mercy, I confess my ignorance: I spake what I understood not: I acknowledge that thou doest all things well." Yikes. Also, the original was not written like a screenplay so it is at times confusing who is speaking to whom. Luckily, the Penguin Classics version marks all dialog with the speaker as a preface in italics.

Secondly, the allegory is very simple. The characters names are the likes of: "Mr. Great-Heart, Mr. Timorous, Mr. Feeble-Minded, the Giant Despair," etc. The situations that all the characters face are definitely unique, but not so riveting as a result of surprise. This barrier for me though is acceptable: the stark simplicity of the journey actually increases the voracity of Bunyan's words. The story is not for the sake of story-telling; the allegory actually need not be so imaginative in this case.

Finally, and this may seem superficial, but Bunyan's poetry skills are pretty awful. The poem opens with a long bit of rhyming poetry that almost made me quit reading. Ironically, the poem is an apology of Bunyan's allegorical shortcomings. I still didn't enjoy reading the poems. I actually found myself skipping even the shortest attempts at rhyme in the plot by the first 30 pages of the book. I find it interesting that Bunyan's prose can be so powerful that he felt the need to attempt ABAB style poetry in his work. Maybe he felt the need to counter the beautiful epic style of John Milton's Paradise Lost (published first about 12 years before TPP). I don't know, but either way--it is a serious barrier.

Bunyan earns most of his Paul Dollars (approximately worth 5 Shrewt bucks or 1000 Stanley Nickles, for you Office fans) in the transcendence of the story into the heart of the Christian reader. I felt Bunyan's soul guiding Christian through his pilgrimage. At the beginning of the story when Christian tells his plans to his family, they chastise him and mock him--after ignoring him of course. As he finally departs alone, his family and neighbors snub him and hurl curses from both sides of the road. This forces Christian to "put his fingers in his ears" and run as quickly as possible away from the City of Destruction. You can't help but be captivated by Christian's steadfast loyalty to his mission: going to Heaven, or the "land beyond the river that has no bridge."

Here are some examples of Bunyan's greatest words:

"No man can tell what in combat attends us but he that hath been in the battle himself." (Page 113) after he fights the demon Apollyon.

In reply to Christan's query, "tell me particularly what effect this [a vision of Christ) had upon your spirit," Hopeful answers with conviction that almost wrought me with tears:

"It made me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life, and confounded me with the sense of mine own ignorance; for there never came thought into mine heart before now that showed me so the beauty of Jesus Christ. It made me love a holy life, and long to do something for the honour and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus. Yea, I thought that had I now a thousand gallons of blood in my body, I could spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus." (Page 125)

Awesome.

This book was a good spiritual book for me at this time in my life. I recommend it for anyone who wishes to keep the fire of their faith burning.
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Sep 01, 2007

Stephen A rated it:

(review of isbn 0192803611)

Read in June, 2006

simply amazing. There is a reason why many literary critics consider this the best Christian book/read next to the Bible. This book although not a difficult read compared to other literary classics will definitely challenge you with its many allegories and metaphors of the Christian life. For anyone who thinks the Christian life is a soft cushy way needs to read this book.

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Mar 01, 2009

Jonathan rated it:

(review of isbn 0882707574)

bookshelves: theology

Read in March, 2007

recommended to Jonathan by: Mom
recommends it for: new Christians seeking guidance and encouragement

Though this book might be more appropriately filed under “Classics”, I’m placing it on the “Theology” shelf, for reasons I will outline below. A staple of Christian literature for hundreds of years, Bunyan’s tale has been read and referenced by children and ministers alike. Grounded as it is in the theology of the Reformation (theology which, running counter to the teachings of the Church of England, landed the author in prison), the book certainly contains a wealth of solid doctri...more Though this book might be more appropriately filed under “Classics”, I’m placing it on the “Theology” shelf, for reasons I will outline below. A staple of Christian literature for hundreds of years, Bunyan’s tale has been read and referenced by children and ministers alike. Grounded as it is in the theology of the Reformation (theology which, running counter to the teachings of the Church of England, landed the author in prison), the book certainly contains a wealth of solid doctrinal teaching. As a work of literature, however, it simply does not hold up to modern standards.

