Book Description
Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rock band, he's "between jobs," and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? The short answer is yes. The long answer is Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life.
Customer Reviews:
The Most Believable Unbelievable Characterization.......2007-01-24
Alternate Title:
Scott Pilgrim: the Heretofore Unknown Best Fighter in the Province - If You're the Reader, at Least
Scott Pilgrim is a slacker and a moocher, and an absolutely shameless one at that. He's perhaps one of the most useless people in print comics, with nothing going for him, and worst of all, he doesn't hardly care.
Somehow Mr. O'Malley makes Scott into a lovable - and most astoundingly, *believable* - character, and chronicles well the hazy and nonlinear lives of aimless twenty-somethings. It's so hazy at times, it has taken me several read-throughs to finally understand what was going on. Don't think this a flaw, though, and just immerse yourself in this quaint, quirky world, and enjoy the surrealism.
Mr. O'Malley's art matches the mood of the series well, for both the linework and the wordwork bear a considerable influence from wacky, slice-of-life manga like Azumanga Daioh. Thankfully, however, this work stays away from the cliche stories and mediocre art of most English-language "faux" manga.
One of the things I like most of all is how it picks apart the hipster and local music scenes. The band _Crash and the Boys_ and their set was a great exaggeration of the "opening band that's too much better", and the Scott's abysmal band, _The Sex Bob-ombs_, reminded me of playing in garage bands during my high school days. The look, pride, and sensitivity of Matthew Patel is hilarious, and it's fun to see this uppity hipster get put down.
I must say that the fight scene at the end is very sudden and out of place with both the mood and action of the rest of the book. As a scene itself, though, is well done, and the surreal break it provides itself is a great exercise in humor.
I think what I like best about this comic is the dialogue and the art. The dialogue is believable, and the art is just... awesome. Hey, I'm not an art major or anything. ;-P
I definitely recommend this. Buy one for every collegian/twenty-something/whoever on your list.
Genius!.......2006-12-12
I don't read comics. I read a few, select graphic novels. I read about this online and was very impressed. The art is perfect. The story is great.
My only warning is this: much of the humor only makes sense if you understand video games and the punk/emo culture. If you don't know anything about either of those topics, I wouldn't read this book.
Waffle........2006-09-16
I don't say this about many books, but I was hooked after the first chapter. The art looks like it was drawn with a felt-tip pen. The language will not expand your vocabulary. Get past that. Regardless of what he used to draw it, I think the art looks great, and the dialouge is simple because the dialouge is not between Gods, it's people aged 17-25 or so living in Toronto. Natural-sounding dialouge: it's a good thing.
I thought it was amusing. I liked it, and I recommend it to someone who wants something entertaining to read.
Rating: Totally Sweet.......2006-08-18
I really wish that I had read Scott Pilgrim sooner. I first heard about the book back in March or April, though I thought that Pilgrim was the author. When I learned what Scott Pilgrim really was, I couldn't believe how much I didn't want to read it. For those of you who don't know yet, Scott Pilgrim is a faux-manga series about a 23-year-old Canadian slacker who must defeat a girl's seven evil ex-boyfriends before he can date her. I came up with nearly every excuse I could think of to avoid reading this book. The plot sounded dumb, the visuals were influenced by manga, it was black and white. However, I couldn't help but notice how much praise it got from both comic reviewers and mainstream publications. Not only that, but two of my friends like it, and one of them doesn't read any other comics. Eventually, I decided that I should just give it a try, and I was barely 5 pages into Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life before I realized that all of the hype was completely true.
Scott Pilgrim is 23 years old and has no direction in life. He is "between jobs", is in a crappy band (with an awesome name), and as the series starts, he has just started dating a 17-year-old high school girl named Knives Chau. He lives with his gay roommate Wallace, whom he always introduces as being totally awesome and gay. Most of the things in the apartment belong to Wallace, and the two share a bed, but that is because they are too poor to afford a second. Based on how you look at life, Scott is either completely awesome or a total loser.
His time with Knives is just ok; the only things she can ever talk about is the high school drama she is immersed in and how her mother wants her to find a nice Chinese boy. All they ever do is get pizza or listen to Scott's band, Sex Bob-omb, practice.
However, when Scott meets Ramona Flowers, an American girl now working for Amazon.ca, his whole life is thrown into a tailspin. Suddenly, he can't get her out of his mind, and when he accidentally creeps her out at a party, he orders some CDs from Amazon (using Wallace's credit card) just so she can deliver them to him. Eventually, he gets her to go out with him, and he invites her to a Sex Bob-omb concert. Now, all this time, things have been fairly normal. Nothing too out-of-the-ordinary has occurred. But when Ramona's ex-boyfriend from high school shows up, things get bizarre, and yet the characters don't seem to notice at all. Matthew Patel, who dated Ramona for a week and a half, challenges Scott to a fight during the concert, and without missing a beat, Scott and his friends enter a melee.
Scott Pilgrim is hilarious. Before things even get weird, the dialogue and bizarre, though somewhat believable, situations keep the reader in stitches. But when outlandish events occur, the humor is ratcheted up a notch. It is helped by the fact that Scott and his friends act as if a manga-style brawl with Ramona's "evil" ex-boyfriend is as normal as going to work (though for Scott, I guess it is more normal than work). Other sources of humor include ratings when new characters are introduced, such as Scott's rating of awesome, his sister Stacey's rating of T for Teen (a video game reference), and Wallace's rating of 7.5/10. There is also the room break-down, giving us a detailed look at what belongs to Scott and what belongs to Wallace, Scott's terrible physical description of Ramona's hair, and the fact that sometimes the characters seem to be addressing the reader (Scott says that an anecdote is better for another volume). The book also introduced the term "attack hug" into my lexicon. There are also great references to comic books and video games. Scott wears an X patch on his jacket reminiscent of the X-Men, all the bands are video game references, and a discussion of dreams leads Scott to think about Super Mario Bros. 2.
