The Pilgrim's Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity Reason and Romanticism (Paperback)

~ C. S. Lewis (Author), Michael Hague (Illustrator) "I DREAMED OF A BOY who was born in the land of Puritania and his name was John..." (more)
Key Phrases: pale men, sweet desire, brown girl, Uncle George, Grand Canyon, Landlord's Son (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In 1933, not long after he became a Christian, Lewis published this third work and his first novel, a portrayal of this spiritual journey. Begun as a poem, Pilgrim's Regress thankfully ended up as an allegory that obviously takes its cue from John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Every bit as effective as its predecessor, Lewis's book describes the quest of John to reach the enchanted island and describes and satirizes many of the popular philosophies of the author's time, many of which also have more than a little influence in our day. Eloquent, erudite, and often witty, this tale is superbly narrated by Robert Whitfield. No stranger to the writings of Lewis, Whitfield has a well-modulated voice that easily portrays the numerous characters and gives the narrative sections a steady and consistent tempo. There are a number of Latin epigraphs, which are not translated. Public, religious/theological, and academic libraries should at least consider this audio. Michael T. Fein, Central Virginia Community Coll., Lynchburg
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Description

The first book written by C.S. Lewis after his conversion, The Pilgrim's Regress is the record of Lewis's own search for meaning and spiritual satisfaction, a search that eventually led him to Christianity. This brilliant, Bunyanesque allegory tells a fascinating story and constitutes an effective Christian apologia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 219 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (January 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802806414
• ISBN-13: 978-0802806413
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,847 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods > Romanticism
  #38 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > British > 20th Century
  #44 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > Lewis, C. S.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the Lewis reader, August 29, 2001

By	Gary Bisaga "Christian Father and Husband" (Leesburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have read almost everything C.S. Lewis wrote, including letters to the editor, all three space novels, Till We Have Faces, and many others. One thing I really enjoy is seeing how bits from one work will spill over into others, and how each writing reflects on his life. I have read the Pilgrim's Regress now 4 times, and every time I see more in it. And not just about Lewis: about the development of thought up throught the years between the wars.
Overall, this is a book that is well worth reading. It gives the best explanation I've seen (better than Surprised by Joy, IMO) of his idea of Joy, and of the "Island" (image from Regress) that drove him to finally find Christ. Passages from the "Heaven" chapter of The Problem of Pain are close, but I thought in Regress he uses the allegory of the Island most effectively to explain his concept of longing and Joy.
At first, I must admit, Regress is difficult to understand for somebody without much background in fiction or allegory such as myself, and without much background in the philosophical movements of pre-war Europe. There are, however, two things in the book that are very helpful: (1) the afterword where Lewis explains his background; and (2) the explanatory headings on the tops of the pages that track the allegory.
Lewis said he wasn't sure this was a good idea of his, but I don't agree. Now, even not being a student of allegory, I would not read the headings first, or even primarily (as a kind of Cliff's Notes of the book). Read that way, they detract from the book. Rather, I read the whole book through the first time without the headings; only then, after I finished a section, going back and reading the headings on that section. Kind of like reading the Cliff's Notes along with the book itself; very useful, but hardly anybody does it.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plato walks with the Monkey King., June 22, 2000

By	David Marshall (Nagasaki, Japan) - See all my reviews

While I wouldn't put it quite at the top of my list of Lewis' works, this guided stroll through Lewis' psyche on its dialectic course towards Christ is a pleasant and enlightening journey, full of off-beat humor and insight. Starting from Puritanica (what modern readers might call Fundie-town) and the dread of a black pit with snakes and scorpions for those who do not obey "The Landlord," the hero sets out in the other direction in search of an island paradise. Along the way, he meets a diverse and amusingly described panoply of personalized tempters. Some of these characters are a bit hard to finger, but many still survive as philosophical specimens. Lewis has fun showing cultural Christians, Marxists, and bohemian artists in a Medieval landscape, alongside dragons and giants. Reminiscent less of Bunyan than of Journey to the West at times, Lewis engages a self-depracatory and even slapstick humor to point to serious lessons. But to me, the most poignant scene in the book was a more serious dialogue of riddles between Lady Reason and a Giant whose glance revealed the sub-human underpinnings of soul, revealing horrors in every person. I understood that scene very well. The giant of reductionistic science still walks the land and holds many captive, and may have held me had Lady Reason not come to my rescue, too, with Lewis' help.

Reason defeated the monster with a few quick jabs, which go to the heart of the matter, but if you don't like allegory, Lewis develops his arguments more fully elsewhere. Those who would like to see the story of those years in prose, should read Surprised By Joy. (Pilgrim's Regress is not meant to be entirely autobiographical, I don't think.) For a didactic version of the confrontation with the giant, see Abolition of Man; if you want it in fairy-tale form, read Puddleglum's brilliant speech in The Silver Chair. Lewis was nothing if not a versatile writer.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man [e-mail]

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Apology as an art form: C. S. Lewis at his zenith., February 6, 1998

By A Customer

C. S. Lewis is best known for his story telling and his apologeticism of Christianity. He is truly in his element when he combines the two in the form of allegory. The Pilgim's Regress is a fine example of this and is notably cleaner in its approach than later allegories such as The Chronicles of Narnia and his science fiction trilogy. Where his science fiction gets weighted down by details and lofty text, The Pilgrim's Regress allows one's imagination to supply the details and uses simple substitution instance as language, thus more direct. The Pilgrim's Regress is also written in such a manner as to hold the interest of young and old readers alike. While some of the language and terminology may be foreign to young children, of junior high school age through adulthood will find it an absorbing and provocative read. Lewis does not take the model's (the Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan) overly optomistic or Pollyannish approach, but details in the form of myth the doubts and searching of a soul toward enlightenment. Although similar to Bunyan's work as an allegory, Lewis layers the meanings of the symbology in the book to a truly artistic form. Why, even the names of the chapters invite reflection. For example, two of the chapters are identically titled as Leah For Rachel, and yet no explanation is given for these names (which are not characters in the book) or the meaning. The meaning only becomes clear after reflecting on the premise of the biblical charachters of Leah and Rachel. Not knowing the bible story, however, would not spoil the reading of this tale. This type of layering on top of the basic allegorical plot line allows the book to be read and re-read with new insights each time. That can truly grow old with this book is, in my opinion, the hallmark of any classic. Enjoy it for the story, enjoy it for the insights and enjoy it for its timelessness. One would truly be better for the experience.