By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) Published in 1678 and begun while its author John Bunyan was in prison, The Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the most influential books in the English language. After the Bible (in various English translations), it’s thought to be the biggest-selling book in English: one […]
Tag: John Bunyan
Five Fascinating Facts about The Pilgrim’s Progress
Fun facts about John Bunyan’s classic book 1. John Bunyan’s most famous book has a claim to being the first English novel. Others have argued that The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), Bunyan’s masterpiece, is less a ‘novel’ and more a religious allegory – which it certainly is. Bunyan the book while […]
Five Fascinating Facts about John Bunyan
Fun facts about the Christian writer 1. He was nearly shot in the head while on guard duty one night – but fortunately, another soldier had taken his place. This narrow brush with death helped to convince John Bunyan (1628-88) that he was one of the ‘Elect’ – the chosen […]
November 28 in Literary History: William Blake Born
The most significant events in the history of books on the 28th of November 1582: William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway pay a £40 bond for their marriage licence. 1628: John Bunyan is born. He wrote much of his defining work, The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), while imprisoned in Bedford Jail. As well as the […]