I can't stress enough how great this book is. If you have any reservations, especially the ones that I mentioned above, ignore them at all costs. Scott Pilgrim is like nothing you've read before, and will definitely keep you entertained.
A Real Review.......2006-06-17
I'm not the type to flame on people who love something I hate, so I'll just leave it at that,I hated it.
I wouldn't be writting a review if someone before me had posted a review and not a love letter.
A review should consider whether or not the art in question will appeal to anyone who consumes it or just your friends, this one is definately the latter.
Basically it's an emo/indie story full of emo/indie kids doing emo/indie things.
If you can draw a circle you can draw this book.
If you can write dialogue such as, "cool." and "yeah!", you can write this book.
There's nothing more to it, if you're into that you'll love it, if not, save your money.
Better yet, spend you're money on some Paul Pope or Brian Wood, lots of indie cred, but backed up with brilliant art and intelligent writing.
Average customer rating:
- Slightly Dated, but Still Very Relevant
- A Searing Commentary
- Read C.S. Lewis' first fiction
- Listen to the Audio Tape if you can!
- Wonderful allegory
|
The Pilgrim's Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity Reason and Romanticism
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 20th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Romanticism
| Movements & Periods
| History & Criticism
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
British
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
All Amazon Upgrade
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Literature & Fiction
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Religion & Spirituality
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold
-
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
-
The Four Loves
-
God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics
-
Perelandra (Space Trilogy, Book 2)
ASIN: 0802806414 |
Customer Reviews:
Slightly Dated, but Still Very Relevant.......2007-06-24
I both enjoyed and unenjoyed this book. It's a bit hard to explain why, though. I enjoyed it because it was an interesting tale and lightly told. Many of the points are not difficult to graps, even when guised as allegory. But at times, some of the allegorical characters really got rambling on and on and this made it difficult to wade through for what, exactly, was being allegorized. But, as Lewis himself admits, it was a bit dense at times and therefore he added bylines at the tops of each page to help readers who get bogged down in the quagmire. So, I suppose, on the whole it was good, and I would recommend it to other Christians, but I have my suspicions that non-Christians won't quite see it the same way.
A Searing Commentary.......2006-09-21
While on the surface this book is an allegorical journey of Lewis' progressive conversion experience, it gets little "press" as a commentary on society. Just about everything modern (and even post-modern) civilization hold dear is put in its proper perspective in this novel (autobiography). Continuing on in his diatribe against the Establishment (e.g., the "world" and its values) in "That Hideous Strength" and "Abolition of Man," Lewis picks apart specific philosophies and values in everything from what we now call post-modernism back to Spencer, politics to art, hedonism to ascetism.
Read C.S. Lewis' first fiction.......2006-08-16
If the first fiction by Lewis you read is the seven volume Narnian set, the rest of his works can appear rather puzzling. Lewis said to Tolkien, there wasn't anything available of the sort of thing he liked to read, so he'd have to write it himself; arguably both Tolkien and Lewis wrote for readers who liked to read what they liked to read, and in so doing struck a deep vein and a lost chord.
This book was originally published by Catholic publishers Ward and Sheed who naturally pitched it to their Catholic readers. However, that got Lewis regarded as an RC, a reputation he was anxious to live down, and he referred lightly to the publishers as "Ward and Sneed". That was only the first of many misunderstandings he'd be involved in simply because he wrote what he wanted, ignoring the dictates, as it were, of the market.
This book has been released in various versions. Some have, as Lewis intended, notes or annotations explaining the allegorical meaning, for instance the Red and Black savages are communists and fascists, respectively. Oddly enough, at one point Bantam published a pocket version leaving off these notes, which transforms the allegory to a "straight" fantasy, and leaves many readers confused.
Tolkien said he didn't write allegory, and the Narnian Chronicles, despite certain correspondences are not allegory, but this book is. The form is based on John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Regress. Ironically, Bunyan began his work with a long poem apologizing for the fact that it's an allegory. Lewis spent much of his time apologizing that his books weren't. Why we still read them is that he refused to conform to his times (and their notion of "best-sellers", and therefore has outlived them.
Between this, his first fictional work and 'Till We Have Faces, his last, Lewis output varied widely, not in quality but in style and genre. This volume, with the graphic enhancement of a well-known illustrator of Tolkien, re-introduces us to the long-forgotten genre of allegory at its most imaginative and captivating. Lewis demonstrates his unique gift of resonating with diverse readers and making a story his own.
Listen to the Audio Tape if you can!.......2006-02-24
I recently listened to this work of Lewis' as read by Whitfield from the 3rd edition. I have no doubt that I would have enjoyed reading it, but this narration truly brought it to life in a manner that reading might have failed to do.
Having some background certainly will help the reader to understand what Lewis is doing here. Certainly, someone unfamiliar with John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" would stand a pretty good chance of getting lost. I'm not sure I agree that familiarity with Lewis's other, later, writings is necessary although it certainly wouldn't hurt. Aside from Bunyan, I believe this work stands well on its own.