Bunyan makes no pretense about the allegorical nature of the story. The point of an allegory is to use symbolic figures to explain complex ideas; to encourage the reader to think about those ideas in a different light by way of an extended metaphor. When the allegory completely abandons the metaphor in favor of discussing the idea directly, however, the literary form breaks down. The travels of Christian, the titular pilgrim, are meant to elucidate the struggles and hardships that all Christians must deal with as we sojourn through this present wilderness. Towards the beginning, the allegory holds: God is the King and Christ is the Prince. As the book progresses, however, even this thin veil is lifted and Bunyan references biblical events, even quotes Scripture, as if his characters were living in our own world. The locations and enemies which characterize dangers in the life of a Christian (the Swamp of Despondency, the giant Despair) are so literal that the fictionalization is hardly necessary. There is not even a hint of subtly here, making the text seem simplistic, even childish, to educated readers.

There is a positive side to Bunyan’s transparency, however, and that is that it renders the theological lessons it contains very easily learned. By quoting Scripture, the ideas Bunyan is conveying are seen to be in harmony with the Word of God; the most important aspect of any purported Christian teaching. The very simplicity that makes reading the story a bit dull also means that the point will never go amiss. For this reason, I would recommend the book mainly to younger readers or new Christians who have not had the benefit of a thorough doctrinal education. In addition, it is worth the read if only because of the vast number of references by later thinkers one will inevitably encounter. As it is saturated with the timeless truth of God, its status as a classic is well deserved, and will surely continue to stand the test of time so long as any remain faithful to that original calling.(less)

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Jan 12, 2009

Brandon T. rated it:

(review of isbn 0486426750)

Read in January, 2009

recommends it for: those interested in the evolution of religion

This is the 17th-century allegorical tale of Christian, a humble pilgrim, on his journey from the town of Destruction to the Coelestial City, where God resides. In its day, this classic sold more copies than any other book except the Bible. It was particularly popular among the settlers of the colonies in New England, who commonly referred to themselves as "pilgrims."

Bunyan's book was meant to be a defense of his religious beliefs, and was written for the most part while he...more This is the 17th-century allegorical tale of Christian, a humble pilgrim, on his journey from the town of Destruction to the Coelestial City, where God resides. In its day, this classic sold more copies than any other book except the Bible. It was particularly popular among the settlers of the colonies in New England, who commonly referred to themselves as "pilgrims."

Bunyan's book was meant to be a defense of his religious beliefs, and was written for the most part while he was in prison for refusing to conform to the mandated Anglican church of the time. Many of his characters were meant to represent other sects of Christianity. He took frequent jabs at the Quakers and the Catholics. His Calvinist/Lutheran brand of religiosity assumed that a it was the privilege of an elect group to enter into God's court - a group primarily composed of the poor and oppressed. Over and over, The Pilgrim's Progress refutes the values of the elite culture of Bunyan's time, which was swiftly moving towards the naturalistic/materialist worldview that put England in position for the Industrial Revolution.

The first book, which follows Christian exclusively, was so popular that imitations and fake sequels sprang up all over. There were some criticisms, though, concerning Christian's leaving his family behind (there were many women in Bunyan's congregation), as well as the esoteric nature of some of the symbolism used. In response to all these things, Bunyan wrote a second part, wherein Christiana and Christian's four children traverse the Way. This volume is typically included along with the first book in modern printings.

The second part, which attempts to explain the meanings behind Christian's travails while demonstrating the roles that women, children and others could play in the Bunyan theology, suffers from certain faults - particularly in its allegorical style, which becomes strained and even nonsensical at times. Nevertheless, the two tracts are integral to one another. The first is captivating, and the second is necessary.(less)

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Mar 15, 2010

Mark Uncommon Valor rated it:

(review of isbn 0802456545)

CHRISTIAN : There are good thoughts of divers kinds ; some respecting ourselves, some respecting God, some respecting Christ, and some respecting other things.

IGNORANCE : What be good thoughts respecting ourselves ?

CHRISTIAN : Such as agree with the Word of God.

IGNORANCE : When do our thoughts agree with the Word of God ?

