Which Version Of The Pilgrim's Progress Is Right For Me

After reading my last article (Faithful - found here: GloryUsGate.blogspot.com), several requests for a recommendation came to my attention. 

So, this week I thought I’d write a follow-up article addressing these requests & giving my thoughts on how to chose the right version of The Pilgrim’s Progress for your reading pleasure.

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Which Version of The Pilgrim’s Progress Is Right For Me?

It’s a great, but hard, question to answer, precisely because there are so many versions to chose from. It’s kinda like trying to decide which Bible to choose.

My simple, cheap, & quick answer would be to go to your local public library & check out several versions (children’s & adult) & scan them to see which one suits you best. 

For a more thorough response to your question, however, I’d suggest narrowing down a few parameters. 

Do this by asking yourself the following:

~ Who is my audience?

Personally, I can’t get away from children’s versions, evidenced by the fact that I have more of those than adult versions. I prefer them no matter my audience. I think I’d even choose one of these for my book club.

~ Is this for reading aloud or is it for personal, silent reading?

It makes a difference because if you plan to read the book aloud to your children, you want a version that flows. (The original is written in Old English & reads like a script.)

I enjoy silent reading, but I love audio versions. When I was homeschooling, we always read our history books together. One of my favorite things today is to read aloud with my husband. Whenever we take a car trip we read a book together.

~ Do illustrations matter? If so, do I prefer black & white, color - modern or antique?

I have two very old versions, (published in 1872) & the artwork is exquisite. There is such amazing detail that I could sit & look at the B&W paintings all day. 

The children’s versions very greatly. Some I like; others I could do without.

The version I’m currently reading to my grand-littles is Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen L. Taylor, & illustrated by Joe Sutphin. This may even be my all-time favorite children’s version. They completely hooked me with the illustrations, & proceeded to reel me in with the way the author used animals as characters. This volume includes a revision of John Bunyan’s accompanying story about Christian’s wife, Christiana, and her journey to the Celestial city. I basically told my husband I could not live without this version. LOL!

~ Do I plan to incorporate this into our curriculum?

If so, you may want to consider a version that has an accompanying study guide. Helen Taylor has another children’s version (same title as the one above), that you can use with Deanna Conrad’s LPP Adventure Guide. Unfortunately, my preferred version (above) does not come with any kind of study aids, so I use the Adventure Guide, along with a teacher’s edition of Pilgrim’s Progress I purchased, from A Beka Books, decades ago to help me formulate discussion questions for my littles. (See why I need all these versions. ;-) )

I should add that there are a variety of free online versions, both text and audio, if you prefer that route.

I hope this helps to inform your decision for the second-only-to-the-Bible best book ever published, printed, & sold.

Enjoy!