You might want to consider as well, reading the afterword to the 3rd edition in which Lewis gives some insight to his use of the word romanticism which he believes on second thought adds to some confusion due to it's broad use. Reading that in advance may add some needed enlightenment. Reading it a second time is probably a needed investment as new applications and understandings will appear. That is the nature of well written allegory.
Allegory is often a misunderstood literary vehicle. Lewis struggled with his relationship with JRR Tolkien at some levels because Tolkien absolutely despised allegory in all its forms and was wary of any work where he detected it. No doubt Lewis was well aware of that and got an earful through his association with Tolkien as well as his other acquaintances who over the years came to be known as the "Inklings" where current writings were read, critiqued and evaluated.
Lewis dabbled in allegory in other areas although no other work truly can be called a pure allegory so much as this, his first novel as a believer. The Narnia Chronicles contain allegorical literary devices but are not purely allegory. The Space Trilogy can be said to do the same but is even less allegorical than the Narnia Chronicles.
Really good allegory, doesn't require a key to give it understanding. This work of Lewis can be said to be really good allegory but there are some elements of higher literature (to be expected in a professor of Literature) and some language elements where Latin maxims are included without the benefit of translation. If you're reading this for anything other than entertainment you'll find you probably need to do some work to understand the subtle nuances that Lewis conveys in his use of these maxims as well as some of the names which will not be so readily apparent to the casual reader. That understood, the casual reader should still be able to come away with the gist of what Lewis is illustrating and be entertained in the process.
A brief word about the narration, as I listened to this on CD rather than reading it directly. It is outstanding! The use of many distinctive voices which are memorable and consistent make this a dramatic reading that is rivaled by few others I've ever heard. In fact, I'm almost tempted to push for your first experience to be hearing it that reading it for just that reason. There is a cadence to the reading that shows Lewis had a grasp on drama and poetry that I wish he'd have continued to evidence in his later works to the degree he did here. It is breathtaking and brilliant on its own merits whether you are in sympathy with his primary message or not.
Definite 5 stars all the way around! An excellent book.
Wonderful allegory.......2006-02-19
This, the first book Lewis wrote after finding Christ, is an amazing story - a sort of homage to The Pilgram's Progress. In Regress the main character leaves his home of Puritania - ruled by a powerful but unseen Landlord - in search of his heart's desire, a beautiful island.
He wanders through all the philosophies of the world including Hedonism, Athiesm, Nihlism and many more "isms". All throughout, Lewis brilliantly manages to make complex theological and philosophical truths plain with simple allegory. There are moments of pure joy in this story. Highly reccomended.
Book Description
Does Scott and Ramona's burgeoning relationship have a future? Isn't Scott still supposedly dating Knives Chau? Who is Ramona's second evil ex-boyfriend, and why is he in Toronto? Who are The Clash At Demonhead, and what kind of bizarre art-punky music do they play? Who's their hot girl keyboardist, and what is Scott's relation to her? Why are they Knives Chau's new favourite band? Fights! Drama! Secrets revealed! The answers to all these questions and more!
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04
Girlfriends are evil.
Even more so if they are exes in rock bands, or other oddities. Current girlfriends that have ex-boyfriends that want to fight you are also a bit annoying.
So are teenage girls that like to go ninja on your current squeeze.
Having something to sit on at your place is also useful.
Scottaholics Unite!.......2006-09-01
The first volume in the Scott Pilgrim series introduced us to one of the most bizarre faux-anime concepts (and casts) ever conceived. Scott Pilgrim is the ultimate slacker: he is 23 years old, is between jobs, plays in a bad band, and was, until recently, dating a high school girl. He left the 17-year-old Knives Chau for the more age-appropriate Ramona Flowers, an Amazon.ca delivery girl. However, Scott soon learned that in order to keep dating Ramona, he would have to fight and defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. The fight against the first boyfriend was an over-the-top awesome fest of unrivaled proportions. So the question was, "Would the second volume, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World be as good?" Yes.
Scott and Ramona (who he refers to as "Rammy" sometimes) are still getting to know each other as Scott is forced to fight Lucas Lee, Ramona's second evil ex-boyfriend, who is also a pretty-boy movie star and ex-skater. But things get more complicated when Scott's ex-girlfriend Natalie "Envy" Adams threatens to come back into the picture. Best of all, Knives engages Ramona in a fight for Scott's heart that is even better than the fight against Matthew Patel in the first volume. There are plenty of other humorous moments, especially those involving Wallace, Scott's roommate, as well as a scene that plays like a cooking show.
If you are a fan of video games, anime parody, and sweet fights, you should definitely check out Scott Pilgrim. The humor is top-notch, and the story is great.
OUT friggin STANDING.......2005-08-30
These are the coolest things I've ever read. It's like he's looking into my mind. I want volume 3.... right now
I don't care if this was helpful to you or not... you shouldn't even be reading this review
YOU SHOULD BE BUYING AND READING THE BOOKS!
Let's Start With Launchpad McQuack (That's not the actual name of the review)..........2005-07-04
Looking at the shelves of my local comics shop, things are getting darker and darker. The shelves are littered with the misguided sons of Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, new comics that seem to eschew the philosophy that "gruesome and unpleasant" can mean the same thing as "mature." But while the Blue Beetle is taking one in the dome, while Batman is even grumpier than usual, while the Avengers are being torn apart by one of their own, and while the comics world gets darker and darker, Scott Pilgrim is in Canada, learning the bass line to Final Fantasy 2.
