5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this. Really works on you to be a better person.

M.L. · October 12, 2025

Everyone should read this. Really works on you to be a better person.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book to help your walk with Christ

A. · July 3, 2025

I’ve read many self help books before following Christ and they never helped. This is essentially a self help book but with purpose and meaning. And Christ is that meaning, teaching you self discipline and the walk with Christ is not easy but very much rewarding.

5.0 out of 5 stars "Always keep this book close to your heart"

W.B.T. · April 19, 2014

~A Carmelite Hermit/Priest once came upon me reading a copy of 'The Imitation of Christ' in the cloistered garden of the hermitage that I was living at temporarily. He sat beside me and looked at my book with a warm smile, he said "Always keep this book close to your heart, and you will never go astray". Since that day, it is rare for me to go anywhere without a well read copy of the Catholic Classic stuffed with care in my bag, and read a chapter or two every chance I get. It never gets 'old', and it's refreshing, penetrating words always "speak to me" in new and inviting ways, as if it were the first time reading that particular passage every time!I was very pleased to see these new leather zip-cover versions, as I've gone through a couple soft cover versions with daily wear and tear, in and out of the backpack, etc. There are two versions in these similar covers, two different translations by two seperate publishers. The one pictured here is my personal favorite, published by TAN, it is the same trusted and true old translation that is found in the beloved old 'Confraternity of the Precious Blood' versions.... that familiar little blue soft-covered version with stunning b&w detailed pictures to meditate upon as you read. This version was originally translated from Latin by Richard Challoner D.D., and is more true to the original translation. Though it is written in an older style of proper English, it is easy enough for most people to comprehend, and the older writing style has much artistic, poetic charm that is often times lost in some of the newer 'up-to-date' English translations. Remember, this is the second most translated and published book in history next to the Holy Bible! The other new leather zip-cover version available now looks nearly identical to this, but rather than a Cross on the front cover, it has a 'Chi Ro' design and omits the authors' name. This version, equally impressive, is put out by the Catholic Book Publishing Co., and is the same translation (edited by Clare L.Fitzpatrick) that is available in the small red hardcover version that is quite popular by the same publisher. This too is an excellent version, but the translation is much more modern and more readable by the everyday layperson, or anyone who wishes to hear this timeless wisdom in a more easily accessible version without the 'thee's, thou's, and shall's" of the aforementioned version. It's personal preference, example...first line of the TAN version = "He that followeth me, walketh not in darkness," ..... as opposed to the CBPC's version, "No one who follows Me will ever walk in darkness." (John 8:12).~But, to be truly enlightened and touched by these timeless words of wisdom of the Spiritual Life, I reccommend buying both versions, and absorbing both as to get a better understanding of these holy and guiding words. There are those who may say that A' Kempis's writings are 'not for everyone', as most of his writings were written to give guidance to the young novitiates of his monastic order where he served as Novice Master for a time, but please do not let that turn you away from the holy and life changing power of his spiritually uplifting direction that still speaks to many today. If you have any call to any form of holiness, or just want to enhance and reinvigorate your daily spiritual life, there is no way that you can go wrong with Thomas A 'Kempis and this, his most well known and loved body of work.

5.0 out of 5 stars Reliable source of good advice and spiritual insights

G.B. · May 9, 2025

Thomas à Kempis has been a reliable source of good advice and insights since the Middle Ages. Project Gutenberg explains it well - ..."this is a spiritual treatise written in the early 15th century. This work focuses on the importance of embodying the teachings of Jesus Christ, emphasizing humility, inner reflection, and a life of devotion to God over worldly concerns. Recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual Pocket Book Perfection

C.B. · August 16, 2024

This little gem of a book exceeded all my expectations. The gold gilded edging of the pages and the zippered cover of the book are an added bonus. But what took my breath away were the unexpected beautiful old world style plate art pages throughout the book. They look like the metal plate artwork ofGustave Dore, my absolute favorite artist! I could not help but squee with delight upon seeing them. I carry this book with me everywhere I go and never leave home without it. It has become my little spiritual friend that encourages me to continue carrying my cross and and to keep following my Lord & Savior. And with all that is happening around the world these days, this book brings me some much needed strength & comfort as I continue on my journey.

