The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book will make a traveler of thee The narrator of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come (1678) dreams of a man named Christian whose reading in his Book has made him realize that fire from Heaven is coming soon to his aptly-named city, Destruction, and that he'd better get out on pilgrimage to the Celestial City ASAP. Christian tries to get his wife and sons and neighbors to join him, but everyone thinks he's cracked or troublesome. Everyone but Pliable, who's attracted by the promise of donning garments of immortality and crowns of glory in an eternal kingdom, but before the pair even get to the Wicket Gate giving access to the Way, they fall into the Slough of Despond, and Pliable gives up discouraged and goes home, leaving Christian to journey on alone. Thus begins the first part of John Bunyan's uber-Allegory, which recounts the trials and tribulations and triumphs of Christian's pilgrimage from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Everyone Christian meets and everywhere he goes and everything he does is ripe with moral meaning forcefully signaled by their names. Christian should beware of men like Mister Legality (a cheat) and his son Civility (a hypocrite), Worldly Wiseman (hailing from the town called Carnality), and Timorous and Mistrust (counseling turning back). He should seek advice from Evangelist, inspiration in the Interpreter's House, and rest in the palace called Beautiful, and sure better watch his step in the Valley of Humiliation. In "The Author's Apology for His Work," Bunyan defends allegory from his critics who said, "metaphors make us blind," for "similitudes" may effectively embody truth and make it more memorable and educational. Indeed, despite being an atheist (and smarting a bit when Christian encounters a man called Atheist categorized among the Flatterers), Bunyan's dream is entertaining and full of pith. It is neat to follow Christian through his allegorical world, and Bunyan has a sense of humor. One example occurs when Talkative joins the pilgrimage, brightly saying he'll be happy to talk about anything, heavenly or earthly, sacred or profane, so Christian, who knows him from Destruction, warns Faithful about him, saying that "His house is as empty of religion as the white of an egg is of savor." Bunyan is telling an adventure story with enough trappings of the physical (if not the sensual) to maintain interest. There are moments of suspense wherein I don't know how (or if) Christian will get out of certain traps, like when he is arrested in Vanity Fair, or when he is imprisoned (and tortured) by the Giant Despair in Doubting Castle. Though I am much more sympathetic to writers like Le Guin and Pullman who praise the transitory wonders and pleasures of this world rather than looking toward an eternal Christian hereafter (e.g., "the better things of the next world are eternal"), I do appreciate much of Bunyan's teaching and believe that if more people followed it, the world would be a better place. The Pilgrim's Progress is composed of two parts, the first relating Christian's pilgrimage, the second that of his wife Christiana, their four young sons, and her friend Mercy. I did find the second part lacking in suspense (after an early attempted rape scene) because, being "weak" (as women and children), Bunyan dreams Christina and sons as being guided, advised and protected by Mr. Great-Heart, who lectures persuasively on the double nature of Jesus (god and man in one!) and is rather infallible. However, it is neat to see how Bunyan "dreams" a female and child pilgrimage, he speaks forcefully on behalf of women as being valued equally as pilgrims to men, he introduces new characters like Mr. Despondency and Old Honest from the town of Stupidity, he imagines neat things like Mr. Valiant's magic sword that cuts flesh, bone, soul, and spirit, and he writes a sublime ending: "Welcome life." The Pilgrim's Progress is said to be the first novel in English, and it surely has been one of the most popular and read books in English for centuries. It mostly merits its classic status. Apart from some klunky parts, like occasional summaries in the second part of things that happened in the first (or even of things that have happened earlier in the second part), Bunyan is an imaginative and witty writer. It's rather compelling when characters say things like, "The things that are seen are temporal, those unseen eternal." Or "What you get last, you get lastingly; what you get first, you get briefly." Touches like the Giant of Despair falling into fits when the sun shines are fine. A note on the audiobook versions I listened to. The Naxos version read by David Shaw-Parker is great. He is an engaging reader who does (almost) everything just right. I do wonder if he didn't try too hard to distinguish between characters sometimes, as when for some reason he gives Faithful (who comes from the same city as Christian) an accent with a kind of rolled r, but doesn't do that for Christian's second companion Hopeful. Unlike with the Naxos audiobook, the free LibraVox audiobook, read by Joy Chan, includes all the Biblical book titles and chapter numbers for each quotation from or reference to the Bible in Bunyan's novel, and there are many, often several for a single allusion. This tells interested readers where in the Good Book they may find quotations and references etc., and of lets any reader know just how often Bunyan weaves his favorite book's wisdom into his allegory. It also somewhat interrupts the flow of Bunyan's narrative and prose. Chan reads well and has a pleasing voice (though I think she mispronounces a word or two, like sepulcher and Gaius). Anyone interested in the history of English literature or of the novel should read Bunyan's book, and the Naxos version would be a fine way to listen to it. View all my reviews
2 Comments
It's remarkable to think that a book written in the 17th century still resonates with readers today, showcasing the enduring power of storytelling. "The Pilgrim's Progress" serves as a beacon of hope and guidance for those navigating life's challenges and seeking spiritual enlightenment.
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JP
11/1/2023 12:56:42 pm
Yes! I was surprised at how readable and even entertaining it was, even as it, yes, offers hope and guidance for people in need.
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