Pilgrim's Progress Books

I have made it a habit this year to get through many of the classics on audio book during my daily commute. I picked Pilgrim's Progress since it was one of the most influential English books ever published, and I wanted to see what it was all about.

The audio book was published by Blackstone Audio and the reader was Robert Whitfield. The reader did an excellent job and was very easy to listen to. He did some characterization with his voice that made it easy to know which character was speaking. I was a little worried about the older style English, but it gave me no problem. It probably helps that I am familiar with the King James Version of the Bible. Overall, listening to this book worked out very well.

This is the first book length allegory that I have been through and I thought it was an excellent way to teach. There is no doubt which principal each character is supposed to represent by their name, and their actions represented that well also. I can understand why so many families had this book in their libraries. As far as Christian doctrine goes, there are a few things that some would disagree with, but most of the principals taught are still generally accepted today. The path to God's presence is filled with opposition, but there is help available and the reward is worth it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand an important part of our heritage, and to see what an effective tool allegory is.

I love this book. It was written from a jail cell in the 1600s. This version is the original so the text is difficult to read at first but I would not want a watered down modernized version (which can be purchased). I find if I read in chunks it starts to flow nicely. The characters have names like, "Evangelist", "Piety", "Talkative", "Faith", etc. So you know just where someone is coming from. I have marked up this book with pencil just like I do my scriptures! It is like reading one long parable in story form! Cool book. I'm glad to have found it.

We've read this book to our son and he has really enjoyed it. He doesn't yet fully understand everything and we had to stop and explain a lot to him, but it is something that we plan on reading over and over again as our kids continue to grow.
I read a review that stated that a main flaw in this book was the lack of one on one relationship with Christ. I can understand what they are saying, but I think what you have to keep in mind is that while we are here on earth and in our day and age we do not physically see Christ. He was once here walking and living on this earth, but He is now in heaven. He uses other means now to maintain a personal relationship with us. For example, we can know Christ through His word and through prayer. Just as in the book, He often also sends other Christians along in our life to help us and encourage us. This book is a good example of a walk of faith. We can't see and physically touch Christ right now, but when we are in heaven we WILL see Him just as Bunyan talks about in the book. Christian persevered in his walk without physically seeing Christ and he was rewarded in the end for his faith. For now, how much greater our reward is for those who have not seen Him and yet believed!

Enthralling. This book will help every Christian deal with the battles of being a Christian in this life and all the struggles that go with it. It teaches you never to give up even when you feel like you can't go on. Life's struggles are not a new occurrence, but as timeless as human existence itself. It teaches you not to be too concentrated on your struggles, but to look at the great prize which is Heaven and not be distracted or enticed by the struggles of life nor the easy way out. Excellent. It is a must read for every Christian.

The first time that I encountered Christian and his pilgrimage was as a preface and a family favorite in the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Unfortunately, it was not until twenty-something years later that I actually got around to reading the book itself. If I were you, I would not wait that long.

The first part of the current combined book appeared in 1678. Bunyan, a nonconformist Protestant minister who was imprisoned for preaching without a license, wrote at least the first part of the book in jail. The second part was first published in 1684. It is likely the most popular allegory ever written, and is still one of the best selling books of all time.

What makes it so popular? The obvious key to its popularity is its simple, crisp style. Even accounting for the language changes between the seventeenth century and now, it is not a struggle to read Progress and it flows well for the modern reader. Although the book is allegory, the characters are full of little realistic details that make them feel quite human. Incidentally, I was reading this book as I was walking some of the old pilgrimage trails of Europe and it was interesting to me how vivid and applicable his version of the pilgrimage experience is. The Slow of Despair rang remarkably true, as did characters such as Talkative and Mr. Worldly Wisdom.

The Oxford University Press edition is bound with a scholarly introduction which is, for a change, worth reading. It also came with explanatory notes and a glossary which were helpful for the modern reader who is not familiar with the everyday language of the period.

This is what I read as a child - over and over again as I grew up. It is a magnificent version of Bunyan's classic. In particular what I like is that Helen Taylor doesnt shorten the story as much as others do. She retains a lot of the detail and the encounters that Christian has along the way. This allows a child as they grow to learn many of the valuable lessons for the Christian life which Bunyan intended us to see.