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the three books everyone should own according to Saint Thomas More the Martyr.

H.P. · April 9, 2015

This book was used even by many Protestants for centuries and is still used by some today. That's a testament to the importance of this book for the process of purifying one's heart so that it becomes a Godly castle. I prefer this reading to some newer ones.The Roman Catholic Church, like the Orthodox Church (I hope I haven't offended traditionalists in both churches, but I still really like both!) has produced lovers of God who write excellent books based on their experience. Thomas a'Kempis is certainly one of these lovers of God. Sir Thomas More, the Martyr who was canonized a saint by the RCC once said that The Imitation of Christ is one of three books that everyone ought to own,Some traditional Roman Catholics have complained that Tan Books has made small changes in its books to conform to post-Vatican II viewpoints not held by the RCC before that council. If that criticism is true, I don't know if The Imitation of Christ has had changes made to the text, or not.To be fair, I will give my religious background. I was born into a Roman Catholic family, did not begin regularly attending Mass because of age until 1967, when I made my First Holy Communion. Even though the English Mass of the time had some dubiously translated phrases which of course I was unaware of at the time, I remember I was quite disappointed with the changes. I did not like the three new Eucharistic Prayers, and the Confiteor that I had loved to pray as a child was, in my own words, "ruined". My father left the Church at the first sight of a Folk Mass in 1969 (I believe), because the massive changes had led him to wonder if the Chuch had become "phoney". Yet, he still sent us children to Catholic Schools. I fell under the spell of "Indepentant Fundamentalist Baptists" at age 17 because Mass and Church had lost its "magic", I suppose. Only staying with them for only a year, I didn't return to "Church" until 1985, when a Pentecostal Holiness church convinced me that the "once saved always saved" doctrine of those fundamentalist Baptists was a heresy, and I really did want to get as close as I could to God (as far as my limited understanding would let me). However, after attending their Bible school which trained up ministers, missionaries, and church workers, I slowly began to read Church History (though not those written by Catholics or Orthodox). Reading about the controversy between Augustine and Pelagius, with John Cassian in the middle, it seemed a bit like the argument between Reformed (Calvinist) Christians and Arminian Christians on the other. I came out on the side of John Cassian in the older argument (with no disrespect to Augustine of Hippo), so that put me in the camp with Hugo Grotius, the New Haven and New School Evangelicals of the 2nd Great Awakening, and Charles Grandison Finney, who the Reformed (Calvinist) Christians labeled a Pelagian, but who infact believed "it is difficult to be saved with the Holy Spirit and impossible to be saved" without the Holy Spirit, as stated in the introduction to his first sermon in his book "Lectures on the Revival of Religion". That sounded like Eastern Christian spirituality to me. So I returned to the Roman Catholic Church in 1995, attending mostly the ExtraordinaryWestern Rite and The Byzantine Ruthenian Rite, as well as visiting Russian Orthodox parishes. However ...Three years later I became a 12er Shia Muslim. That came from reading a translation of the Quran from the first time, and reading the classic Sufi Muslims (like Al Ghazali , who the great Thomas Aquinas read, and Rumi), then learning that most Sufis traced their lineage back to the Prophet through Ali Ibn Talib, the cousin of the Prophet who married the Prophet's daughter Fatima, was the 1st Imam of the 12er and other Shia Muslim groups and the 4th and last Rightly Guided Caliph of the Sunnis. After the murder of Ali Ibn Talib by a Khawarjite leader for essentialy fighting only defensive wars per the Quran rather than offensive wars as the first three Caliphs did, and the murder of Ali's second son Hussain, the 3rd Imam, at Karbala, by 2nd Ummayad Caliph, no Imam of the 12 ever sought political power, yet all except the last one were murdered by the Caliphs, who persecuted Shia and Sunni scholars alike. In fact, there would be no Sunni or Shia Muslims if Hussain had not been martyred for the faith.Lastly, I don't care if Christians say "heretic, apostate," and etc, because I love good Christians nonetheless. I'm not trying to convert anyone, either. I became a 12er Shia Muslim because it solved doctrinal problem for me personally. I'd have been a hypocrite if I had stayed Christian. However, I love both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians, and yes, I like traditional Anglicans confessional Lutherans, too, though I may not like their traditions as much. That goes the same for the original Old Order Baptists and Mennonites, and the traditional Reformed Baptists who have a Covenantal rather than a Dispentational view of church history and eschatology, because they never forced anyone to their Christian traditions. Remember, when the Safavid Emperor (Persia/Iran) became a 12er Shia Muslim, he and Charles V the Roman Emperor formed an alliance against the Turkish Caliphate, whose Caliph hated the Hapsburgs but would have allied with Protestants who broke from the Holy Roman Empire. The Vatican and Iran have had close diplomatic ties ever since. The Vatican likes Iran, even if Fox News Catholics don't. This didn't change with Vatican II, either.However, I'm an American of Italian and German heritage. I honor the 12 Patriarchs of Jacob/Israel, the 12 Princes of Ishmael, the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ (and the 12er Shia Muslims name 2 - Simon Peter and James the "brother" i.e. cousin of Jesus Christ), and the 12 Imams of Muhammad. For 12er Shia Muslims, all Prophets, Messengers and Imams (which include the 4 groups of 12 above) are protected from sin and given religious infallibility by the power of God. For many 12er Shia Muslims, the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Prophet (after all, the Angel Gabriel spoke with her). Thus, I agree with Roman Catholics on the doctrines of the Infallibility of Simon Peter and the Immaculate Conceptions of both, though I agree with the Orthodox of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and on the doctrine that humans are not born guilty, though they have sinful tendencies.We ought to imitate the pure ones, the infallibles. So, I also agree with Thomas a'Kempis that Christ should be imitated. Since the Shiekhs I know are not bothered that I read this book from time to time, why should I stop?

