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Title details for The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan - Wait list

The Pilgrim's Progress

by John Bunyan
Simon Vance
Audiobook
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Next to the Bible, The Pilgrim's Progress has probably been more widely read than any other book in the English language, and rightfully so. It is considered by many critics to be the greatest allegory in any language. And to think that it was written by a jailed tinker who received very little formal education.

This classic allegory tells of a Christian's epic journey toward heaven and the many temptations and distractions he encounters along the way. With a burden on his back, Christian reads a book that tells him that the city in which he and his family dwell will be set ablaze. Christian flees from the City of Destruction and journeys through the Slough of Despond, the Valley of Humiliation, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, Vanity Fair, Doubting Castle, and the Delectable Mountains before finally reaching the Celestial City.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 15, 2010

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781483088495
      • File size: 269538 KB
      • Duration: 09:21:32

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 1030
    • Text Difficulty: 6-8

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Bunyan's classic allegory of the battle of good and evil is clearly delivered in grave, sepulchral tones. Edward de Souza's very British, judicial voice gives credence to court scenes. He depicts Christian as Everyman wading through the slough of Despond, where he meets Mr. Worldly Wiseman and the Evangelist, who hope to delay him on his journey to salvation. When portraying Beelzebub, Souza's voice engages the listener with imperious, commanding, and fearful tones. Funereal organ music provides breaks between scenes and adds to the sense of despair. This book was first published three hundred years ago; this rendition explains why it is ever popular. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Time was when this allegory of moral redemption tied the KING JAMES BIBLE as Most Read Book in the English language. Now Penguin enlists TV's Hercule Poirot to help lift it out of the obscurity to which today's secular world has consigned it. Suchet's musical, expressive voice clarifies and contemporizes the three-hundred-year-old vocabulary. His characterizations are vivid and cartoony. Indeed, Suchet plays this as a kid's book, which it can, but need not, be. The chief flaw in this approach is making the hero, Christian by name and archetype, sound like Simple Simon, losing the senses of danger and ultimate consequence that are intrinsic to the author's message. Still, a livelier, more engaging reading can hardly be imagined. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      John Bunyan's classic allegory tells the story of Christian, who searches for salvation amid a world of temptation and deceit. As the story is presented in the framework of the author's dream, Christian must follow his path to redemption by discerning between friend and foe. Narrator David Shaw-Parker speaks clearly and often slows his pace for Bunyan's lengthy explanations. The story has a barrage of metaphorical characters, and Shaw-Parker handles each distinctly. Christian himself speaks earnestly and emphatically. Because of the abstract nature of the story as well as its seventeenth-century English, PILGRIM'S PROGRESS is challenging in audio form. Readers may even find themselves listening to sections again. This is no fault of Shaw-Parker, who gives an excellent performance and directs listeners steadily down Christian's path. D.M.W. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1030
  • Text Difficulty:6-8

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