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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Currently holds the title of my all-time least favorite book.
Never having read the original, I can’t compare well but this has to be a fantastic retelling. My 11 year old and I read this together and we both loved it. The overall metaphor provided great discussion.
Too much allegory. There is only so much I can take.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really tried to love this book but I just couldn't force myself to. I know it's adored by many Christians but for me I found it hard to keep my attention, especially during the more wordy parts (which I usually found myself skimming throughout). Some may not agree but I think the allegorical elements were very heavy-handed (obvious example: protagonist's name is Christian and his wife is Christiana), I think some subtlety would've been nice. I was disappointed by the fact that
Overall, I don't hate the book---I did find some parts encouraging and convicting (e.g Faithful and Christian's time in the dungeon) I just didn't love it. I would still recommend it for anyone who wants to read a classic and/or enjoys Christian allegory.
Spoiler
Christiana's journey to Celestial City was EXACTLY like Christian's, nothing new or interesting was added to make her trek different from her husband's (I mean, we know that every believer's path to righteousness is different from the other, so it would've been interesting to see Bunyan create different obstacles for Christiana and her companions but what do I know?).Overall, I don't hate the book---I did find some parts encouraging and convicting (e.g Faithful and Christian's time in the dungeon) I just didn't love it. I would still recommend it for anyone who wants to read a classic and/or enjoys Christian allegory.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really didn’t enjoy this. I’m sure it would be interesting in a university seminar, but despite being a graduate theology student I just couldn’t get on with it. The characters are SO obvious and the casual racism and hypocrisy made it unenjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
On the one hand, I find this book pretty tedious; Bunyan works according to the dictum (originally addressed to speechwriters, I think) "Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, tell 'em, tell 'em what you told 'em" and he's not at all subtle about it. And I really can't find the characters or their dilemmas involving, nor wish them on their way to such a boring salvation as a city made all of gold and precious stones. However, reading this reminds me just how much the Non-Conformist (usually referred to rather inaccurately as Puritan) theology of Bunyan's community pervades American life nowadays. I keep nodding, saying "Yep, I recognize that; yep, that's what so-and-so was referring to." As far as I can tell, most aspects of this book are still relevant to Evangelical thought. However, there are also clear signs of the book's origins in the bloody 17th century. It's certainly very warlike. The pilgrims are always likely to be slain by enemies (among whom the Pope has an important place), and they go armed and armored, although Christian is only called on to actually do battle once. At one point, Christian is shown a treasure house containing the relics of past heroes, dear to God; every last one is a weapon with which Old Testament warriors overcame the foe. I can easily imagine Puritan soldiers reading such tales before going out to kill their neighbors, being as implacable to them as this book indicates God to be. However, to be sure, the theology being promoted is far more about maintaining a passionate love of Jesus in one's heart.
One thing that struck me is just how radical the religious and social model presented in this book is, the kind of thing that kept inspiring utopian communal settlements in the New World, and differing from most religion found nowadays, also from American Puritans (see Demos's [b:A Little Commonwealth|416589|A Little Commonwealth Family Life in Plymouth Colony (Galaxy Books)|John Putnam Demos|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266548729s/416589.jpg|405755]). Except for the insistence on obedience and submission to God, and the requirement that a literal interpretation of Scripture takes precedence over the individual conscience, it's very anti-authoritarian. At one point, a believer is asked what he should do if he does not understand a passage of Scripture, and the answer is that he should pray for illumination -- note that he does not ask a preacher for interpretation. There are no intermediaries between the believer and God, the only purpose of preachers being to encourage people to seek their own salvation. The model of society is also radically egalitarian, with Bunyan being very serious about choosing poverty. The believer is expected to take no heed of worldly laws, and participate as little as possible in politics and commerce. The community of believers support each other as they seek their own salvation; friendship and mutual aid is a big theme in this story. What's more, a woman is expected to put her own spiritual good above her husband's wishes! Bunyan explicitly says that women have an equal part in grace, and what they need to do for salvation is essentially the same as for men; obedience to her husband is no part of her duties if it would interfere with her Christianity. I can easily imagine some societies looking askance at The Pilgrim's Progress, especially the second part, as encouraging women to disobey and even leave their husbands.
One thing that struck me is just how radical the religious and social model presented in this book is, the kind of thing that kept inspiring utopian communal settlements in the New World, and differing from most religion found nowadays, also from American Puritans (see Demos's [b:A Little Commonwealth|416589|A Little Commonwealth Family Life in Plymouth Colony (Galaxy Books)|John Putnam Demos|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266548729s/416589.jpg|405755]). Except for the insistence on obedience and submission to God, and the requirement that a literal interpretation of Scripture takes precedence over the individual conscience, it's very anti-authoritarian. At one point, a believer is asked what he should do if he does not understand a passage of Scripture, and the answer is that he should pray for illumination -- note that he does not ask a preacher for interpretation. There are no intermediaries between the believer and God, the only purpose of preachers being to encourage people to seek their own salvation. The model of society is also radically egalitarian, with Bunyan being very serious about choosing poverty. The believer is expected to take no heed of worldly laws, and participate as little as possible in politics and commerce. The community of believers support each other as they seek their own salvation; friendship and mutual aid is a big theme in this story. What's more, a woman is expected to put her own spiritual good above her husband's wishes! Bunyan explicitly says that women have an equal part in grace, and what they need to do for salvation is essentially the same as for men; obedience to her husband is no part of her duties if it would interfere with her Christianity. I can easily imagine some societies looking askance at The Pilgrim's Progress, especially the second part, as encouraging women to disobey and even leave their husbands.