There are many children's versions of this which are wonderfully inllustrated - this one isnt, although it has line drawings scattered throughout. But it more than makes up for it in its content. I've purchased another more lavishly illustrated version of Pilgrim's progress to show alongside this one, but actually haven't got round to doing that yet.

What Helen Taylor has also done is to retell the story from a child's perspective - it is Little Pilgrim's Progress. It is in essence the same story - just downsized slightly. This makes it all the more easy to read to children.

My four year old daughter pleads for me to read to her - not content to wait until next Sunday for the next installment. She wont let me stop and sits wide eyed as I read it to her.

Why would I want a shorter version when I get to spend longer reading to my child?

I was recommended this book by a mom of 6 homeschooled children who ALL loved it. My 5 year old cant wait to read the next few chapters every day, and I am enjoying it immensely as well. Even my 2 year old doesn't mind sitting and listening. This is a book we will read over and over!

During my childhood nearly 40 years ago) I was utterly fascinated by this book. It stood out as one of the most interesting books of my childhood days, and it made an indelible impression on me. (Other favorites were C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, Little Princess, & Secret Garden). But back to Little Pilgrim's Progress: I'm not sure why this book was so intriguing to myself and my siblings, perhaps because the little pilgrem faced real dangers and even death??
Well, recently this book came up in conversation -- I hadn't thought of it for years -- and I dug out a copy, and started to read it. Moments later my nearly 6-year-old daughter came up and asked me if I would read it to her. My nearly 4-year-old son also wanted to listen. (I read freqently to my children, and they often are able to enjoy stories beyond their age level, but still I thought this would be too advanced to hold their attention.) But still, I decided to try. Of course, when I read I simplified or explained the language from time to time (some of the wording is old-fashioned). But to my astonishment, my children were absolutely riveted. The chapters in this book are short, and the children kept begging me to read more!! I was especially amazed that my 4-year-old remained totally engaged in the story (there are occasional illustrations, but it isn't a picture book; they were just listening). We finished the Christian part of the book in a few reading sessions over 3 days. (We later read the Christiana story, but the children didn't find it as interesting).
Conclusion: I'm not saying that this book would usually be of interest to such young children, but only wanted to comment that it can be a very exciting book and can provide much opportunity for thoughtful discussion with a parent.
Oh, I will add one more thing -- shortly after reading the book, one day my son asked if he could change his name to "Help" (like in the story). And later, he asked if he could be called "Greatheart". So now we jokingly have added those names to his middle name. Also, after reading the story concepts came up a lot in conversations over the following days and weeks.

One of my favorite books. A book that adults can enjoy while reading to their kids.

I teach grade 3 4 5 in my church and am very pleased with this newest version of one of the oldest best sellers. Very little if any meaning is lost in the transistion from an Adult epic to a children story book. I would highly recommend this book for all young readers and most adults will love it too!

This is what I read as a child - over and over again as I grew up. It is a magnificent version of Bunyan's classic. In particular what I like is that Helen Taylor doesnt shorten the story as much as others do. She retains a lot of the detail and the encounters that Christian has along the way. This allows a child as they grow to learn many of the valuable lessons for the Christian life which Bunyan intended us to see.

There are many children's versions of this which are wonderfully inllustrated - this one isnt, although it has line drawings scattered throughout. But it more than makes up for it in its content. I've purchased another more lavishly illustrated version of Pilgrim's progress to show alongside this one, but actually haven't got round to doing that yet.

What Helen Taylor has also done is to retell the story from a child's perspective - it is Little Pilgrim's Progress. It is in essence the same story - just downsized slightly. This makes it all the more easy to read to children.

My four year old daughter pleads for me to read to her - not content to wait until next Sunday for the next installment. She wont let me stop and sits wide eyed as I read it to her.

Why would I want a shorter version when I get to spend longer reading to my child?

This book is just what I was looking for. It came in fair condition, however it is great for what we will be using it for. Thanks for having it available to us!

This is a great version of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
Whether old or young it will be great reading. It is a great read aloud book for family time. I like to give it away as a gift. Every home library should have a copy.

