The Pilgrim's ProgressThe Pilgrim's Progress
Score Classic
What it's about
Christian, weighed down by a heavy burden on his back, leaves his home in the City of Destruction to journey to the Celestial City. On the way he falls into the Slough of Despond, passes through the town of Vanity Fair, is imprisoned in Doubting Castle by Giant Despair and fights the demon Apollyon, helped by friends named Faithful and Hopeful.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto PBS's Great American Read and was for centuries one of the most-read books in English after the Bible. Its phrases still run through the language.
You'll love it if you liked
The Divine Comedy
Siddhartha
Go Tell It on the MountainGood to know
It's a Christian allegory written in 1678, much of it in a jail cell. The 17th-century language takes some getting used to; modern versions exist.
By the numbers
- Readers59 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller43 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #133 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #284 of the 762 classics we rank
- #923 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
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Quick answers
Is The Pilgrim's Progress worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto PBS's Great American Read and was for centuries one of the most-read books in English after the Bible. It ranks #923 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 73.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Pilgrim's Progress about?
Christian, weighed down by a heavy burden on his back, leaves his home in the City of Destruction to journey to the Celestial City. On the way he falls into the Slough of Despond, passes through the town of Vanity Fair, is imprisoned in Doubting Castle by Giant Despair and fights the demon Apollyon, helped by friends named Faithful and Hopeful.
How long does it take to read The Pilgrim's Progress?
About 6 hours (254 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Pilgrim's Progress?
If you liked it, try The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse or Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin.