The Pilgrim's Regress

By: C. S. Lewis

Narrated by: Simon Vance

The first book written by C.S. Lewis after his conversion, The Pilgrim's Regress is, in a sense, a record of Lewis's own search for meaning and spiritual satisfaction that eventually led him to Christianity.

It is the story of John and his odyssey to an enchanting island that has created in him an intense longing, a mysterious, sweet desire. John's pursuit of this desire takes him through adventures with such people as Mr. Enlightenment, Media Halfways, Mr. Mammon, Mother Kirk, Mr. Sensible, and Mr. Humanist, and through such cities as Thrill and Eschropolis, as well as the Valley of Humiliation.

Though the dragons and giants here are different from those in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Lewis's allegory performs the same function of enabling the author to say with fantasy and simplicity what would otherwise have demanded a full-length philosophy of religion. In Lewis's skillful hands this fable becomes as effective a Christian apologia as Bunyan's.

©1933 Clive Staples Lewis (P)2000 Blackstone Audiobooks

Afterwords Says It All

While I do enjoy this book with it's dream quality and mimicry of several of humanities thinly veiled attempts to replace religion, it just doesn't quite live up to Lewis's literary greatness. His own Afterwords comments identify the deficiencies pretty well. Still, I can recommend it.

Pilgrims Regress

Gotta stay with it,the story moves along quickly! Narrator very good, presis and easy listening.

Good read

I enjoyed this book, however I probably need to read it again because some of it was over my head. The general message I got out of it though, was awesome and very clearly shows how we sometimes think more highly of things that we should enter blinded to so much.

Lewis genius

Such deep insight.
Vance reads superbly.
Many quotable quotes here.
This will keep you thinking for some time.

Excellent

It's a must-read! Lewis's attention to detail and imagination sharpen the listener's mind while listening.