This is a great book for children to get the message of "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan. It is written so they can understand it and gets them caught up in the adventure and stories in the book. I use it to teach lessons on Sunday at my church. We read it together and then discuss what the story might mean to them and how they can use what little Christian learns in his life lessons.

we used this as a read aloud with our kids ages 4-11 they love it. 2-3 page chapters make it a great bed time story. We talked about christian characteristics and worldly charateristics these things are rarely taught. Great Book!

Maybe "Context of No Context" was a good book, but "My Pilgrim's Progress" isn't even a bad book. It's a hoax on the reader. It's one long, repetitious, self-justifying bleat! Is the author senile, or just soused? He should have called it "My Long Day's Journey Into Night."

I'm torn about this book and don't really know what to rate it, since I found it wildly uneven. But ultimately I think there are enough interesting insights and thought provoking ideas to warrant 4 stars.

Trow meditates on cultural values and attitudes, using examples such as the front page of the NY Times as jump-off points for his reflections. Many of these are very penetrating and allow you to see the development of the country since 1950 in a new light. In particualr, his analysis of the major cultural threads operating at 1950, and the way that TV ended up winning almost by default, was excellent.

On the down side, despite the title the scope of the book is very narrow. There is little coverage of anything that has happened since 1960 or so. The book is also rather geographically limited, as Trow is very focused on New York City, upper class intellectual NYC, to be exact.

I also found the style to be very distracting. Trow writes in a stream of consciousness fashion, which to me really cripples the book and was almost enough to make me knock off another star. He rarely comes out and states an idea, but instead dances around the issue for 15 pages, constantly getting sidetracked and going off on tangents. In the end, you are forced to go back and fill int he blanks to figure out what he was actually trying to get at. Maybe it makes me old fashioned, but in non-fiction I like writers to actually spit out what they're trying to say, rather than playing games and being cutesy.

And as another reviewer mentioned, he has a bad habit of coining new phrases and terminology, which is annoying and makes the book harder to follow than it needs to be. The fact that he often dances around the definition of his terms in the same way he does other things only makes this habit more obnoxious.

But on the whole, I'd recommend the book, since it will challenge you and make you think about recent history, as well as restoring a bit of perspective to modern society and its roots in the post-war period.

George Trow pointed out elsewhere, in somebody else's context entirely, that a truly privileged, a privileged-from-birth, person was able to, well, analyze, assimilate, interpret remarkably quickly---quickly enough; that quickly---questions of power and privilege in a way that someone who had merely been stunned by them (someone who hadn't had the "privilege" not to be stunned by them) was not. Trow has the grace and congeniality in "My Pilgrim's Progress" to make clear that he's not as privileged as he might sound, or was not at all privileged in the way the Roosevelts, or even the Eisenhowers (whose cultural shock waves he documents), were. Neither was he irremediably stunned. Since his father's position (as an East Coast journalist of a certain vanished kind) was wiped out at the same time the Roosevelts "disappeared"---as forces to be reckoned with, in government or in ethics---or Eisenhower (a military man who'd sensed something wrong in the military and in the country as early as 1959, '49?), Trow is able to describe, because he's seen, several kinds of illusion at close hand, and a deeply contemporary, deeply American denial. (Call it longing.)

In this book Trow is the same stylist he's always been--with greater or lesser irony--in all his writing. He still plays around with Mrs. Rittenhouse (except she's last year's Mrs. Vanderbilt, or this year's Diana Vreeland). And he still, sometimes, defines his vocabulary while he's first using it in a sentence, or not long before--while you're still catching up. But "My Pilgrim's Progress" (the title goes right back to Louisa May Alcott, and then some) is the clearest and the most self-declaring of any of his satires, essays, "speeches," or plays. And maybe also the funniest. (It would be a trip and a thrill to hear someone reading the entire book out loud.) The origins of "Perhaps you can force me to tell you" (one of the great Trow-satire sentences) are here, but in their own clothes. The 1963 World's Fair makes another appearance, kittycorner to where it clearly was in "Context of No Context." That book's fedora hat is redefined--or refined. Questions of irony and emotion turn out not to have been easy questions in the interim--for any of us.

In short, anyone who worries what some very specific changes---in America, in the media ("hyperactivity," Trow calls this one), in the world---have been doing to our insides (our "selves") should read this book. It's short itself, given all the information--the reporting--that it sums up. It is in no way a "self-help book"; just a very clear diagnosis, no more baffling than any other specialist's. But this specialist is with us in our sense of urgency. He's been trying to take the time; and here he does.