Through Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, Bryan Lee O'Malley manages to capture something essentially fun. He creates a world where the reluctance to let go of childhood, something most kids in our early twenties are going through, is celebrated instead of discouraged. From Scott being "between jobs," to his obsession with video games, to the high-school-drama style romance of the book, the series characters don't simply avoid putting away their "childish things" - they're trying to get the high score on them.
O'Malley saturates this fun into every aspect of the book, especially his pencils. The art is gorgeous, a mish-mash of manga and mainstream to create something wholly Mal. This reviewer isn't particularly fond of manga, and yet I was so taken by it that I own a page from Volume 1, and have one from Volume 2 on the way. His expression work is top notch, capturing on one page a character's true hurt, on another their true love, and on my favorite pages the blank stares of a confused Scott as he lays out another fantastic non-comeback ("I... but... you... you're not the boss of me?).
Why we care is the characters. O'Malley creates a dozen characters that get layers and layers as the story goes on, shining enough light on the ones we love from Volume 1 that we don't feel he's neglected anyone, and fleshing out the ones we don't love yet in Volume 2 so that we learn to. One character that didn't have much to do in Volume 1 gets so much attention and development that she's now one of my favorites.
Our protagonist, Scott, is the northern Every-Man. A complete lay-about who witlessly breaks hearts and sleeps until 2, but is so disarmingly innocent and charming that we root for him in almost every situation. He's dating a highschooler named Knives Chau, falls for a girl named Ramona Flowers, and has to fight her seven evil ex-boyfriends to win her hand. It's a premise that only works in O'Malley's world of video-game-logic (after defeating an Evil Ex, Scott is rewarded with coins, and if he's really lucky, an item!), but once you buy into these characters taking sub-space highways through each other's heads (not at all like in Super Mario 2), the more insane bits where a fight/dance number break out become your favorites.
Scott Pilgrim has something for everyone: if you're still kicking back with a SNES or Genesis controller it's for you. If you're into Manga, if you're into indie rock, if you just like Canada or have ever been in a relationship where you needed to prove yourself, this book is for you.
It's extremely tempting to just list all the things I love about the book, to recite each and every quote (as anyone who reads the book ends up doing in their day-to-day), and to talk about each and every character and their general awesomeness. I'd rather whoever reads this just go and buy the books, because with a story, with characters, with art and wit this good, I know you'll fall in love with it too.
My Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack - "WE ARE SEX BOB-OMB!"
1 Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes Remix) - Beck
2 Come On Home - Franz Ferdinand
3 5 Times Out of 100 - Hot Hot Heat
4 What Do I Get? - The Buzzcocks
5 Complete Control - The Clash
6 Korobeiniki (Theme From Tetris) - Ozma
7 Starman - David Bowie
8 Sheena Is A Punk Rocker - The Ramones
9 Debaser - The Pixies
10 Save it For Later - The English Beat
11 A Little More for A Little you - The Hives
12 Suspect Device (Album Version) - Stiff Little Fingers
IM A SCOTTHOLIC.......2005-07-04
IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC
IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC IM A SCOTTHOLIC
ONE OF THE FEW BOOKS THAT CAN MAKE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD.
Book Description
Ramona's third evil ex-boyfriend, Todd Ingram, is currently dating the former love of Scott Pilgrim's life! Envy Adams broke Scott's heart a year and a half ago. Now she and her evil art-rock band are back, and they're getting Scott's band to open a show two days from now! That's just enough time for Scott to fight Todd, keep Ramona happy, fend off demented ex-girlfriends, and practice that new setlist. Right?? Don't miss the latest chapter in the graphic novel saga The Globe and Mail calls "Canada's answer to Tank Girl!"
Customer Reviews:
Bryan Lee O'Malley Did It Again... maybe better than before.......2007-08-23
Scott Pilgrim is getting better and better in my opinion. O'Malley seems to amp up his penciling in this volume --- better detail, great action. The story is just o-so-cool.
Can't wait for vol. 4 when Scott gets it together!
An amazing graphic novel.......2007-07-04
Basically, I picked this book up at half price during a closing sale at a store. I leafed through it when I bought it, and thought it looked pretty good. 3~4 reads later, I have to say that this is one of the best manga [though I really hesitate to call it that: it kind of resides in the space between manga, comic, and book] I've read. It's realistic, has really funny jokes, and isn't afraid to be wacky - the thing is that these otherwise completely outlandish moments fit perfectly within the book as it stands. A must-read [I currently have the first two books and Lost at Sea coming to my house from this series]!
A nice read.......2007-05-17
I really enjoyed the development of Scott's relationships in this volume. A whole lot happened, and somethings are too random to recall, but overall, it was an enjoyable read. I like how O'Malley takes his time to reveal Scott's relationships with people through a series of flashbacks, where in each one, you get a small piece of the puzzle.
Scott Continues To Entertain!.......2006-09-18
I can still barely believe that the Scott Pilgrim series is as good as it is. Author Bryan Lee O'Malley has taken a relationship drama and infused it with numerous references to video games, indie music, manga, and other niche areas of popular culture to create a world where characters are completely fine with breaking out into a massive, over-the-top fight that involves the battleground imploding at the end.
Scott Pilgrim, for those of you who aren't caught up, is a 23-year-old slacker who lives in a small Canadian town around Toronto. He is in a bad band named Sex Bob-Omb along with the completely cool (so cool he has no emotions) Stephen Stills and the angry Kim Pine (whom he dated in high school). After breaking up with a 17-year-old high school girl named Knives Chau, Scott began dating Ramona Flowers, an American now living in Canada and working as an Amazon.ca delivery girl. However, before Scott can officially date Ramona, he must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. He has already taken out 2, but the next on the list, Todd Ingram, may prove to be more than Scott can handle.
