Customer Reviews

Pilgrim's Progress

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I read John Bunyan's original work and found it wonderful, but I didn't feel it would entrance my children the way it did me with all of the heavy phraseology littered throughout the story. I normally detest "retellings" because they are usually literary trash not worthy of the time spent reading them.

This book was different. The story is extremely well written and maintains the rich flavor of the original story of Christian's journey of faith and his arrival in the Enchanted City. I read this version aloud to my four children, and they loved it. It is a chapter book, even though it looks like a simple "storybook." We took about a week with it at an approximately 20 minute per day rate. There are some alterations from the original, but nothing that changes the tone of the story.

The illustrations are exquisite, and I love how there are small paintings scattered throughout the text and not just large, page filling pictures. We checked it out from the library to read, and I enjoyed it so much I am planning to purchase a copy for our home collection.

I have read the original Pilgrim's Progress a few times and portions of it many times. I have also read various versions and several of John Bunyan's other writings. I personally love the theology and consider it essential. Mr. Schmidt's version of the story is compelling for some important reasons. Though it does not contain the lengthy discussions of theology, it opens a door via the story line to share the story with someone else. He has added some This hopefully will raise questions and hopefully a healthy discussion of the things that John Bunyan was trying to communicate to his church members whom he wrote this story for. As I understand it, John Bynyan was using allegory (like Jesus used parables) to make important Biblically grounded truths understandable to his people. This retelling hopefully will be the springboard for many to share their faith. Those that believe already will find wonderful illustrations and a unique and encouraging way of seeing their own journey through this world to the Celestial City.

This is a wonderful verison of Pilgrim's Progress. It reads beautifully and while it does not have all of the scriptural references it hits the mark enought o inspire most people. I know many people who have read this one and then gone on to read the original work.

There is also a music CD available with contemporary Christian songs that tie to the story line. ........

Schmidt and Moser do a great job of bringing this classic spiritual tale to life especially for modern, young readers. I lead a church class for "tweens" and reading out loud a chapter each week has not only kept their attention, but has also generated lively conversation. Also, the illustrations are wonderful.

This retelling of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is a journey through the back countries of one's mind. Pilgrim takes the reader along the stages, discoveries, and challenges each person faces in his or her life. Each time Pilgrim faces and makes a decision, it forces a look within. The author takes this classic tale and moves it into contemporary language and idioms familiar to modern readers. By translating the essence of traditional religion into secular experience, Schmidt captures the struggles and solutions which face every person daily. Moser's beautiful watercolors crystalize the experience without diminishing the broad range of responses to the story. A wide range of readers will find themselves absorbed in the journey.

As a home-schooling family, we read this book aloud. Even though my children were elementary ages, they were able to comprehend and get excited about how this story explained some of the things they would face in life as Christians. Now they are all graduated from high school and they would still say this was one of their favorite books.

Gary Schmidt brings us an accessible modern paraphrase of John Bunyan's classic in Pilgrim's Progress: A Retelling. This version includes more plot and character detail than Dangerous Journey, and the modern text is good in its own right, especially if you plan to move on later to the original novel. Bunyan's original language is rather difficult to read, and knowing the plot ahead of time can defuse the intimidation of unfamiliar words.)

Schmidt's storytelling is augmented by Moser's vibrant paintings, which are often reminiscent of Norman Rockwell`s style. He uses subjects from across several centuries and walks of life, and this gives a stimulating breadth to the story. Christian, an Everyman in a baseball cap and blue jeans, greets the distinguished African-American Evangelist with the same equanimity as the Medieval gatekeeper Goodwill. It is all a dream, after all, so why shouldn't the characters appear in unpredictable ways?). The monsters and perils Christian meets along the way are grimly terrible, quite in line with Bunyan's classic, but sensitive children may be troubled by images of the creeping company of demons, the brooding Pagan, and especially the dragon Apollyon, who is rendered so vividly that he seems to belong in a graphic horror novel rather than in a Christian children's book. Just as in all the good stories, however, evil is soundly defeated, and Death itself is shown to have lost its sting (1 Corinthians 15:53-55).

This book may be best suited to an elementary audience for read-aloud, and upper-elementary and middle school for reading alone. It fills in some plot gaps that Dangerous Journey leaves out, and bridges a language gap for those who may have trouble with Hunkin's version. If I had to choose between the two it would be a difficult choice, but I would recommend that Dangerous Journey be introduced first, since it's a bit closer to the mood of the original author. Also, Schmidt leaves out Part Two, Christiana's Journey, which is included in Dangerous Journey, so let your read-aloud audience know they shouldn't expect it.

I had a very difficult experience trying to read Pilgrim's Progress...the original edition. My friend suggested I take a look at the Childrens copy...I am so pleased with the content and the illustrations. A beautiful book to be enjoyed by any age person.

I purchased this book for my nine year old son and me to read together.
He understood the book very easily as well as the underlying spiritual concepts and lessons. It is shorter than the original story but does it not loose the power. Some pictures are a bit scary for younger kids. Overall very well done!

My 5 year old loves this book. I had it sitting out and as soon as he found the picture of the dragon, he wanted to read it right away. I think I like reading this more than the original, which I couldn't finish even in the modern translation.