The Pilgrim's Progress
John Bunyan
eBook
(Om Books International, June 5, 2020)
“What God says is best, is best, though all the men in the worldare against it.”John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678, 1684),published in two parts, traces the journey of a mannamed Christian from The City of Destruction(representing earth) to the Celestial City (representingheaven). Christian’s travels are a symbolic representationof a man’s pilgrimage through life. As he journeystowards heaven, Christian meets several characters suchas Pliable, Hopeful, Discretion, Piety, Prudence, andCharity who are the epitome of certain qualities, whichcan hamper or help his progress. Bunyan mixes the loftylanguage of the King James Bible with the colloquiallanguage of his time in this renowned allegorical work.Christian’s journey is imbued with a do-or-die dramaticintensity and Bunyan gives theological concepts fleshand-blood form.The Pilgrim’s Progress has an appealing folktale-like qualityand is rich in insight and humour. An instant publishingsuccess, it had 11 editions within a decade of its originalpublication. It has been translated into 200 languages.