Picking up pretty much exactly where the second volume, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, left off, Scott and Ramona have just learned that Todd is dating Natalie V. "Envy" Adams, Scott's girlfriend before Knives who ripped his heart out. Through flashbacks, we learn how Envy met Scott as a shy anime fan and eventually turned into a rock goddess. If that weren't bad enough, Todd is a vegan, and in Scott's world, vegans attain vast psychic powers that make him a much more formidable opponent than Matthew Patel and Lucas Lee.
As usual, the battles don't take up the whole book; most of the pages are devoted to hilarious character studies. Scott's roommate, Wallace Wells, is just as funny as ever, with his snide comments about Envy and his platonic love of Ramona. Knives is great due to the sheer sadness of her situation (I kind of feel bad for her, but she is responsible for some very funny and heartfelt situations). New characters like Envy and Lynette, Envy's drummer who has a biomechanical arm, are fun as well. But the book is also full of great moments that don't deal with characters. The existence of a save point in the world was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. And of course, the fights just keep getting better. Ramona shows that she can hold her own and that her little handbag is just full of surprises.
The only thing I have to say that is negative is that I just can't get a good feel for the art. It is (as far as I know) intentionally cheap, but there are times when I can't tell who certain characters are or when the flashbacks end. Still, it isn't too much of a problem.
I don't care what excuses you may have for not reading Scott Pilgrim, get on it now! The story is great and the humor is fantastic.
Average customer rating:
- A REAL glimpse at the Christian Walk
- A very good book
|
Pictorial Pilgrims Progress
John Bunyan
Manufacturer: Moody Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
General
| Classics by Age
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Bunyan, John
| Classics
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Inspirational & Religious
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Bunyan, John
| ( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Classics by Age
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Inspirational & Religious
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Bunyan, John
| Classics
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Religion & Spirituality
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Little Pilgrims Progress
-
The Pilgrim's Progress in Modern English (Pure Gold Classic) (Pure Gold Classics)
-
Pilgrims Progress in Today's English
-
Pilgrim's Progress
-
The Pilgrim's Progress: Study Guide
ASIN: 0802400191 |
Book Description
Christian experiences are detailed for beginners with corresponding sketches on each page.
Customer Reviews:
A REAL glimpse at the Christian Walk.......2007-02-13
For those of you Christians out there, you know that walking with the Lord is no simple task...
Well the Pilgrim's Progress is something you can definetly relate to. Although this is the pictorial version, don't be fooled because I don't know if children can really understand what's going on in the story because it speaks with metaphors and parables so similar to real life and the warnings the bible talk about, it's more of a story adults can appreciate even more.
But this is what makes the Pilgrim's Progress SO good to read, because it talks about the REAL Christian life. Something only REAL Christians can understand. I'm not talking about Sunday Christians or Closet Christians. This book depicts our goal to eventually reach God amongst the struggles with the world.
A very good book.......1998-07-04
Well the thing is. When I was about 5,6 years old. My brother had this book. I read it so many times it fell apart And you know older brothers. He got mad at me. Now im not talking I read it 6,7 times im talking 50,60 Maybe 70 times... It is a good book especially for kids. if you are thinking about getting it, Get it you wont regret it. Highly recomended!!! More so for 12 and under A little to young for teens get a older version for them.. It is still just as good but well you decide.
Book Description
A bestseller in South Korea in 1991, where it was serialized in that country's largest newspaper, Little Pilgrim is a tale of adventure and self-discovery in the tradition of Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. Based on the Gandavyuha, Buddhism's deepest and most challenging scripture, Ko Un's Little Pilgrim relates the heroic journey of Sudhana, who sets out to discover what truth is. Throughout 20 years of fantastic travels, Sudhana encounters teachers that are human, animal, and spirit as he navigates mountain vistas, lush valleys, and remote villages.
Drawing from his own 20-year journey, as well as first-hand experiences with wars and monastic life, Un infuses his book with reflections and memories, creating fascinating characters and a vibrant story. The pinnacle of Un's career as a writer and as a man in search of truth, Little Pilgrim is a poignant voyage that resonates on many levels.
Customer Reviews:
A Journey to Enlightenment.......2005-12-24
This achingly beautiful book, written by Korea's Poet Laureate Ko Un (it took him 23 years to write) is a fictionalization of the 39th volume of the Avatamsaka (Flower Garland) Sutra, sometimes separately known as the Gandavyuha Sutra.
It recounts the journey of Sudhana, the Little Pilgrim, to seek knowledge from 53 different masters, starting with Manjushri, and ending with Samanthabadra.
On his journey, he encounters and masters the concepts of emptiness, impermanence and interconnectedness, so necessary to a true understanding of Buddhism.
The kind of book that makes you glad to be a Buddhist (if you need a book to do that.)
From a review in the Shambhala Sun magazine:.......2005-11-22
If you haven't heard of Ko Un, take note. This Korean poet is a former Buddhist monk and a two-time Nobel Prize-nominee for literature. The fall book season sees the release of two English translations of his work, a novel and a collection of poetry (Ten Thousand Lives from Green Integer). An accessible introduction to Ko Un, Little Pilgrim is a fictional tale based on the Avatamsaka or "Flower Garland" sutra, one of the most influential scriptures in East Asian Buddhism. It's the story of a young boy, Sudhana, who sets out on a journey and meets fifty-three teachers-Buddhist, spirit, and otherwise-who help him to become a bodhisattva. Ko Un has rendered it as an engaging narrative that will be a treasure for a young, modern audience, fulfilling a promise he made to his teacher more than thirty years ago.
