The Pilgrim's Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity Reason and Romanticism

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Summary: Apology as an art form: C. S. Lewis at his zenith.
Review: C. S. Lewis is best known for his story telling and his apologeticism of Christianity. He is truly in his element when he combines the two in the form of allegory. The Pilgim's Regress is a fine example of this and is notably cleaner in its approach than later allegories such as The Chronicles of Narnia and his science fiction trilogy. Where his science fiction gets weighted down by details and lofty text, The Pilgrim's Regress allows one's imagination to supply the details and uses simple substitution instance as language, thus more direct. The Pilgrim's Regress is also written in such a manner as to hold the interest of young and old readers alike. While some of the language and terminology may be foreign to young children, of junior high school age through adulthood will find it an absorbing and provocative read. Lewis does not take the model's (the Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan) overly optomistic or Pollyannish approach, but details in the form of myth the doubts and searching of a soul toward enlightenment. Although similar to Bunyan's work as an allegory, Lewis layers the meanings of the symbology in the book to a truly artistic form. Why, even the names of the chapters invite reflection. For example, two of the chapters are identically titled as Leah For Rachel, and yet no explanation is given for these names (which are not characters in the book) or the meaning. The meaning only becomes clear after reflecting on the premise of the biblical charachters of Leah and Rachel. Not knowing the bible story, however, would not spoil the reading of this tale. This type of layering on top of the basic allegorical plot line allows the book to be read and re-read with new insights each time. That can truly grow old with this book is, in my opinion, the hallmark of any classic. Enjoy it for the story, enjoy it for the insights and enjoy it for its timelessness. One would truly be better for the experience.

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Summary: A journey to faith
Review: In this insightful volume, C.S. Lewis provides a semi-autobiographical chronicle of his conversion to Christianity, and the various philosophical or emotional obstacles that he faced (or thought others might face) in coming to believe in Christ. Lewis notes in the afterword of the book that he realizes in retrospect, that the path he followed was not necessarily as common as he originally thought. Also he makes it clear that every situation "John" (the main character, likened to Lewis) encounters is not a direct reflection of Lewis' own life, but may have been included to address various issues facing people in the searching stage.

For those who have not read any of Lewis' writings, this may not be the best place to start. For those who have, but aren't particularly adept at throughly analyzing and understanding allegory, like myself, it may be advantageous to read Lewis's afterword FIRST, and pay special attention to the editorial headlines across the tops of the pages. That would contribute to understanding the gist of the allegories, which in some places are clear enough of their own nature, but elsewhere are quite obscure (as Lewis notes in the afterword).

I found the sections in "Claptrap", at Wisdom's house, and the discussions with the cave-hermit particularly difficult, but elsewhere the writing is fascinating, and has brilliant insights into the problems with certain philosophies. The story itself is a little more colorful and humorous then the Pilgrims' Progress by Bunyan, which is a very clear allegory that instead follows the walk of a Christian after conversion. This is a book that could easily be read multiple times to discover more and more depth to the story.

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Summary: Perhaps Your Egress to Christianity?
Review: It would hardly be original to say that C.S. Lewis was perhaps the finest writer of Christian theology in the 20th century, had a brilliant command of his language, or gave more lucid insights in a few pages than most authors do in their entire life's work. Hardly original, but still true. "The Pilgrim's Regress" is a fine example, albeit a somewhat pithier and less penetrable one than, say, "the Great Divorce" or "The Screwtape Letters."

In "Regress," Lewis does a tangent on the classic Bunyan work, "Pilgrim's Progress" and uses the same dream device to present us with a soul's journey through a strange yet strangely familiar country. Lewis' pilgrim, John, encounters the demons and temptations of the early twentieth century: there are Mr. Enlightenment, Sigismund (Freud, of course), and the devotees of fascism and dada-ism, as well as the expected temptations of compromise and lust.

Much of the allegory will be obvious to the reader. There is little doubt who "Mother Kirk," "The Landlord," or "The Stewards" are. However, to "get it all" you'll either need a few Ph.D's and a good grounding in what a 1930-ish British intellectual knew, be one of those maddeningly brilliant people who "gets it," when he reads Umberto Ecco novels, or, preferably just wise enough to buy the annotated edition.

Through it all, the "Regress" reader will be moved and surprised. This is a key book for any student of Lewis, thoughtful Christian, or even a student of general philosophy. Ifv you are looking for some serious reading and deep insight into yourself, by all means go read this!

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Summary: Well Reasoned, Thoughtful, and Entertaining
Review: Most of the other reviews have already given you a basic description. Though some say that you need extensive education to understand some of the topics Lewis discusses, I have to disagree. While Mr. Sensible tosses around a bit of Greek and Latin, it's almost enough simply to know that he is taking excerpts from famous sources out of context and twisting them to fit his sensual and pragmatic dogma.

It's true that on my second reading, after a course in Buddhism, I was better able to follow Mr. Wisdom (who, while not being Buddhist, is clearly of a more Monist philosophy). But on the whole, he tackles great issues with clarity. For example, by beginning in "Puritania" he is able to distinguish his own views regarding reality from Puritanical ones. That said, as with all of the steps along the way, he does not become embittered and blindly reject anything which has to do with Puritanism. It is where he begins, and there are bits which help him to grow as he searches. By thus constructing his framework from experience, he is able to explore the concepts discussed with full knowledge of the emotional content associated with them, and yet not be encumbered by it.

While I disagree with Lewis on certain subjects, I cannot help but love reading his work. Pilgrim's Regress, in particular, is among my favorite books. It really is light reading, but it is thought provoking in every way. His philosophy is comprehensive and intensive, his style is gentle to the reader, and every subject is approached with refreshing candidness.

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Summary: An allegorical journey to faith
Review: This was the first book written by CS Lewis after his conversion to Christianity, and was also his first book of fiction. This allegorical look at "the narrow road" of Christianity set the stage in many ways for much of Lewis's later fiction: the Space Trilogy, Till We Have Faces, and the Chronicles of Narnia, for example. In much of Lewis's later fiction the allegory was less prominent and more attention was paid to the story. This book also varies from Lewi''s other fiction in that it is more autobiographical. The main character, John, encounters many different schools of thought and endures much of the intellectual uncertainty that Lewis himself experienced in the time leading up to his conversion.

Lewis's allegory is absolutely spectacular, though it is necessary to have a pretty thorough knowledge of Lewis's way of thinking in order to follow the allegory. The headers at the top of the page do a great deal to clarify, and help the reader avoid getting lost in all the symbolism. This is especially useful when John is encountering some movement which, though prevalent in Lewis's time, is not very well-known today. Despite the excellent headers, however, the best preparation for this book would be to read Lewis's autobiographical Surprised by Joy. Exposure to this book, along with some of Lewis's other apology, will definitely enrich the experience of reading from this excellent book.

Lewis had a talent for explaining things in such a way that nearly anyone could understand them. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his fiction. The lessons he teaches, through his fiction and non-fiction alike, are important insights into the worlds of Christianity and morality.