The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan published 1678 is book twelve on my 2018 Back to the Classics Challenge (hosted by Karen K at Books and Chocolate) - choose a classic travel or journey narrative. Its author, John Bunyan, was a Puritan minister who would spend twelve years in Bedford prison for preaching when he was repeatedly told not to by the Church of England. It was during his time in prison that Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress which has been described as a religious allegory. I have had this book stored in my kindle for some time and the Classics Challenge was the incentive to finally give it a read.
And so when The Pilgrim's Progress begins an unamed narrator, possibly the author, has woken up in his prison cell. He has dreamt that a character named Christian who has been living in the City of Destruction (the earthly world) has become terrified that the town in which he lives is doomed and that fire and brimstone will reign down upon it in the not so distant future. Christian begs his wife and children to flee with him to the Celestial City (heaven) but they are afraid to leave the world they know and face whatever dangers might await. Christian's family and neighbors think he has gone mad and so he sets out on the journey by himself.
Along the way Christian will be accompanied by two friends named Faithful and Hopeful. But the road leading to the Celestial City is not straightforward. Christian will encounter many obstacles: depression, ignorance, fear, greed etc which have caused others pilgrims to lose faith and turn back. One thing the book seems to stress is that if you are going to go on a journey of whatever kind it helps to have companions. Had it not been for Faithful and Hopeful during key parts of the novel Christian would not have made it to the Celestial City.
John Bunyan is a remarkable writer although his view of religion is a harsh one, a great deal of emphasis on the hell that awaits if you stray from the righteous path. Still this book is a major classic which has gone on to influence countless authors and since the day it was published The Pilgrim's Progress has never gone out of print.
And so completes my 2018 Back to the Classics Challenge and I made it just under the wire! It's been a worthwhile journey and I plan to do my wrap up review of the books I've read tomorrow and thanks so much to Karen K at Books and Chocolate for hosting the challenge.
This one has been on my radar for years. I am a nonbeliever but I tend to read a lot of religious texts and Classics heavily tied to religion. I think that I would find the Hellfire stuff entertaining.
ReplyDeleteHave a very Happy New Year’s!
Happy New Year Brian! The Pilgrim's Progress is a very well written book which is amazing because John Bunyan grew up very poor and no formal education. He read the Bible but not much else. The book reads easily too and is rather witty. At one point as Christian and his friends knock on the door of the Narrow Gate asking to be let in I was getting a Wizard of Oz flashback which is not too suprising because it xan't be stressed enough how many bokks this book would go on to influence.
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