Having been raised by television, it has been pretty hard for me to focus on reality, that is, the human exchanges of power that must have, in the first place, created television (right?). I was born in a sub-suburb in the middle of the midwest, with one or two cultural roots that abruptly stopped after my grandparents, who don't really talk about stuff like cultural roots anyway. Well, then I read Mr. Trow's book and it blew my mind clean off. It did this because it demonstrated to me precisely why it has been so bloody hard to find something in life and language deeper than television and hollywood movies. The linguistic way out of TV and Hollywood was, of course, the liberal arts. But as thrilling, interesting and mysterious as the liberal arts were, I never managed to make them as central a part of my consciousness as is, say, Star Wars. This is why: the liberal arts have always flourished in an environment of cultural connectedness to the flow of history and of real human power in terms of values "deeper" than money. To George Trow, who is perhaps the only real old world Harvard-educated WASP alive who is able to watch television alongside folks like myself--speak both languages, as it were--the liberal arts are visceral. To me they are mostly obscure and dry, with flashes here and there of accessibility. The polyglot author of "My Pilgrim's Progress" showed me, in cruelly stark relief, just what my cultural and lingustic coordinates are on the world-historical grid. For that, I thank him--I think.

In "My Pilgrim's Progress," George W. S. Trow abandons the impersonal, incantatory voice of his celebrated 1981 essay "Within the Context of No Context" for a free-flowing, deeply intimate act of performance art on the page. If the astounding "No Context" was a late 20th century "The Waste Land", then Trow's newest book is his "Krapp's Last Tape." With razor-sharp wit, brilliant insight, and what can only be described as a broken heart, Trow pours into a tape recorder his analyses of an eclectic series of "Mainstream American Cultural Artifacts" (everything from the front page of the February 1, 1950 edition of The New York Times to the films of Alfred Hitchcock to the documentary "Elvis 56") in order to achieve the possibility of compassion and forgiveness for what he understands to be five decades of personal, cultural, and spiritual "abandonment." The depth of pain and urgency - the life and death personal stakes - behind the author's voice raise what might have been merely a rambling, anecdotal memoir into a work with enormous power. "My Pilgrim's Progress" resonates with the intimacy and significance of a death-bed confession. It is a gut-wrenching, remarkable, "feverish" monologue about our contemporary American history. An extraordinarily moving book.

Every christian household should have this volume to read and share with the famiy. It never fails to bring me to tears when pilgrim falls before the cross and looses the burden of sin. It is a must have for every christian library and the additional insights from Bunyan are a added blessing!! I cannot say enough good things .....

This book was packaged in a plastic rap which was very nice as I am giving it as a gift to my Pastor and his wife. I trust they will enjoy it for years to come since they have young children and can pass the book through the families to come.

Bill McNamara
Jacksonville, Fl.

I just purchased this item. What a delight it is. Large print with many footnotes. This book is a real bargain at this price. You owe it to yourself to add this to your collection.

worth the value of the print and binding alone, this edition not only has the Pilgrim's Progress (with illustrations) in large print (yeah, no glasses!) but the OTHER works of this brilliant man, including his last sermon preached!

Masterbooks has done us all a wonderful favor. Read the book that Spurgeon read over 100 times in his life. Read it to your children and let them grasp the beauty of the language, and the timelessness of the message.

I think there is no other book in the world where the reader takes the place of the primary character and interprets all other characters as people in his own life...aunts, uncles, friends, former friends, ministers, phoneys, givers, takers, and so on. Read your life story through the brilliant pen of the old tinker from England. No wonder that this was the 2nd most selling book in the English language for generations!

Introduce this to your children via DVD, "Dangerous Journey". My kids love to be read to, and to watch the DVD, chapter by chapter. Enjoy! Thank you to the publishers!

Steven James has captured the heart of the true Christian journey. This book is wonderfully entertaining as well a mirror to our own lives and the choices we make. I think this book is marketed for young adults/teens, but it is written in such a way to appeal to adults as well. Definitely worth the read, especially if you need a little inspiration in your Christian walk.