Book Description
John Bunyan's classic allegory of Christian's journey to the Celestial City, abridged and updated for the modern reader.
Download Description
Journey with Christian on the most incredible adventure ever imagined. Reaching the Celestial City is a little more difficult than our hero bargained for! Will he pass safely through the Valley of the Shadow of Death?
Customer Reviews:
Your Life's Companion.......2006-08-10
Enthralling. This book will help every Christian deal with the battles of being a Christian in this life and all the struggles that go with it. It teaches you never to give up even when you feel like you can't go on. Life's struggles are not a new occurrence, but as timeless as human existence itself. It teaches you not to be too concentrated on your struggles, but to look at the great prize which is Heaven and not be distracted or enticed by the struggles of life nor the easy way out. Excellent. It is a must read for every Christian.
Readable and human parable. A story for all times........2004-10-18
The first time that I encountered Christian and his pilgrimage was as a preface and a family favorite in the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Unfortunately, it was not until twenty-something years later that I actually got around to reading the book itself. If I were you, I would not wait that long.
The first part of the current combined book appeared in 1678. Bunyan, a nonconformist Protestant minister who was imprisoned for preaching without a license, wrote at least the first part of the book in jail. The second part was first published in 1684. It is likely the most popular allegory ever written, and is still one of the best selling books of all time.
What makes it so popular? The obvious key to its popularity is its simple, crisp style. Even accounting for the language changes between the seventeenth century and now, it is not a struggle to read Progress and it flows well for the modern reader. Although the book is allegory, the characters are full of little realistic details that make them feel quite human. Incidentally, I was reading this book as I was walking some of the old pilgrimage trails of Europe and it was interesting to me how vivid and applicable his version of the pilgrimage experience is. The Slow of Despair rang remarkably true, as did characters such as Talkative and Mr. Worldly Wisdom.
The Oxford University Press edition is bound with a scholarly introduction which is, for a change, worth reading. It also came with explanatory notes and a glossary which were helpful for the modern reader who is not familiar with the everyday language of the period.
Captivating.......2003-10-15
This book is a true classic. John Bunyan spins a wonderful tale of the spiritual walk to heaven. The language may be a bit hard and it won't be that easy of a read, but it is definately worth the while!
It is spiritually edifying and also quite captivating.
A must read!!!
Classic.......2003-06-24
Pilgrim's Progress is without a doubt one of the true classics of time--an allegory that has remained a best seller years after its introduction.
My first introduction to Pilgrim's Progress was as a child in parochial school. I had to do a book report on it in 5th grade and ended up reading numerous times for various projects throughout grade school.
The reader follows the main character--aptly named "Christian"--on his journey to the Celestial City.
Along the way, Christian passes through the many trials of life, symbolized by intruiging characters and places along the way. An early temptation is the "City of Destruction", which Christian narrowly escapes with his life. The various characters are perhaps the most fascinating portion of the book--Pliable, Giant Despair, Talkative, Faithful, Evangelist, and numerous others provide the reader with a continual picture of the various forces at work to distract (or perhaps, encourage)Christian on his ultimate mission.
Of course, the theology (for those of the Christian faith) of Pilgrim's Progress is a constant source of debate, the book is nonetheless a classic of great English writing.
It's not a quick read--that's for sure--however, I certainly would recommend that one read it in its original form. Don't distort the beauty of the old English language with a modern translation.
Wonderful theology, incomplete allegory.......2002-08-17
The Pilgrim's Progress is perhaps one of the most enduring allegories ever written; it has set the form for several more recent works (Hannah Hurnard's "Hind's Feet on High Places," most notably). Bunyan's work was, for 18th century Christians, a companion to the Bible. The theology is a perfect example of Reformation thought, and were it not for a major flaw in the allegory, this work would be just about perfect.
Setting out from the City of Destruction, Christian makes his journey throughout many perils and temptations, eventually finding his way (through death) to the Celestial City, to live with Christ and the saints. Along the way he learns much about evading temptation, and much practical advise on escaping sin is given to the reader through his discussions with travelling companions Faithful and Hopeful.
However, by no means is Christian's journey representative of the Christian life as it is meant to be lived. Two stunning flaws stand out - first, that Christian in no way has any direct contact with Christ, until after his death; secondly, that Christian's life is devoid of relationships, outside of his two travelling companions.
These two realities of the novel are startling, especially given that the Christian life is, first and foremost, relational-primarily, the Christian lives in relation to God, and then in relation to his neighbor. The Christian is not an island; he is to evade the world, but love those in it. Bunyan entirely misses this key point.
Not only is the life Bunyan paints theologically incorrect, but it is entirely undesireable. It would be unimaginable for the Christian to live an entire life without, along the way, enjoying intimacy with Christ. Indeed, it is these moments of intimacy in spite of imperfection, which drive the Christian's soul onward. And it hardly needs mentioning that a Christian who, rather than reaching out and loving those around him, dismisses them as sinners and leaves them behind, is more reminiscent of Pharasitical hypocrisy, than Christian love.