CHRISTIAN : When we pass the same judgement on ourselves which the Word passes. To explain myself : the Word of God saith of pe...more

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May 20, 2009

Travis rated it:

(review of isbn 0486426750)

bookshelves: classics, sf-fantasy

I picked this up as part of my on-going quest to read any book featuring a member of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Interesting book, while I can appreciate it's place in literary history, as a novel it's pretty rough going as it's basically a 300 page long religious allegory.
I could live with that if it was at least entertaining.
In the beginning \, it's done entirely as a quest, with all the various aspects of christianity being portrayed as people, places etc,...more

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Dec 31, 2009

Mandy rated it:

(review of isbn 0486426750)

Read in January, 2010

recommends it for: the uber religious Christians who want to reaffirm their faith.

As someone who, at least during this part of my life, is simply "spiritual" at best, I knew from the beginning that this wouldn't be my kind of book. I tried reading it anyway since it is such a famous piece of literature, but my feelings about it are what I expected they would be.

An allegory for Christianity, it reminded me of everything I didn't like about church growing up: mainly, the self-righteousness of the faith, and the promise of hell for those who are non-believe...more

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Dec 23, 2009

Nicholas Whyte added it (review of isbn 1443705020)

http://nhw.livejournal.com/201820.html[return][return]Huckleberry Finn says of this book that "The statements was interesting, but tough", which I think is fair. Several things struck me - the unattractiveness of the main character, Christian, who wilfully abandons his family, and having lost his first travelling companion Faithful by gruesome means then becomes a know-all to his new friend Hopeful; the fact that the metaphors and allegory are about as subtle as a brick (actually, a br...more

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Jan 21, 2008

Debbie rated it:

(review of isbn 0486426750)

bookshelves: 1001-to-read-before-you-die, adventure, fantasy, philosophy

Read in February, 1977

The novel follows Christian on his journey to the Celestial City. His journey, as well as the characters he meets along the way (Faithful, Piety, Sloth, Hopeful, etc.) is an allegory for the moral struggle of each person in the world.

My grandmother bought me a children's version of this book when I was 8 years old and I absolutely loved it. It was one of my favorite childhood books and it inspired a lifelong love of the fantasy genre. I love a good quest!

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Dec 07, 2009

Marcus rated it:

(review of isbn 0486426750)

bookshelves: read-part

Read in December, 2009

I read the first volume and started the second. The first volume is the allegorical dream of the adventures of Christian on his journey to heaven. The second volume starts with several pages of Bunyan talking about how fantastically well the first volume sold and how much it changed the world and how many copycats there were. He then proceeds to tell the story of the journey of Christiana, Christian's wife. As awesome as that sounds, I'm going to save it for another day.

As far as all...more

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Sep 29, 2009

Sean rated it:

(review of isbn 0882707574)

Read in September, 2009

While having been a Christian for 20+ years, and having heard much about this oft-mentioned classic, I had never finally finished reading it till this summer.

I was rather unmoved. I suppose that my disappointment has a lot to do with expectations. I thought that this would be a full-fledged novel, with character development, surprises, etc. But it truly is an allegory; characters are nothing more, really, than embodiments of spiritual truths (when we are introduced to characters cal...more

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Dec 09, 2009

CJ Bowen rated it:

(review of isbn 0916441245)

Read in December, 2009

"Dark clouds bring Waters, when the bright bring none." vii

"Some men by feigning words, as dark as mine,
Make truth to spangle, and its rayes to shine." viii

Of Talkative: "His house is as empty of religion as the white of an egg is of savour." 86

"A man may cry out against Sin, of Policy, but he cannot abhor it but by virtue of a godly antipathy against it." 89

"Indeed, to know is a thing that pleaset...more

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Jan 13, 2010

Keiki Hendrix rated it:

(review of isbn 0486426750)

bookshelves: fiction-christian

Read in January, 2010

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, December 28, 2009
Some say that John Bunyan's famous allegory about Pilgrim's journey to the Celestial City is second only to the Bible itself in the number of copies sold worldwide. First published in 1678, this 330 year old allegory written by John Bunyan while incarcerated for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ without a license is as pertinent today as it was when it was written.

Quick Review
This book...more

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Jun 22, 2009

Arianna rated it:

(review of other edition)

bookshelves: 1001books

Read in June, 2009

This was an interesting story...one that I'm glad I audiobooked, because I think it would have been quite tedious to read. I was not so into the religious aspect of it, but I found it much more enjoyable once I reminded myself to look upon it not like a tract, but rather like The Odyssey, which was also the fantastical story of a journey, fraught with many dangers such as giants and maliciousness intent upon keeping the hero from his ultimate destination. So was this much like that - there was...more

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Jan 10, 2010

Laura rated it:

(review of isbn 1565637836)

bookshelves: classics---stories

Read in January, 2010

I have listened to the audio version of Pilgrim's Progress since I was eight, and so reading the book was like reading the script for the tapes. I have always loved the story, and the meaty theology was wonderful. I do find Christiana to be somewhat (how do I say this) self-complacent. She is recognized everywhere as being the wife of the wonderful pilgrim Christian, and seems to soak in the fame. In short, I found her slightly heady. (Not much, mind you, in fact, almost imperceptibly so.) I did...more

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Oct 09, 2009

Mike rated it:

(review of isbn 1557480745)

I have a few versions of this on my shelves from the nicely bound hard back to paper backs I can hand out (you know "loan"),

This is (as I'm sure most already know) an allegorical journey depicting the struggles of living the Christian life. John Bunyan was a Baptist imprisioned when it was againat the law to be a b Baptist (note my review of The Body by Charles Colson). He was imprisioned for (aprox.) twelve years for refusing to convert to Anglicanism (Church of England......more

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Apr 26, 2009

Jude Cooney added it (review of isbn 0486426750)

John Bunyan, the tinker from Bedford, England, would write this book while serving time in a Bedford jail for preaching the Word of God. He begins this book - which is basically about His own struggle and walk as a believer in Christ, and one which many can relate to, by writing ''while I was sleeping I had a dream.'' It's an amazing allergory and one I would recommend all who love Christ to engage in. Once you've started, it's hard to put down until you've completed the journey through it's wel...more

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Feb 05, 2009

Emgbane is currently reading it (review of isbn 0882707574)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in February, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I can barely express my profound disappointment in The Pilgrim's Progress. First, let me state that I am reviewing The Pilgrim's Progress in Modern English as revised and updated by L. Edward Hazel Baker. I believe it is an excellent translation keeping true to John Bunyan's theology, but making it more accessible to the modern read by eliminating obsolete words. I also appreciate the end noted scriptural references.

My real disappointment was in the theology. I cannot believe thi...more I can barely express my profound disappointment in The Pilgrim's Progress. First, let me state that I am reviewing The Pilgrim's Progress in Modern English as revised and updated by L. Edward Hazel Baker. I believe it is an excellent translation keeping true to John Bunyan's theology, but making it more accessible to the modern read by eliminating obsolete words. I also appreciate the end noted scriptural references.

My real disappointment was in the theology. I cannot believe this is classic second only to bible with some Christian readers. My first shock came early in the novel in the chapter The Pilgrim Meets the Interpreter. In the chapter, some of which is very good, the Pilgrim was lead to a man sitting in an Iron Cage, the Iron Cage of Despair. The reader is told that GOD has place the man in the Iron Cage, and that GOD has denied the man repentance. I can find nowhere in my bible where God does not call us to repentance, and I certainly find nowhere in my bible where GOD denies forgiveness. Here is just one example see 2 Corinthians 7:10 "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."

I guess my two biggest complaints about the book are one, its hodge-podge nature. I mean understand it is an allegory, but I really could not understand what journey was really being allegorized. I will admit my problem probably stemmed from a core theological difference. I believe we are living at time when we are justified, because Christ has died for our sins. Therefore, I found it strange to see this pilgrim go on this journey, but almost never call on the Lord. He seemed to never pray, and Lord never seemed to be there helping him on his journey. I did not see the Holy Spirit present and working within the novel. I cannot imagine why an author would allegorize our journey and not have the Holy Spirit that was poured out at Pentecost present on that journey. Two, I did not understand how the Pilgrim could arrive at the Celestial City, before the second coming of Christ.

I have to admit this book is no more my cup of tea then any of the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, or The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by Mitch Albom, or the Shack by William P. Young. Well maybe that is an overstatement, since I would not even bother to read those books.

There are things to be gained from this work; I certainly found it helped to bring into clear focus my theological views.
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