300 Years Ago: The Pilgrim’s Progress published

First posted 11/11/2025.

The Pilgrim’s Progress John Bunyan

First Publication: 1678 Category: novel/Christian allegory Sales: 125 million (estimate)

Accolades (click on badges to see full lists):

About the Book: This tale of “man’s progress through life in search of salvation” AZ has become “universally known for its simplicity, vigor, and beauty of language.” AZ It “has been translated into more than 200 languages,” WK “is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature,” WK and is “often rated as important as the Bible as a Christian document.” AZ “It has also been cited as the first novel written in English” WK and “one of the most widely read books in the English language” AZ “and has never been out of print.” WK “Bunyan began his work while in the Bedfordshire county prison for…holding of religious services outside…the established Church of England.” WK The resulting story is “one of the most entertaining allegories of faith ever written. Set against realistic backdrops of town and country, the powerful drama of the pilgrim’s trials and temptations follows him in his harrowing journey.” AZ “Each step…becomes a dramatic rendering of an inner state of the human psyche.” BN Christian, the hero, “journeys from ‘the wilderness of this world’ to the glory of the Celestial City.” BN “Along a road filled with monsters and spiritual terrors,” AZ he encounters “Faith, Hope, Mercy, Envy, Ignorance, [and] Guilt: These are not abstract concepts, but the names of vividly imagined, sharply drawn human characters.” BN He also confronts “the nearly irresistible allure of material splendor at Vanity Fair; the crushing psychological burden of depression and despair in the Slough of Despond; and the fear and uncertainty that eats away at faith in Doubting Castle.” BN Resources and Related Links: AZ Amazon BN Barnes & Noble WK Wikipedia

Stephen King's The Stand published this month

First posted 6/11/2020; updated 7/6/2020.

The Stand Stephen King

First Publication: September 1978 Category: post apocalyptic novel Sales: ?

Accolades:

About the Book: The Stand expanded on “Night Surf,” a short story by American horror author Stephen King. He outlined “the total breakdown of society after the accidental release of a strain of influenza that had been modified for biological warfare causes an apocalyptic pandemic which kills off the majority of the world’s human population.” WK “Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge – Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious ‘Dark Man,’ who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them – and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.” AZ “King’s apocalyptic vision of a world…tangled in an elemental struggle between good and evil remains as riveting and eerily plausible as when it was first published.” AZ When it first came out in 1978, it had a 1980 setting, but by its paperback release the setting date changed to 1985. After a 1990 re-release, the book was set in 1990. WK “The Stand was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1979 and was adapted into both a television miniseries for ABC and a graphic novel published by Marvel Comics.” WK Resources and Related Links: AZ Amazon WK Wikipedia

In July 2018, I became the organizer of the Classic Novels Book Club. Check out the Book Club tab here or Meetup for more information. This is our October 2020 book.