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lanceschaubert's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t know what I can say about this to convey the weight of the book other than to say (1) Lewis was obviously younger when he wrote this than when he wrote his other books (2) I’m younger than Lewis was when he published this volume (3) this volume explains a great deal of his work elsewhere.
Oh, and of course that he decimates many false philosophies that are alive and well today, though not with as much grace as he has elsewhere. There are parts in the this book that will remain with me until I die.
Especially the bit about the desire behind all desires...
Oh, and of course that he decimates many false philosophies that are alive and well today, though not with as much grace as he has elsewhere. There are parts in the this book that will remain with me until I die.
Especially the bit about the desire behind all desires...
michireading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
heresyourletter's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, War, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Death, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Physical abuse
mj470's review against another edition
3.0
As an avid C.S. Lewis reader I was very excited for this allegory. It's a tale about finding belief in God that is somewhat biological. There are many inspiring elements. I especially liked how meaningful and characterized many natural elements are in the tale. This is certainly a pattern Lewis continues in his later tales. However this one just didn't pack the punch I'm used to. In other words, I felt like I liked it generally but it didn't have the staying power of some of his other works.
ggherrera's review against another edition
I thought this book had a lot of really great bits in it. As a Christian, there was so much that resonated with me, and I appreciated Lewis' creative way of showing all the philosophies and lifestyles he encountered on the way. That being said, I don't want to give it any stars because there's so much I didn't understand and I don't think it would be an accurate reflection of the book itself.
sunny1234's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
amibodea's review against another edition
4.0
It took me ages to finish it, and I am thankful for the author’s afterword. It validated my perspective
sonofstdavid's review against another edition
4.0
Lewis's phenomenal response to the Pilgrim's Progress.
It is the fairy tale embodiment of Lewis's most compelling argument for the Christian faith: the fact that we desire something that is both beyond and echoed within this world implies that we were made for something that is beyond and echoed within this world.
Unlike the Pilgrims Progress, which centers on the Christian's pursuit of Holiness in this life in order to make it into heaven, the Regress centers on the human quest for the fulfillment of desire, who ends up being the God who freely gives Himself through his Church. Christian labors towards heaven as his end, John however ends up back where he started but entirely transformed. Instead of the goal being to make it to our deaths without falling, Lewis portrays the goal as delighting in the Kingdom even here on Earth.
As Lewis freely admits, some of his allegory is quite obscure. But that is because the protagonist John's journey is not supposed to be that of the general Christian, but instead CS Lewis's own journey. Thus, Lewis does an excellent job of portraying and critiquing the philosophies and schools of thought which still dominate in our day.
My main reason for not giving it five stars is that I can't recommend it without qualification. Some of his allegorical elements are a bit racially insensitive and not particularly laudable. He portrays juvenile lusts as "brown girls" reminiscent of the Victorian stereotype of Polynesian culture.
But all in all, Pilgrim's Regress is a improvement upon the Pilgrims Progress in most every way.
It is the fairy tale embodiment of Lewis's most compelling argument for the Christian faith: the fact that we desire something that is both beyond and echoed within this world implies that we were made for something that is beyond and echoed within this world.
Unlike the Pilgrims Progress, which centers on the Christian's pursuit of Holiness in this life in order to make it into heaven, the Regress centers on the human quest for the fulfillment of desire, who ends up being the God who freely gives Himself through his Church. Christian labors towards heaven as his end, John however ends up back where he started but entirely transformed. Instead of the goal being to make it to our deaths without falling, Lewis portrays the goal as delighting in the Kingdom even here on Earth.
As Lewis freely admits, some of his allegory is quite obscure. But that is because the protagonist John's journey is not supposed to be that of the general Christian, but instead CS Lewis's own journey. Thus, Lewis does an excellent job of portraying and critiquing the philosophies and schools of thought which still dominate in our day.
My main reason for not giving it five stars is that I can't recommend it without qualification. Some of his allegorical elements are a bit racially insensitive and not particularly laudable. He portrays juvenile lusts as "brown girls" reminiscent of the Victorian stereotype of Polynesian culture.
But all in all, Pilgrim's Regress is a improvement upon the Pilgrims Progress in most every way.
catrink's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to the audio book version as read by Simon Vance. While I've read this book before, it has been many years and is a wonderful journey among and between many different philosophical perspectives as John seeks for the true Landlord and the way to the island that he has been seeking fore. Read it :-)
jhamm's review against another edition
3.0
There’s a lot of brilliant ideas and symbols in this book, especially near the beginning and the end. But I feel like it’s not as focused as some of C. S. Lewis’s later works (The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters). As I was reading, the two things that kept coming to my mind were
A. It feels really, needlessly obscure
B. It feels very personal
(Both these points even more so than his other works I alluded to).
What’s hilarious is at the end of the book, there’s an afterword written by Mr. Lewis himself where he admits these points outright in his first paragraph. I honestly didn’t expect that, and so it was funny reading that little bit. He goes on to say that his allegory may have been a failure, which I highly disagree with, as there’s still a LOT to love about it!
This is a brilliant, if somewhat obscure read. This would not be the first C. S. Lewis book I’d recommend, but if you’ve read several of his works and are familiar with his style, I’d say check it out!
A. It feels really, needlessly obscure
B. It feels very personal
(Both these points even more so than his other works I alluded to).
What’s hilarious is at the end of the book, there’s an afterword written by Mr. Lewis himself where he admits these points outright in his first paragraph. I honestly didn’t expect that, and so it was funny reading that little bit. He goes on to say that his allegory may have been a failure, which I highly disagree with, as there’s still a LOT to love about it!
This is a brilliant, if somewhat obscure read. This would not be the first C. S. Lewis book I’d recommend, but if you’ve read several of his works and are familiar with his style, I’d say check it out!