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mehitabels's review against another edition
3.0
"But, Harry, said I, why do you curse and swear thus? What will become of you, if you die in this condition? He answered me in a great chafe, What would the devil do for company, if it were not for such as I am?"
ivantable's review against another edition
2.0
A classic worth reading. Has very moving sections, but too long, overly introspective.
mcalreading's review against another edition
5.0
I had no idea I would relate so incredibly with a 17th century son of a traveling tinker, but it just goes to show much much of humanity is more connected than not. That there is nothing new under the sun. This was a humbling and comforting read.
justjohnson93's review against another edition
3.0
"Now I saw, that as God had His hand in all providences and dispensation that overtook His elect, so He also had His hand in all their temptations to sin against Him, not to animate them unto wickedness, but to choose their temptations and troubles for them...Oh, what love, what care, what kindness and mercy did I now see!"
I wanted to read John Bunyan's autobiography in preparation for reading the more widely read Pilgrim's Progress. Both works are hallmark texts for their respective genres of autobiography and allegory, religious or otherwise. They both consistently appear on lists of books that well-educated people should read and whatnot.
There were elements of Bunyan's self-reflections that I loved and cherished, and other parts I had to suffer through. We'll call that 3 stars. His older English was beautiful throughout, and I enjoyed the discipline of reading slowly and tracing what he was even trying to say. I even initially liked his Puritan-inspired focus on his own sinfulness, and his own ineptitude before God. It wears on the reader over time, however, and his careful attention to the gravity of sin slowly morphs into something seemingly more unstable. I think this text is worth reading for academic purposes, to be sure, but the majority of readers will have to work hard and have a very open mind to find much here to which they can relate.
I wanted to read John Bunyan's autobiography in preparation for reading the more widely read Pilgrim's Progress. Both works are hallmark texts for their respective genres of autobiography and allegory, religious or otherwise. They both consistently appear on lists of books that well-educated people should read and whatnot.
There were elements of Bunyan's self-reflections that I loved and cherished, and other parts I had to suffer through. We'll call that 3 stars. His older English was beautiful throughout, and I enjoyed the discipline of reading slowly and tracing what he was even trying to say. I even initially liked his Puritan-inspired focus on his own sinfulness, and his own ineptitude before God. It wears on the reader over time, however, and his careful attention to the gravity of sin slowly morphs into something seemingly more unstable. I think this text is worth reading for academic purposes, to be sure, but the majority of readers will have to work hard and have a very open mind to find much here to which they can relate.
cfrakes12's review against another edition
5.0
More books like this need to be written today. Incredible encouragement and amazingly relatable.
patricguzman's review against another edition
5.0
Read this book and find that in our journey we share the same thoughts. Read this book and find in our journey that His grace His sufficient, His love abounds and find out who we really are.
thorinii's review against another edition
5.0
THis is John Bunyan's account of he came to rest in Christ for his eternal security. It took him a long time to get there, with many doubts and much searching of scripture. He was extremely familiar with the Bible long before he came to the end of this process, though some places (especially Hebrews) he misunderstood to be sentencing him to ruin, beyond Christ's reach. By God's grace, he was eventually able to understand each passage in context and realise that no sinner can exhaust the sacrifice of Jesus.
I found it encouraging to have a glimpse into the heart of a great Christian and see that riding the pinnacle of joy is not our constant experience. Even after this, John was often troubled with depression and heavy attacks of doubts. To quote from his conclusion:
> I have wondered much at this one thing, that though God doth visit my soul with never so blessed a discovery of himself, yet I have found again, that such hours have attended me afterwards that I have bewen in my spirit so filled with darkness that I could not so much as once conceive. what that God, and that comfort was, with which I have been refreshed. [tldr: sometimes he was given a great sight of God, yet often immediately after he had a terrible period of darkness]
> I have sometimes seen more in a line of the Bible than I could well tell how to stand under, and yet at another time the whole Bible hath been to me as a dry stick -- or rather, my heart hath been so dead and dry unto it, that I could not conceive the least dram of refreshment though I have looked it all over.
But he realised these were given by God for his good, to keep him humble, to remind him how necessary Christ is, to watch, and to pray always.
I found it encouraging to have a glimpse into the heart of a great Christian and see that riding the pinnacle of joy is not our constant experience. Even after this, John was often troubled with depression and heavy attacks of doubts. To quote from his conclusion:
> I have wondered much at this one thing, that though God doth visit my soul with never so blessed a discovery of himself, yet I have found again, that such hours have attended me afterwards that I have bewen in my spirit so filled with darkness that I could not so much as once conceive. what that God, and that comfort was, with which I have been refreshed. [tldr: sometimes he was given a great sight of God, yet often immediately after he had a terrible period of darkness]
> I have sometimes seen more in a line of the Bible than I could well tell how to stand under, and yet at another time the whole Bible hath been to me as a dry stick -- or rather, my heart hath been so dead and dry unto it, that I could not conceive the least dram of refreshment though I have looked it all over.
But he realised these were given by God for his good, to keep him humble, to remind him how necessary Christ is, to watch, and to pray always.