Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

By Frederick Barnard

Book Overview

Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is a classic Christian allegory written by John Bunyan in the 17th century. This edition of the book is edited by Frederick Barnard and includes illustrations by J.D. Linton. The story follows the journey of a man named Christian as he sets out on a pilgrimage from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Along the way, he encounters various obstacles and temptations, including the Slough of Despond, the Hill of Difficulty, and the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Christian is joined on his journey by other pilgrims, including Faithful and Hopeful, and together they face challenges and learn important lessons about faith and perseverance. The book is a timeless tale of spiritual growth and the challenges of the Christian life, and has been a beloved classic for generations. The illustrations in this edition add an extra dimension to the story, bringing the characters and landscapes to life.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1417986298
• ISBN13: 9781417986293
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A 1678 Christian allegory written by a violator of the Conventicle Act of 1664.

The book is edited by Frederick Barnard and includes illustrations by J.D. Linton. Part I vs. Part II — Some editions include both; others print only Part I. Original 17th‑century text vs. modernized spelling — Language may be fully original, lightly updated, or fully modernized depending on the publisher. Illustrations can distract — Some artwork enhances the allegory; some competes with it. Reader preference matters. Know your annotator — Notes can clarify, interpret, or editorialize; different editors take very different approaches. Abridged vs. full text — Children’s editions and devotional condensations exist alongside complete unabridged versions. Facsimile vs. retype set — Certain printings reproduce the original page layout; others use modern typesetting for readability. This work has never gone out of print. I decided to read “The Pilgrim's Progress” as it has a reputation as a classic and has been forced down the throats of many a student. There have been some attempts to update this work; however, that is like candy coating a bad taste. How do we know that the update did not transliterate the original from Old English? There have been attempts to add pictures for people having problems concentrating. “And what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversation?” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Annotations can be helpful; of course, you need to know the annotator and see others. Annotations can also be distractions. I can see why it is forced. Aside from being a tad dated in writing style and a tad verbose, it can get on your nerves, as most of it is just a bunch of Bible quotes that served the purpose of the writer, John Bunyan. I have to confess that I only made it through the first part of the book before I realized that the rest was going to be the same. Now, other than having a reputation for being the first English-written novel, I can see no value in spending time reading it. Possibly I need a course on why I should want to read this book. But if you just take it off the shelf, you will just put it back.