I just think there's no way anyone's going to like to read 400 pp. of John Bunyan--I certainly wouldn't! I think the colorization metaphor applies more to needless modernization of language. However, this is a non-issue, because there is no language barrier here. By 1678, we're into Modern English. All that needs to be done to make the text friendly to 21st century readers is to regularize spelling, as in this excerpt:stahrwe wrote:An abridged copy is like colorization or reformatting a movie to fit the screen, it isn't the original. Anytime you edit something it is changed.
As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where was a den, and laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. Isa. 64:6; Luke 14:33; Psalm 38:4. I looked and saw him open the book, and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled; and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry, saying, "What shall I do?" Acts 2:37; 16:30; Habak 1:2,3.
So verily I say unto you, an abridged version of this book would be more than sufficient.