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Authored by John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the most popular allegories ever written in English Christian literature, which describes the journey of a man from this world to heaven. Summary Of The Book When the narrator falls asleep in the wilderness, he dreams about a man who is anguished spiritually. The Pilgrim’s Progress revolves around this man, Christian, who sets off on a journey from the ‘City of Destruction’ to the ‘Celestial City’ on the top of Mt. Zion. He is burdened by the knowledge of his sin and doesn’t want to sink in hell. The thought of being sent to hell is so unbearable, that he just seeks liberation. Evangelist directs him to the ‘Wicket Gate’ for deliverance, but Christian is unable to see it, and so walks towards the shining light that he claims to be able to see. He leaves behind his home, wife and children, when they refuse to accompany him on his quest, which would soon take many dangerous turns. During his journey, Christian comes across many different people, who he either chooses to travel with, or decides to not accompany. He passes through places like the Vanity Fair, the Doubting Castle, the Valley of the Shadow of Death and the Slough of Despond. He lands himself in various challenging situations and is faced with many enemies that he has to defeat. The Pilgrim’s Progress is a blend of fact and fiction, written by John Bunyan. It’s believed that he started writing this book while he was first imprisoned for practicing religious services without authorization, outside the church of England. The book has two parts and the first was published in 1678. The second part was published later in 1684. He uses heroines in the latter part to suggest that women can also be brave pilgrims. Translated into more than 200 languages, The Pilgrim’s Progress has never been out of print. Lots of references have been made about the book in English literature. A third part of this was written by an anonymous author and was in circulation with the first two parts for a brief period. This book has been adapted into a film, video games, music and television. About John Bunyan Born in 1628, John Bunyan was a Christian writer and preacher. Though he has been described both as a Baptist and as a Congregationalist, he preferred to be simply called a Christian. His other books include The Life and Death of Mr. Badman, The Holy War and Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. John Bunyan’s writings mainly focussed on praising the Christian concept of grace, while comforting people who shared similar experiences as him. His works bring sharp awareness while treating human behaviour, and his readers are free to adopt his ideals if they concur with theirs. He worked as a tinker and left home after his father’s third marriage. He married a young woman who was an orphan in 1650, but her name is not recorded. She is said to have gotten two books as inheritance from her father, which appear to have strongly influenced him to lead a religious life. He wrote about 60 books. John Bunyan had two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, and two sons, Thomas and John, from her.