Customer Reviews

The Pilgrim's Progress: From This World to That Which Is to Come

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There is little argument that no book, outside of the Bible, has had more impact on Christians throughout the last 400 hundred years than Bunyan's classic The Pilgrim's Progress. It is a clear and instructive narrative of so much of the Christian experience of being drawn to Christ, preserved by grace, and delivered into his presence. In my own life I have anchored various moments in Bunyan's imagery, whether the slough of despond or Mr Wordly Wiseman or our friend Goodwill at the Sheep Gate. The book is just a literary and spiritual jewel.

But...there has often been a problem for me in personally getting all that I can get out of it and sharing it with my family. I have often felt like I had to do a lot of extra reading (commentaries) and personal paraphrasing in order to explain the details to my kids (ranging from 4 mos to 14 yrs).

Thankfully the good folks at Crossway publishing have given folks like me a hand. They have published this deluxe hardback edition filled with all kinds of helps to make things easier for us. There are Scripture references at the bottom 0f each page to indicate the passages that correlate to narrative. There is also a comprehensive commentary in the back of the book to further explain various passages. This is not just a few but dozens of explanations of passages that may be hard to understand at first.

Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, C.J. Lovik has done a fantastic job updating the language for modern readers without compromising the literary beauty of the book.

With this also are forty all-new, full-page, color illustrations by award-winning illustrator Mike Wimmer. This is truly a treat. Wimmer is a terrific artist. His art really serves to help you explain various features when reading the book aloud to a group, like in my case to my family. Our kids often grab the book individually when a picture comes up and stare at it, dissecting the details and processing the reading. It is truly a great combination.

This is a great tool to escort the younger generations into the world of Bunyan's allegorical masterpiece.

I compared this edition and others side by side with the original and I was pleased with the changes this edition in particular makes. It is like comparing the KJV of the Bible with the ESV translation. Changes have been made, but they have sought to be as literal as they could while making it more readable. They did not make changes which were extremely modern or use any type of slang language. There were many little changes that other editions have made which I was surprised by when I compared them. Several didn't even introduce the story as a dream that John Bunyan had. Others did things like use Christiana's name in the beginning of the story. In the original, her name isn't mentioned until Part 2.

This edition would be very readable for a middle or high schooler on their own or for parents reading with their 8/9-13 year olds. Every few pages, there is a beautiful illustration. These illustrations were actual paintings that were created for this edition. One thing to note, though, is that this edition is only Part 1 of the original Pilgrim's Progress. Comparing this book to the original has really made me examine what I think about reading the classics. I won't discount modern editions of classics as quickly as I have at times. I actually found this edition so much easier to read and understand. The formatting makes it easier to keep one's place. I also liked that the Bible verses which the story illustrates are footnoted on each page, rather than included in each sentence.

This book stays close to the original language (and the literary beauty of that language) and story, which I value. The illustrations are beautiful and I enjoy them. I highly recommend it because of the color illustrations, text, and formatting.

Please also note that I did receive a complimentary copy of this book for review from Crossway Publishing.

I've read a few versions of Pilgrim's Progress, including a childrens version that our family reads every summer (Little Pilgrim's Progress: From John Bunyan's Classic (The Message)). This one seems to be done well, preserving the story, adjusting the language, and including pictures. The book even has sewn binding. What I found disappointing is that it does not include the second half of the story about Christiana. It ends with Christian entering the celestial city. If you're okay with that, then I think you will appreciate this modern edition.

I could not have been more happy with this book. A friend recommended it to me when I expressed a desire to find a version of Pilgrim's Progress that would be understandable for my 11 and 8 year old, but would not lose the deep spiritual lessons that make it so great. The text is very well done and the illustrations are amazing, real paintings, not cartoons, that add to our overall understanding and enjoyment of this great work.
I have shown this book to many people who, sadly but honestly, despite how widely well know this book is, confessed that they had not ever read Pilgrim's Progress because of how difficult the language was to understand. I truly hope that this edition will spark a new love in the young and old for the timeless message in John Bunyan's Godly piece of work.
We are very impressed with the quality of this book on all levels, author, illustrator and publisher.

I have purchased other versions of the Pilgrim's Progress. While I still enjoy all of them, this particular version has everything to supplement the awesome story written by John Bunyan. The quality of the book is great; the binding and quality paper set this one in a league by itself. I love the pictures throughout the book. Along with the scripture references there are commentary notes as well. This is certainly a complete work. Without these additional aids and finishes, the Pilgrim's progress story is still 1 of the best ever written. And I can see why it has been translated into over 200 languages since originally written. The finish of this book just makes it all the better. Don't hesitate to purchase this book, even if you have other versions.

This is an excellent edition of the Pilgrim's Progress. I would recommend it to anyone. BUT the pages were incorrectly bound and the book does not close properly - there is a definite "wave" to the pages and space between the pages and the covers when the book is closed. This has happened repeatedly with my orders - two from one account and one from another.

It is truly a shame that John Bunyan's classic tale isn't read and cherished as it once was. Hopefully, this updated edition will find its way into the hands and hearts of many "Pilgrims", looking for the Celestial City and its King.
The illustrations are a magnificent compliment to the text.