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A review by linorosa
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
This book is exhausting.
The whole thing is an excuse for preaching. The characters are there so the author has a chance to speak his mind. It kind of makes sense that religious books are filled with metaphors - it makes people reflect on the meaning, and, sure, gives it an air of depth. The author knows this. But this is just too on your face.
And the preaching is for a kind of religion where it's all about the glory of God. It's an obsession. The "human world", so to speak, has no value. There's no advice how to treat other people, how to become better, etc. The message is "you're a sinner, now go sacrifice everything and praise God till the end of times". And if you have a misstep here or there you may end up walking aimlessly with your eyes plucked out, burned alive or eaten by a giant. And if you do everything right and get to the gates of heaven, but forget your passport, you get shoved right into hell.
I guess this book was important at the time, when puritans weren't being treated well in England. A few years after this they were involved in beheading the king. I guess that's easily justifiable when
you're inspired by metaphors that excuse anything in the name of God.
The whole thing is an excuse for preaching. The characters are there so the author has a chance to speak his mind. It kind of makes sense that religious books are filled with metaphors - it makes people reflect on the meaning, and, sure, gives it an air of depth. The author knows this. But this is just too on your face.
And the preaching is for a kind of religion where it's all about the glory of God. It's an obsession. The "human world", so to speak, has no value. There's no advice how to treat other people, how to become better, etc. The message is "you're a sinner, now go sacrifice everything and praise God till the end of times". And if you have a misstep here or there you may end up walking aimlessly with your eyes plucked out, burned alive or eaten by a giant. And if you do everything right and get to the gates of heaven, but forget your passport, you get shoved right into hell.
I guess this book was important at the time, when puritans weren't being treated well in England. A few years after this they were involved in beheading the king. I guess that's easily justifiable when
you're inspired by metaphors that excuse anything in the name of God.