If one is looking for a challenging allegory, they need look no further than Hannah Hurnard's "Hinds Feet on High Places;" its protagonist, Much Afraid, is throughout her journey often in direct contact with Christ, and her redemption comes not through death, but through Christ making her able to go out into the world and love. Though "Hind's Feet" is not as theologically rich as Bunyan's allegory, its practical application is far more uplifting, hopeful, and correct.
Book Description
How does a book become an international bestseller? What happens to it as it is translated into different languages, contexts, and societies? How is it changed by the intellectual environments it encounters? What does the transnational circulation mean for its reception back home? Exploring the international life of a particularly long-lived and widely traveled book, Isabel Hofmeyr follows The Pilgrim's Progress as it circulates through multiple contexts--and into some 200 languages--focusing on Africa, where 80 of the translations occurred.
This feat of literary history is based on intensive research that criss-crossed among London, Georgia, Kingston, Bedford (John Bunyan's hometown), and much of sub-Saharan Africa. Finely written and unusually wide-ranging, it accounts for how The Pilgrim's Progress traveled abroad with the Protestant mission movement, was adapted and reworked by the societies into which it traveled, and, finally, how its circulation throughout the empire affected Bunyan's standing back in England.
The result is a new intellectual approach to Bunyan--one that weaves together British, African, and Caribbean history with literary and translation studies and debates over African Christianity and mission. Even more important, this book is a rare example of a truly worldly study of "world literature"--and of the critical importance of translation, both linguistic and cultural.
Amazon.com
Timothy Findley's Pilgrim is the story of a man who can't die even though he tries over and over to kill himself. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, in 1912 he's placed in a Zurich clinic where Carl Gustav Jung is hard as work trying to determine the perimeter of the collective unconscious. For Jung, this man becomes an embodiment of the psyche's mystery. Claiming to have no past history but to have simply arrived one day at consciousness, Pilgrim lives in a limbo outside individuality and subjectivity. He's everyone and no one. Is he a messenger? Or is he a basket case? As the novel gathers momentum, we realize that Pilgrim is a character much like Virginia Woolf's Orlando, traversing gender and time, a witness. But whereas Woolf is a feverish and emotional writer, Findley is philosophical and dry, playful and slightly pretentious. Imagining conversations between Pilgrim and Henry James, Leonardo da Vinci, and Oscar Wilde, this novel is like a party full of beautiful guests. Or a safe train trip through an exotic landscape of consciousness where men use cologne that smells like "moss... lemons... ferns" and schizophrenics are elegant and well dressed, like the old countess who believes she lives on the moon and asks her doctor, "Is this a ballroom? Am I being courted?" --Emily White
Book Description
On April 17, 1912 -- ironically, only two days after the sinking of the Titanic -- a figure known only as Pilgrim tries to commit suicide by hanging himself from a tree. When he is found five hours later, his heart miraculously begins to beat again. Pilgrim, it seems, can never die. Escorted by his beloved friend, Lady Symbol Quartermaine, Pilgrim is admitted to the famous Burgholzu Psychiatrist Clinic In Zurichm, where he will begin a battle of psyche and soul with Carl Jung, the self-professed mystical scientist of the unconscious Slowly, Jung coaxes Pilgrim to tell his astonishing story -- one that seemingly spans 4,000 years and includes such historical figures as Leonardo da Vinci and Henry James. But is Pilgrim delusional? Are these his memories merely dreams...or is his immortal existence truly a miracle.
Customer Reviews:
The Immortal Critic of Art and Pschology.......2007-03-13
The Pilgrim, a suicidal and renown art historian, hates art, as much as he hates life. In fact, the only thing he despises more is psychology in general, and the specific idea that there is but one temporal linear reality. Given this overbearing focus on negativity, it is a miracle that Timothy Findley has created a beautiful tale of about the elegant and not-so-elegant intricacies involved in both the practice of psychology and creation of art. Both the psychologists and the artists are protrayed with brutal specifics, but they seem more ignorant of goodness than practicing of evil.
The author uses artificial contrivances excessively to explain inconsistancies, but on the whole, he sucessfully makes this impossible myth seem almost believable. The protagonist can be neither loved nor hated, yet the reader strives to understand him. Some of the fasinating minor characters are introduced and then abandoned, before they are adequately developed, but a sprinkling of well researched historical figures provide a path for pursuing the plausibilty of some other aspects of this tale even beyond the novel itself.
It was a good read.
good book........2006-04-28
I really enjoyed this book. Intresting characters, facinating creative licence on historical figures and the whole plot with Da'vinci and the Mona Lisa is great. His charactersation of Dr. Jung was very enjoyable. My only critisism is the author diverges into other minor characters without any reason and uses whole chapters to do this. I can see a few paragraphs but a chapter was to much. By relating a few facts or tid bits it would have made a much more facinating read. I was also left with a feeling that I did not really know the main character as much as I would have liked. Pilgrim is shown hopping from body to body through time and space but there was a lack of essential essence to the man save as witness to greatness.
Thought Provoking..........2005-12-18
I picked this book up quite a few times before I finally decided to read it, basically because I thought it would delve too much into the Jungian concepts, etc, of which I don't have much knowledge...I'd just heard of Jung before I read this! However, the book was really quite interesting, and though it looks like a daunting read, its really not...its thought provoking (as my review title suggests!), and it makes you pause once in a while to think somethings through...something you hadnt really thought of much before, some new concept, and such, but still, it is perfectly understandable...and even if one doesn't have a lot of knowledge of psychology to start off with, it makes one interested in finding out more...or at least it did me!...I would reccomend this for anyone who is looking for a slightly challenging read.