There is only one story that really matters: THE story of God reaching down into history to redeem a people for Himself. We live in that story, as we journey as vagabonds toward heaven. Four hundred years ago, a prisoner in an English jail retold THE story in such a fresh and masterful way that his words have been a bestseller ever since. That prisoner, of course, was John Bunyan, and his retelling of THE story was his masterpiece Pilgrim's Progress.

Now, a master storyteller of our generation has taken his turn at retelling THE story with the novel Quest for Celestia: A Reimagining of the Pilgrim's Progress. Patterned after the manner of Pilgrim's Progress, Quest for Celestia follows a young man, Kadin, as his eyes are opened to a great quest to visit a glorious city. His perilous journey takes him through the same type of allegorical adventures and dangers that echo both Bunyan and every Christian's life. Written in a fast-paced first-person style, this novel is an easy read akin to the Chronicles of Narnia. It has both a male and female protoganonist with a mild dash of romance thrown in to better appeal to readers of both sexes. Entertaining and inspiring, Quest for Celestia is a great read for young and old, both those familiar with Bunyan's original masterpiece and those new to the genre of imaginative retellings of God's redemptive story.

The latest of Steven's books marks a step into the fantasy realm, but keeps true to his heritage as a storyteller. I saw this as an homage to Bunyan's original tale, but by his use of symbolism and fantasy characters, Steven made the story appeal to a wider modern day audience. The style reminds me a great deal of C.S. Lewis and his famous Chronicles, and my only complaint is that the book isn't longer. Fortunately, Steven leaves some room for a sequel, and I hope for his fans' sake that he gives us at least one more tale of Kadin and Leira. I give this 5 out of 5 stars for the readability, style, and overall message of this wonderful book. Please give us another book like this!

Although many might not fully like this book, it is a refresher to countless fantasties of christian ideas that have lost focus. Some Christian Fantasy have forgotten that the journey to Heaven and the trials that we face is the real battle. The characters are interesting in this story though not fully explored. The perils in this novel are interesting enough to make you want keep reading to the end. This is a delightful reimagining of the classic story, The Pilgrim's Progress.

I purchased this book for my nephews when they were 2 and 3, and my own children (2 and 3 also) loved it so much that I bought us a copy, and three more to give away!! The kids love to pore over the pictures, and though the story is written for kids probably 5 and up, my little ones will sit and listen to almost the whole thing! This is a retelling that greatly simplifies the real thing, but remains true to the main themes and tells the story well. The pictures are modern and humorous, so it's easy to relate. As a kid and even college student I was intimidated by Pilgrim's Progress, but I think that if I had been introduced to the story in a fun, non-threatening way, I would have been more motivated to plod through the original and reap the enormous benefits.

Pilgrim's Progress is a picturebook retelling of John Bunyan's classic narrative, intended for younger readers yet powerful for all ages. John Bunyan was a Baptist pastor who started to write the original tale when he was jailed in Bedford, England for preaching. Since then his story has become a widely beloved, metaphorical saga of a pilgrim named Christian in search of the Celestial City. Many monsters seek to lead him astray or devour him along his quest - the wicked Judge Hate-good, the giants of Doubting Castle, the diguesed and deceptive Flatterer, and even the Athiest strives to convince him that the Celestial City does not exist. Yet Christian also makes steadfast friends, such as Faithful, who speaks out against unjust laws at the cost of his life, and Hopeful, who keeps Christian's head above the darkest waters. Colorful, slightly cartoony illustrations decorate a story that despite its elements of whimsy, is at its heart a profoundly powerful parable of the many hardships encountered on the road the faithful walk. Highly recommended.

A man, burdened by the weight of the world on his shoulders, sets out on an epic journey to find salvation for himself, his wife and family. Along the way, he meets dark characters, scary situations, and a shady personality or two. Ultimately, he attains his goal and the gates of heaven swing open to welcome him.

Prolific author Tim Dowley has made the old new again with his wonderful retelling of John Bunyan's classic, The Pilgrim's Progress (Kregel, November 2004, hardcover, 80 pages). Twenty-first century kids (and their parents) will find themselves captivated by Dowley's modernized version of this seventeenth century classic. Illustrator Steve Smallman's brilliant artwork combines with Dowley's storytelling to create a fresh, vibrant effect.

While some of the prose (and wardrobe) have been updated, this version of The Pilgrim's Progress remains a wonderful way to emphasize morality and values with your children in a manner that will capture their attention and imagination.

My boy of almost 6 was holding this book reading at our church's library. He likes, seem to be by nature, things even remotely related to military themes, soldiers and all. The reason for him reading the book was obvious - the numerous picture illustrations were well-drawn and lively - the fighting scenes, the good and bad guys etc.

Would have been great if the characters were illustrated as multi-national - given our ethnic background and those who are like us.

All in all, this book will probably make even myself read the story again although the book was apparently made for 8-year-olds or so. It should be in every Christian's family collection especially those with young children.

Having studied and taught the Pilgrim's Progress to my adult Sunday School class, I was happy to find this children's version to read to my kids. My two sons, ages 4 and 7, were enthralled as we read a chapter a night for 11 evenings. The illustrations are extremely well done and captivate young imaginations. The storyline is true to the original, with no sugarcoating. Obviously, it is best for a parent to have read and understand the actual book before reading this version with their kids. That way, they'll be able to elaborate and teach by asking leading questions (Why did the people at Vanity Fair kill Faithful? Why did Christian have to go through the Valley of the Shadow of Death?) For adult readers, the best version I have found is one produced by Bunyan Ministries...

I compared this version to 3 other "modern" versions, including Hazelbaker's, and prefer this one. Other renderings all seemed to take significant liberties with the original text by either adding or removing material or, more often, by losing the charm of the original.

Written in a stone-cold jail cell above a river in 1670's England, Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" is one of the great classics of all time, offering penetrating, spiritual insights relevant to all. It's been translated into 120 languages and is, as C.S. Lewis put it, "... a book that has astonished the whole world." It has stood the test of time.

An allegorical depiction of the journey through life, for many generations it was an integral part of the education of America's youth, helping shape the character of the nation. To a great extent, we are still benefitting from the social inertia provided by the spiritual insight it provided. It is a book that takes on new relevance each time it is read (which should be at least once a year), as you mature.

The language of the original English has a charm, but the "wilt's", "wherefores", "canst thous" and "came not nighs" can be an obstacle to modern readers. Cheryl Ford has done an excellent job of rendering "Pilgrim's Progress" in modern English while remaining faithful to the original.

Ford includes Parts 1 and 2 (some renderings contain only Part 1) most of Bunyan's margin notes, has a general index, exhaustive scripture index and discussion questions.

For those that want the original language as Bunyan wrote it, there is ISBN 0-85151-259-3, a beautiful deluxe hardcover with etchings by Strang and text based on the 1895 edition of Nimmo.

This is the story of a pilgrim, who knows of the coming destruction that will destroy his city. None of his friends believe him, so he starts his journey to find a safe place. He meets people who help him along the way, but will he actually make it to his goal?

Buy this book and discover what this pilgrim goes through as he searches for a safe place.

This is a great version of Pilgrim's Progress. The updated language is very easy to understand but it doesn't lose the richness of Bunyan's original. Max McLean uses just the right amount of drama to be effective but not over-bearing.

According to The Listener's Bible web site, the following is the product description for The Pilgrim's Progress (Listener's Collection of Classic Christian Literature):

"As I slept, I dreamed a dream."

So begins one of the most beloved books in all of history. Few books besides the Bible have been translated, printed, and read as often as The Pilgrim's Progress. John Bunyan's classic allegory of Christian, the Pilgrim, on his perilous journey to the Celestial City has touched hearts and minds for more than three hundred years-and still the demand continues. Introduce a new generation to this memorable story, filled with memorable characters- Evangelist, Charity, Hypocrisy, Goodwill, Obstinate, and Mr. Worldly Wiseman.

Each one offers a unique insight into the Christian life--its joys and trials, its opportunities and struggles. You'll discover The Pilgrim's Progress to be both challenging and entertaining.

Over the centuries countless souls have been transformed by John Bunyan's timeless and brilliant Pilgrim's Progress--in my estimation, one of the greatest works ever penned. I am thrilled that Max McLean has brought Bunyan's stirring words to life. I am confident that this unique production will captivate and encourage you. Ravi Zacharias

5 CDs Total time: 5 hours and 22 minutes