There was a time when people only had two books on their bookshelf: “The Bible” and John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” Erik Yeager has given us a substantial update to Bunyan’s allegory without losing any of the original’s spiritual punch.
While the characters and places remain the same, “The Narrow Road” offers a fresh vision of Christian’s journey to the Celestial City. Rife with spiritual warfare and demonic battles, Yeager’s book will hold the reader’s attention without resorting to gratuitous scenes of violence.
Parents should know that this tale is essentially a soldier’s diary and as such features some bloodshed. The fact that Christian’s enemies are demons with a taste for human flesh requires that the reader is mature enough for such content, regardless of how tame the fight scenes are written.
The fact that this book came into existence through a crowd-funding campaign means that there is already an audience for it. In fact, the novel is only one part of the author’s vision for Bunyan’s classic, as readers are invited to take part in bringing “The Narrow Road” to the screen as well. If the film is as action-filled and poignant as the book, it will well be worth a watch.