Life Everlasting.......2005-07-27
In Pilgrim Timothy Findley mixes fiction and fact in a necklace of words that are a feast for the soul. Pilgrim is a man whose past is shrouded in mystery. His story is a remarkable literary gem , a true mosaic for the mind. Findley traverses the heights of imagination in a book filled with passion , adventure and the many textures of life. There is a sparkling freshness to this utterly original creative endeavor.
Pilgrim is as individual as a snowflake. A book which inspires , enlightens and enriches the reader. Pilgrims life is altered by an idealistic Carl Jung who is seeking to serve the betterment of the universe. This book is so well written that at times you forget that its not history , its but a magnificent work of fiction.
Pilgrim is a tremendous achievement. The characters are vibrant , fascinating and astounding. There is a fantastic aura to this piece of literature. Pilgrims is an existence to be celebrated. A mythic existence of presence and being which becomes a journey of understanding and begs the question - What price immortality?
Timothy Findleys artistic vision enchants and inspires. The limitless realities throughout this book make the ordinary extraordinary. Imagination is knowledge and Findley once again proves himself a very wise man. The authentic voice of Timothy Findley takes us to visually stunning places , he paints a vibrant portrait of a man whose very existence is authentic and soul stirring. Pilgrim is a heart centered endeavor that i am profoundly proud to have read.
Canada's Gem.......2005-07-06
If you're looking for a diversion or a fun, entertaining read that features a movie plot, you might want to skip this one. If you're looking for literature that actually challenges you, you should definitely consider this book. Mr. Findley's world is one of compelling ideas, fully-realized characters, and some of the best, atmospheric writing I have ever come across. It's not material you can digest right away. It's writing from which you'll gain more with each re-read.
The world lost one of its very best writers when Mr. Findley died. A tragedy for those of us Americans who had only just been introduced to him.
Customer Reviews:
Ennis Makes Me Wanna' Barf.......2005-11-16
Ennis is a hackneyed writer that really needs to join Alan Moore in burying himself in a dungeon, growing a disgusting beard, and never speaking or writing anything again.
America is the idea of diverse beliefs. Literature has often been a way of expressing those beliefs. Comic books have been an outlet for entertainment. You got something to say about God or politics, write a book, Ennis. Don't dress up your ridiculous views in the guise of a post-apocalypitc western comic book so that readers think you're actually telling a story and not intending to cram your ideologies down our throats.
Lastly Ennis, if you are going to express your disbelief in God, don't do it so poorly. At the end of the story, the Pilgrim quickly spouts a paragraph about the Bible that is as humorous as it is insulting.
It's like Ennis crammed thirty years worth of hatred for the Bible into a single word-bubble. Therefore, it ends up looking ridiculous, ripping the reader from the suspension of belief, and making us realize that we're reading propaganda.
Which is worse, propaganda that's been around for a few thousand years---or propaganda comic books?
The best thing Garth Ennis has ever written.......2004-08-09
I love PREACHER. HITMAN is stroke after stroke of black-humoured genius. THE PRO is good fun. THE PUNISHER is the most fun to come out of MARVEL in years. But JUST A PILGRIM is, to me, the greatest thing put out by Garth Ennis. What I loved in PREACHER, the characters, the obvious love of Ennis for his characters, the romance of the settings and the timeless quality to it; everything i love from Preacher, from 66 issues, taken out, compressed, put into 5 issues and losing none of its poignancy.
Of course, the book is still full of that twisted humour and absolutly obscenely funny situatuations, and just the one liners ("I'll shove me hook up your poop-chute") make it a book you cannot put down. The story is mind-bogglingly simple, proving you don't always need a complex, winding story to be great. It's an absolutely dedicated religous man, travelling the desert of the earth with his gun, taking a group of wayfarers and travellers under his protection. It sounds boring, but it's not. It's a story with some of the deepest characters ever created by Ennis with the most genuine emotions and actions taken by a character under his writing ever. And he writes some damn realistic characters all of the time.
It's a real treat of a book, even for someone as non religous as me. As Ennis. You can tell that he doesn't believe this stuff, but he, like many other people, can respect someone who stands besides their morals no matter what the cost, regardless of who's around and what comes their way. It's a book that has to be read to be belived, it's the food of the mind, and you have to be careful. Don't look for much more than face value. You might start hating it.
Books:
- Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment
- Shattered Trust
- Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders: From the American Chronicles of John H. Watson, M.D.
- Siddhartha
- Sweetness in the Belly: A Novel
- The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
- The Book of Honor : The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives
- The Coffin Dancer (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel)
- The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)
- The Diary of Anais Nin: Vol. 1 (1931-1934)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Ghost Beach
- Architectural Graphic Standards, Tenth Edition
- The History of Econometric Ideas
- The Investor's Guide to Understanding Accounts: 10 Crunch Questions to Ask Before Investing in a Com
- Trading for a Living: Psychology, Trading Tactics, Money Management
- American Girls About Town: They're Not Just the Girls Next Door....
- 1997 Accolade Episcopal High School Yearbook Baton Rouge Louisiana
- Great Big Book on Real Estate Investing: Everything You Need to Know to Create Wealth in Real Estate
- The Practice of Econometrics: Classic and Contemporary
- Minor in Possession
Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 2: Scott Pilgrim Versus The World
Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 3: Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness
Lost At Sea
Demo: The Collected Edition
Scott Pilgrim, Vol 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together
