All About Books discussion

And so the list begins with The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, first published in 1678.

Excerpt from the article by Robert McCrum:

"The English novel begins behind bars, in extremis. Its first author, John Bunyan, was a Puritan dissenter whose writing starts with sermons and ends with fiction. His famous allegory, the story of Christian, opens with a sentence of luminous simplicity that has the haunting compulsion of the hook in a great melody. 'As I walk'd through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place, where was a Denn; And I laid me down in that place to sleep: And as I slept I dreamed a Dream.'
(...)
The Pilgrim's Progress is the ultimate English classic, a book that has been continuously in print, from its first publication to the present day, in an extraordinary number of editions. There's no book in English, apart from the Bible, to equal Bunyan's masterpiece for the range of its readership, or its influence on writers as diverse as William Thackeray, Charlotte Bronte, Mark Twain, CS Lewis, John Steinbeck and even Enid Blyton."

Here are the links to:

the full article/essay

more information on John Bunyan

more information on Robert McCrum

Did any of you read it? Do you think it deserves a place in this list? And any other thought that comes to mind...may the discussion begin :)

I had to read it for University and... didn't like it!!! Too "boring", too moralizing - it was ment to be so, I know, but still, too symbolic and therefore difficoult to read for a "standard" person of the XX Century.
Still I think it is something To Be Read if you really want to understand english literature deeply, starting of course from Little Women!!!
Think that when I read Alcott for the first time - I was about 10/12 - I didn't know that the book they were talking about was a real one, and that the chapters of tha book were "following" Bunyan's work ...

Little Woman was published in 1868, wasn't it? Who knows, maybe we'll see it appear on the list as well?

About that time yes. I'd love to see it in this list. I consider it one of the best 100 I've read!!!

Like Laura, my first encounter with Pilgrim's Progress was in Little Women. My mum had a very small children's version of it, which she showed me, so I did find out it was a real book. I still have the book of my Mum's.

Then, a couple of years ago, in a face to face reading group I belong to, we identified Pilgrim's Progress as a book none of us had read. So we had it as our monthly read.

I'm really pleased I read it, not because it was particularly enjoyable, but because there are so many references to it that come up from time to time.

I think it's really hard to imagine life in a different time or different culture, so find it hard to imagine its impact at the time. Also, since I have not had a religious upbringing, many of the references were hard for me to follow.

I'm looking forward to following up on the links in Jenny's first post. Thanks.

I read the article and I am waiting now for each week to read the new articles.
As I had said earlier I had read it for my Bachelors. But then I did not pay much attention to it then. Reading through the article, however, I remembered few scenes and I also have a doubt that John Bunyan might have been influenced by the Spanish mystic John of the Cross. I may have to look into it when I re-read the book.

I have never read this although have seen the references (from Little Women to Vanity Fair to Mr. Standfast). It always sounded too moralizing to be interesting for me. If I ever run out of books that seem more to my tastes, I might read it :P

That's interesting. I hadn't realised thatThe Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was based on Pilgrim's Progress.

Also, it's interesting that Pilgrim's Progress has been in print ever since it was published.

That's what I mean for thinking important to know it - to enjoy it is another thing!

Gill wrote: "That's interesting. I hadn't realised thatThe Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was based on Pilgrim's Progress.

Also, it's interesting that Pilgrim's Progress has been in print ever since it was ..."

True, it might be quite interesting to read both of them together.

Also, I just found a reference to The Pilgrim's Progress in 'Middlemarch' and it seems, now that I know of the existence of the book, I keep stumbling over it ;)

Once you've read Bunyan you realize how many times he's wuoted in english literature - english language literature I mean!

I've never read it but I did read the Pilgrimage of Harold Fry on my holiday. I don't think I will ever get to reading a The Pilgrims Progress, as Leslie said it seems too moralising for me!

Heather wrote: "I've never read it but I did read the Pilgrimage of Harold Fry on my holiday. I don't think I will ever get to reading a The Pilgrims Progress, as Leslie said it seems too moralising for me!"

I've not read it either, but have read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - had no idea it was based on The Pilgrim's Progress though!

I am of the same opinion as Leslie regarding The Pilgrim's Progress. I'm just not interested, and I have a huge list of books that I actually want to read.

Also, I really liked The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Little Women. I enjoyed Middlemarch as well.

I grew up reading the children's version, read the full version as a teenager, and read it again a couple years ago, and I've absolutely loved it every time. It's a beautiful allegory of the life of a Christian, which I think is why it has endured for so many centuries - millions of people around the world can still relate to it today.

Oh I love the Pilgrims Progress which my mum read to me first when I was about 7 or 8. You have inspired me to dig it out again.
Interesting comment about the Harold Fry book.... Light bulb moment ..... I shall have to read that again too!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grace-Aboundi...
This is Bunyan's autobiography free on kindle.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Bunyan-C...
This little biography, now out of print but available from second hand book shops posting on Amazon is excellent. The principal of my husband's college wrote it so we are biased of course.

Readers don't be out off by "moralising" the images and ideas are wonderful. Just immerse yourself in the story. It's like a lot of allegorical stuff...take from it what speaks to you, is meaningful to you , but don't try to identify too closely with everything. Bunyan was a dreamer and probably epileptic. He dared to write down his dream. He was in prison for daring to say what he believed to be true. That makes him always relevant .

Of course an author who urges us to reject the material and embrace the spiritual/ inner life will never be popular. In our hedonistic world where we are urged to consume more and more "for the good of society" in fact Bunyan's message is highly relevant. I think for most of us it's about trying to find a balance. we can't become hermits or travelling saddhus throwing over our responsibilities but stepping out of the rat race for a brief spell to re-evaluate is a healthy thing to do. This could be by having a quiet day somewhere or just taking time out in the busy day to reflect or meditate.

Tweedledum wrote: "http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grace-Aboundi...
This is Bunyan's autobiography free on kindle."

Thanks for this, Tweedledum. Interesting!