Bellissimo!

C.A. · May 25, 2021

Bellissimo!

Amazing!

Y.M. · July 23, 2025

I really really like this book, it’s just so easy to read and understand! The only thing that I didn’t like was the amount of grammar mistakes in this specific book or version that I bought.

Nice product worth it value after reading it

K. · October 7, 2025

Nice product

Nice little book, but the print is almost too small

A. · September 13, 2021

Nice little book in a leather cover with zipper and prints of the exquisite Doré engravings, but that's the only positive thing I can say about it. The translation is an old 19th or early 20th century translation of the Imitatio Christi, which is not easy to read, and which I do not like at all. The print is extremely small and for me even too small to comfortably read with my reading glasses on.

This book is amazing! Firstly

F.R. · March 7, 2018

This book is amazing! Firstly, the physical condition of the book I received from Dover Classics was in 5 out of 5 condition. I am starting to really like Dover classics, they produce a lot of what I consider to be important literature and make it available at a really low price. Now the book itself is just something else. I had never previously read a book like this before. I first purchased a book called the Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, and I found his book to be really helpful. In his book he mentioned the Imitation of Christ, so I then purchased this book. This book is extraordinary and I myself had never read anything comparable to it. I find it really helpful in my relationship with God. Afterwards I did a little bit of research trying to find other books that I thought might be helpful in aiding my development as a Christian. I won't bore you with the whole list, the ones that have really wowed me so far(which is just the beginning of this reading adventure of mine) are 'Dark Night of the Soul' by St. John of the Cross, and 'Interior Castle' by Teresa of Avila. There is a wealth of awe inspiring, jaw dropping, immensely helpful Christian literature out here. I was never aware of this. The tried and true literature has survived the test of time for a reason and I have discovered for myself that I do myself great favours by starting with it, rather than reading what might be in vogue currently by now 'reputable authors' (which I consider debatable after reading some of these older more renowned books). Do yourself a favour, buy this book, read it, implement it. For me, it, as well as a few others, some of which I mentioned, have helped in a very profound and meaningful way in my life. I hope the same for you.