Pilgrim's Progress: The Graphic Novel

by John Bunyan, Jeremy Patenaude (Adapter), Brent McKee (Illustrator)

Graphic Novel Reimagines John Bunyan’s Beloved Classic, Pilgrim’s Progress

Pilgrim’s Progress has inspired the lives of countless believers for centuries. This winding allegory follows the tumultuous journey of a pilgrim traveling from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Brimming with hope and excitement while demonstrating the inevitable perils along the way, John Bunyan masterfully illustrates the Christian experience, helping readers of all ages understand the path to spiritual formation. 

This graphic novel, saturated with bold and expressive artwork, visually tells Bunyan’s well-loved story to a brand-new generation of readers. Adapted with the utmost care, this condensed edition retains the same rich and timeless language consistent with the original work. For lifelong readers of Pilgrim’s Progress and those picking up this work for the very first time, it will captivate the senses, reveal beauty and truth, and help fix their eyes on Christ. 

Faithful This condensed version takes great care to preserve John Bunyan’s original languageCompelling Bold illustrations by artist Brent McKee are artistic treasuresFor Teens and Young Written for those 14 and older, this book invites a brand-new generation of readers to experience this beloved classic  Timeless Biblical Explores the nature of the Christian life, warns against sin, and highlights the blessings of sanctification and salvationIncludes Two pages of theological reflection at the end of each chapter draw out spiritual truths and explain important characters and themes Includes a foreword by Allen Levi

256 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 3, 2026

About the author

John Bunyan, a Christian writer and preacher, was born at Harrowden (one mile south-east of Bedford), in the Parish of Elstow, England. He wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, arguably the most famous published Christian allegory. In the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August.

Reviews

[Derek Irons · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Bunyan’s timeless story of Christian’s journey to the Celestial City comes alive in this beautifully illustrated graphic novel. The format and images immediately brought to my mind The Action Bible, which has been a favorite book of my children for many years. The illustrations do a wonderful job of setting the mood for each section, with darker illustrations for Christian’s most challenging times and vibrant colors and illustrations for his hope and triumph along the way. It was a very enjoyable and quick read.

This version of Pilgrim’s Progress holds true to the same theological precision as the original. Some of the theological language and allegorical names may be challenging for younger readers. Thankfully, there are two helpful sections at the back of this book to provide clarification for readers who need help understanding these elements. The first is a detailed lexicon of all the characters and locations in the book. For characters whose names may be unfamiliar to children (such as Diffidence or Obstinate), there is a one-paragraph description as well as an illustration in the lexicon. It is a very helpful quick reference option if young readers need clarity on a character or location in the book.

The second helpful section is chapter reflections. These are two-page reflections that offer Scripture references as well as application points for the chapter. These would be excellent to utilize for family worship and offer great discussion points for the whole family.

This book will be an excellent addition to the library of any family. It would be an excellent read-aloud option for pre-teens and would also be a great introduction to this classic allegory for a teenager to tackle on their own. It offers families an accessible way to introduce Bunyan’s story and discuss its themes together.

I received an advance review copy from the publisher for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Andrew Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been challenged to read Pilgrim’s Progress many times and struggled to do it, I can still say it is a must-read. I read through it in two sittings (two days). The art is fantastic, the colors set the mood and keep it dynamic throughout, and the text is rewritten perfectly for this to flow well, yet retain the depth of the epic novel by Bunyan. As I read, my kids continually came to peek over my shoulder because they were attracted to the artwork. There are a few parts where the story is so brief that it almost assumes you have read the full novel before. It’s not enough to frustrate the story flow or arc, but it happens from time to time. This graphic novel is so well done… from the source material (obviously), to the editing and adaptation, art (wow!), and the added touches like the lexicon and the chapter reflections. This is a work of art!

Note: At the end of the graphic novel there is a lexicon containing helpful explanations of characters and places. The book also contains chapter reflections at the end to help understand and meditate on the meaning within each chapter.

I received an advance review copy from the publisher for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic in every way. It has been a few years since I have read the Pilgrim's Progress, but this graphic novel shares the beauty and poignant message of the original. I think it is very faithful to Bunyan's original work. I read this through with my 4-yr-old daughter (who is admittedly quite the bookworm) and she enjoyed every minute. The illustrations/graphics are beautiful and the paper/printing quality is superb - it reminds me of the best Batman graphic novels I have read.

There's also a great section in the back with profiles on all the characters and places in the story and chapter reflections that draw out the theological themes of each chapter in a devotional way. 100% would recommend this to children and adults alike. I hope Crossway makes more graphic novels like this in the future!

I received an advance review copy from the publisher for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.