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The Pilgrim Travels on: Literary References to The Pilgrim’s Progress
Few works of literature have had the cultural reach of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. That’s pretty amazing—who would have thought an adventure story that pauses every few pages for long discussions of Christian theology would have such a grip on the Western world’s imagination? Clearly Bunyan tapped something deep in the human spirit. The idiom of life’s journey, with all the struggles and respites along the way, is common to all mankind. One doesn’t even have to be a Christian to experience them. When someone speaks of his “Slough of Despond” or mentions her “Celestial City,” he or she is hearkening back to one of the seminal quest stories…
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Shakespeare Fun and Frivolity
Shakespeare fans who have room on their shelves and a box of freshly sharpened colored pencils will find good application for both with three fun and frivolous titles to add to their collection. Pop-Up Shakespeare by The Reduced Shakespeare Company, Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor, illustrated by Jennie Maizels. Candlewick Press, 2017. 10 pages Now you can make more efficient use of your precious bookshelf space by using your fat Norton Shakespeare collection as a doorstop. Think how much time you’ll save by browsing this succinct pop-up version by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, which not only introduces the historical context of the plays, but also summarizes all the plots in…
