Here's another commute audio classic available for free (temporary) download from the library web site: John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. As a title that I recognized and never read, I thought I'd give it a try. I had assumed that it was the kind of book that most readers would hate (perhaps due to it being "preachy") or love because they find spiritually rewarding. So, there's a chance that both sides of the aisle will disagree with me, but I found the book to be quite entertaining.
Now, I am sure that Bunyan's main purpose wasn't to entertain his readers. The book is an allegory, and quite an obvious one at that. The main character is named Christian, and along his journey to the Celestial City, he meets just about every vice and virtue you can think of: Hypocrisy, Mistrust, Prudence, Charity, etc., etc. His visit to Vanity Fair was certainly interesting. It was an earlier use of the term than any I'm aware of.
When I reviewed Mayflower, I didn't mention the English habit of placing severed heads on pikes, which is I guess what they did in those days. Progress was first published in 1678, just a few years after the end of Mayflower. Another instance of this pastime is seen in Progress, where giant-killing is concluded with the placing of the giant's head on a stake as a warning to others.
Interestingly, according to his Wikipedia entry, Bunyan got into quite a pamphlet war with the likes of George Fox and Friends. At some point, I should probably study this in further detail,
The Pilgrim's Progress is "probably the most widely read book in the English language, and one which has been translated into more tongues than any book except the Bible". As such, if you haven't read it, I recommend it. It would be nice to be able to suggest it for more than its historical and entertainment values. But maybe we're so much more "sophisticated" these days that we're harder to move in the ways that Bunyan had in mind.
At some point, I may give Dante's Inferno a try.
2 comments:
You're really getting into some meaty books (even if on audio tape) thesedays Dave. I've picked this one up, tried reading a little and had to put it back on the shelf. I thought Don Quixote was taxing..
Greetings. I once tried to read "Pilgrim's Progress" to my 7 year old son. When his eyes glazed over because he couldn't understand it I went back to the beginning and adapted the English on the fly to be more modern. He loved it and had me read it again.
One thing has led to another and I have now published my version of "The Pilgrim's Progress" in dramatized modern English. Its much more than just simplified, which seems to make many new versions sort of tasteless. Its amplified. We have also created an audio dramatization which has gotten some great feedback
It has been a great education for me and I hope to take some of Bunyan's other masterpieces and bring them into the modern reading/listening room. Thanks for your part in helping bring this old clssic back to the public eye.
Sincerely,
Jim Pappas
http://www.orionsgate.org
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