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booknerd_therapist 's review for:
The Pilgrim's Regress
by C.S. Lewis
Before picking up this excellent book, there are a few things the reader needs to understand: First of all, what the title means. Many people are confused about the word "regress," especially since it mirrors Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress." Many people (myself included) are under the impression that the story is about a Christian backsliding in his faith. In reality, the "regress" refers to the fact that, as Richard Wagner put it in "C.S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies," you aren't "simply shuffled off to heaven by a host of angels. You have to go back to the real world after you make a decision for Jesus Christ" (p. 231).
Secondly, if the reader doesn't understand the symbolism, it will be a long and perhaps meaningless journey. Some of the symbolism is quite obvious -- Mr. Wisdom represents wisdom, and the story of the mountain apple is symbolic of Adam & Eve eating the apple in Eden. However, there are many symbols in the book that are not quite as obvious, especially since they may reference philosophies that have fallen out of popularity since Lewis's time. For this reason, I highly recommend that the reader find a companion book or website to reference while reading about the pilgrim's journey. I used (and recommend) "C.S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies," but I am sure there are many other resources as well.
Now, on to the meat of my review. Many people (Lewis included) would say that the allegory has failed, because he intended to generalize about the journey from atheism to Christianity. However, when writing he didn't realize how subjective his journey was, and so in the end the story became more autobiographical than he intended. In that sense, yes, the allegory has perhaps failed. Yet, I still found myself relating to many of John's (the pilgrim's) pit stops in his journey. I have been to the city of Claptrap and have seen the Canyon. I have met Mr. Broad, Mr. Sensible, and Vertue. On my return journey from the Canyon, my world looked entirely different. Indeed, there are many ways in which the modern reader can relate to John's travels, even if you are not familiar with 19th-century Rationalism or philosophical idealism.
Specific to this edition of "The Pilgrim's Regress," the headlines at the tops of the pages are, in my opinion, very helpful. Some might find them distracting, and if you are one of those types, perhaps you ought to ignore them altogether. However, I thought they helped me focus on the most important aspects of the story and helped me tie it together quite nicely.
Secondly, if the reader doesn't understand the symbolism, it will be a long and perhaps meaningless journey. Some of the symbolism is quite obvious -- Mr. Wisdom represents wisdom, and the story of the mountain apple is symbolic of Adam & Eve eating the apple in Eden. However, there are many symbols in the book that are not quite as obvious, especially since they may reference philosophies that have fallen out of popularity since Lewis's time. For this reason, I highly recommend that the reader find a companion book or website to reference while reading about the pilgrim's journey. I used (and recommend) "C.S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies," but I am sure there are many other resources as well.
Now, on to the meat of my review. Many people (Lewis included) would say that the allegory has failed, because he intended to generalize about the journey from atheism to Christianity. However, when writing he didn't realize how subjective his journey was, and so in the end the story became more autobiographical than he intended. In that sense, yes, the allegory has perhaps failed. Yet, I still found myself relating to many of John's (the pilgrim's) pit stops in his journey. I have been to the city of Claptrap and have seen the Canyon. I have met Mr. Broad, Mr. Sensible, and Vertue. On my return journey from the Canyon, my world looked entirely different. Indeed, there are many ways in which the modern reader can relate to John's travels, even if you are not familiar with 19th-century Rationalism or philosophical idealism.
Specific to this edition of "The Pilgrim's Regress," the headlines at the tops of the pages are, in my opinion, very helpful. Some might find them distracting, and if you are one of those types, perhaps you ought to ignore them altogether. However, I thought they helped me focus on the most important aspects of the story and helped me tie it together quite nicely.