Christian Book Notes

Bunyan, John.  The Pilgrim’s Progress 125th Anniversary Attic Books Collector’s Edition.  Forest Park: Master Books, 2005.  920 pp.  $59.99.  Purchase at Amazon for $40.03 or less!

Introduction

Those who know me and have read reviews here for awhile will know that I am HUGE fan of John Bunyan. Of all the Puritans, he has been the most influential on my life.  Bunyan really does not need an introduction.  Neither does Pilgrim’s Progress.  This edition, however, does.

Summary

This collector’s edition contains much more than just the Pilgrim’s Progress.  Also included in this collection is The Holy War, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, Bunyan’s final sermon preached from John 1:3, a discourse on the gospel entitled The Water of Life as well as two other discourse: Christian Behaviour and The Barren Fig-Tree both of which talk about fruit (or lack thereof) in the Christian life.

Two other writings are included the first of which is a fourteen page writing of the imprisonment of John Bunyan.  There are 63 pages of Bunyan’s dying sayings that are rich with content and show the end of this life for a man who was steeped in the Word of God.

There are vivid pictures of paintings interspersed throughout the book that are evidently from Adam & Co.  I really could not find out more information on this artwork though if you know of any more, please share it with us!

Review

I will not be reviewing the various books found in this 125th anniversary edition. The publisher’s website states:

This hardcover edition was originally published in 1876. Over 125 years later, Master Books has re-created this valuable and rare heirloom with today’s modern technology, but kept the original look and feel by painstakingly scanning in high-resolution every page of this 860-page tome – historic look and all!

The print for the two allegories is quite large and is great for the times when you read these works for your family read aloud time (and I do recommend you do this!). This also means that the book is not as big as it appears. About 2/3 of the entire book is comprised of The Pilgrim’s Progress and The Holy War.

The inclusion of Grace Abounding, which is perhaps the best “salvation testimony” ever written, is wonderful and will undoubtedly be a blessing to many who will read it – some for the first time.

Perhaps what brings me the greatest joy in this particular edition is that they kept the original language.  This may pose a problem to the modern reader, but it is absolutely worth wading through the language barrier with a dictionary to capture the true beauty and master story-telling that John Bunyan possesses.

The publisher is correct that this particular edition will be a wonderful resource to hand down to your children…that is, if you can part with it!

Recommendation

You may be asking why would someone recommend purchasing a $60 copy of these nine books when you can get them for much cheaper.  I’m glad you asked!  There are very few books I would recommend spending this much money on.  John Bunyan’s works (especially The Pilgrim’s Progress and Grace Abounding) are timeless yet timely.  I recall giving a copy to an older neighbor who was a new believer and he remarked that “this John Bunyan fella knows what he is talking about!”

For a book that is the number 2 selling of all time (behind the Bible) I recommend spending the money on this resource to honestly be able to hand down to your children.  My family has a family read aloud time most evenings and while we’ve read various children’s editions of Pilgrim’s Progress, this one resource presents 9 different books by John Bunyan that should be read by every Christian today.  Obviously, Pilgrim’s Progress is what Bunyan is known for, but his other works that are included in this anniversary edition.