ValeReads Kyriosity's Reviews > The Pilgrim's Progress

January 2024: Sixth annual first-book-of-the-year reading.

*****

January 2023: My fifth annual January read. I want to read this in print next year, so I'm on the lookout for a beautiful hardback edition. Spam me with pics and links — I want to see interiors as well as covers so I can evaluate typesetting and space for notation.

*****

January 2022: in the second part, much is made of how weak and frail Christiana and Mercy are. Part of me thinks, "Nah, Christian women need to be spiritually tough fighters just like Christan men." Another part of me thinks, "Yeeeeees! It is sooooo haaaaaard!" Judging by the whine in option two, I suspect option one is closer to being correct. 😂

Also, let me say again that this is the only audio version worth listening to. Eschew the ones read by women trying to lull their little boys to sleep. You want the one that will inspire little boys (and girls) to fight Apollyon.

*****

January 2021: I seem to have settled into a pattern of revisiting this in January. I am not averse to this pattern.

*****

January 2020: I was confused by something: At one point, Christiana's sons are told to leave their children with others who would care for them (which seemed very odd to me), but then at the end, their children seemed to be with them. Which is it? Or do I misunderstand/misremember something?

*****

May 2019: I am weekly bid come and welcome to Jesus Christ. And I weekly (weakly) doubt that He really wants me. Bunyan reminds me.

*****

January 2019: What a difference a narrator makes! The LibriVox volunteers, bless their hearts, all sound like mamas trying to lull their boys to sleep. Max McLean's recording was recommended to me, but I could not bring myself to set aside my aversion to his voice. But after two friends recommended PP to me in one week, I was determined to give it another go, so I sampled all the ten or so versions on Scribd and settled on David Shaw-Parker's. He performed beautifully all the way through.

This title was a better choice than my last for sickbed listening. I can follow a narrative well enough even when my weary attention flags and wanders. Ah...now I understand why so many have made a habit of reading and rereading this book, and I shall henceforth follow their example. What touched me most was the gentleness shown to the weak (and to the strong in their weak moments). It wasn't excusing of their faults, and it did not fail to exhort them to be better, but it did not abandon and it did not despise. How much better a restorative can gentleness provide than anything exasperation and contempt have to offer!