The Pilgrim's Progress

The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come by John Bunyan (1678)

Christian, burdened by sin, flees the City of Destruction for the Celestial City, encountering the Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair, Giant Despair, and the Delectable Mountains. The most widely read English book after the Bible for over 200 years.

Historical Significance:
John Bunyan, a tinker and Nonconformist preacher, wrote The Pilgrim's Progress while imprisoned in Bedford Gaol for preaching without a license. Published in 1678, it became the most popular book in the English-speaking world — read by rich and poor, educated and illiterate, in every English-speaking country. It has been translated into over 200 languages. Bunyan's allegorical place-names — Vanity Fair, the Slough of Despond, Doubting Castle — have entered the English language permanently. Thackeray named his novel after Bunyan's Vanity Fair. C.S. Lewis credited Bunyan as a major influence on The Chronicles of Narnia.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1678. Free to read and share.