Paul's Reviews > The Pilgrim's Progress

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

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416390
's review
Apr 23, 12

bookshelves: god-botheration, novels

In the dawn of the day Reader began his quest for the Great Denoument with a glad heart, his countenance suffused by the Joy of Literature Yet Unread and unburthened by Mercantile Drear. He knew he should soon pass threw Goodreads City which was said to be very Malevolent yet still he feared not and sang out hymns and epithalamions addressed to the Archangels Proust, Joyce and Bolano which should look over him as he ventured. Eftsoons, he met with Mr Worldly Wise, who thrust at him pretty volumes by such a one as Daniel Brown and Michael Crichton, and then an other one, a young fair maid with a sore sorrowful countenance who gave unto him Stephanie Myers and Suzanne Collins. And Reader stopped by a winding road betimes, and read of these, and soon found himself in the Slough of Despond. Haply Evangelist arrived to yank Reader out of the Slough, and bade him follow him to a standing stone whereon he might make his mark for a Sign, and enter the gate of Goodreads City, which he was eager for. They that met him shewed him to the Hostel of Good Taste and told him of the reviews, the stars and the votes. And lo his eyes were opened to these things and taking a pen and paper he wrote mightily through all that night and beyond of the things he had read, the Crichtons and Browns and Meyers and how they tricked him into the Slough where in his soul had near perished. And Reader took sleep then and woke to find a thousand votes heaped up around his cot, and his heart was light. And in the Scroll of Great Reviewers he was yet written as number three and forty. But yet he was foresworn to climb the Hill of Extreme Difficulty to greet the Archangels Wallace and Gaddis, and clothed with his Armour of Interpretation which the citizens of Goodreads had yet given freely to him, he fixed his Two Edged Sword into its scabbard and sallied forth.

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Comments (showing 1-19 of 19) (19 new)

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message 1: by Richard (last edited Apr 23, 2012 07:46pm) (new) - rated it 4 stars

Richard Truly art thou a wag, inasmuch as I barkedst with merry peals of laughter on the perusal of this thy review. There be yet peradventure mickle readers who would fain well wit what thou thoughtedst of yonder tome itself.


message 2: by Terry (new)

Terry Best allegory ever.


message 3: by Stephen M (new)

Stephen M Awesome review. I too feel the Joy of literature yet unread quite profoundly.


message 4: by Ian (new) - rated it 3 stars

Ian Graye This review is so good, it deserves a retort:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...


message 5: by Manny (new)

Manny May I pedantically point out that epithalamions are normally sung at weddings? Apart from that, perfect!


Paul he was looking forward to a mystical union; aside from that it's a great word don't you think, and much underused.


message 7: by Manny (new)

Manny A mystical union with three literary archangels! But of course. It's a rather good fantasy, in fact...


message 8: by Traveller (last edited Apr 24, 2012 12:51am) (new)

Traveller We have Ian's rebuttal, now we're waiting for Manny...

If only Wallace, Foster and Joyce were concise angels of expediency...


message 9: by Manny (new)

Manny I fear that anything I produce at this point risks being a re-rebuttal...


message 10: by Traveller (new)

Traveller Please O Knight in Shining Armour Manny please do not tell me, thy loyal disciple, that thy feelest fear in thy breast, a trembling in thy valiant loins, a fluttering in thy golden heart...


message 11: by Ian (new) - rated it 3 stars

Ian Graye ...hark, do I hear a golden stream coursing through Manny's valiant loins?


message 12: by Manny (last edited Apr 24, 2012 01:04am) (new)

Manny I am as fearless as the E.L. James is... well, never mind that. But I must, to my shame, admit that I have yet to read The Pilgrim's Progress, so I feel I am inadequately prepared for this challenge.

Of course, my dear colleague Not will probably remind me that this is in no way an obstacle to producing a review...


message 13: by Ian (new) - rated it 3 stars

Ian Graye ...it didn't stop me.


message 14: by Ian (new) - rated it 3 stars

Ian Graye Where is MJ when you need him?


message 15: by Traveller (last edited Apr 25, 2012 06:14am) (new)

Traveller Ian wrote: "...hark, do I hear a golden stream coursing through Manny's valiant loins?"

LOL. I tried to make that sound as... heroic as possible, since loins are often mentioned in the context of battle (as in gird your loins!) and was hoping nobody would spot the opportunity to, er... demean the context. :P


message 16: by Traveller (last edited Apr 24, 2012 02:52am) (new)

Traveller Manny wrote: "I am as fearless as the E.L. James is... well, never mind that. But I must, to my shame, admit that I have yet to read The Pilgrim's Progress, so I feel I am inadequately prepared for this challeng..."

Yes, Sparknotes to the rescue! (..and come to mention Sparknotes, I wonder if there's a Sparknotes for that other thing- whatsit - that 50 Shades of Grey... ) Hahahahah


message 17: by Ian (new) - rated it 3 stars

Ian Graye One shady Graye should be enough. Who needs 50?

Sgd.

Christian Graye


message 18: by Ian (new) - rated it 3 stars

Ian Graye Manny wrote: "I fear that anything I produce at this point risks being a re-rebuttal..."

Haven't we simply witnessed the creation of a new Celebrity Pilgrim Call and Response Death Match format?


message 19: by Chris (new)

Chris Great place to live, Goodreads City. Thanks for reminding me.


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