George MacDonald Books In Order

Standalone Novels In Publication Order

  1. Phantastes (1858)
  2. Men and Women (1858)
  3. David Elginbrod / The Tutor’s First Love (1862)
  4. The Portent/Lady of the Mansion (1864)
  5. Alec Forbes of Howglen / The Maiden’s Bequest (1865)
  6. Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood, Volume 2 (1867)
  7. Robert Falconer, Volume 3 (1868)
  8. At the Back of the North Wind (1871)
  9. Wilfred Cumbermede (1872)
  10. The Princess and the Goblin (1872)
  11. The Vicar’s Daughter (1872)
  12. Malcolm / The Fisherman’s Lady (1875)
  13. The Curate’s Awakening (1876)
  14. Marquis of Lossie / The Marquis’ Secret (1877)
  15. Sir Gibbie/Wee Sir Gibbie of the Highlands (1879)
  16. Warlock O’Glenwarlock / The Laird’s Inheritance (1881)
  17. The Princess and Curdie (1883)
  18. What’s Mine’s Mine – Volume 1 / The Highlander’s Last Song (1886)
  19. What’s Mine’s Mine – Volume 3 (1886)
  20. The Day Boy and the Night Girl (1888)
  21. The Baron’s Apprenticeship (1891)
  22. The Flight Of The Shadow (1891)
  23. Lilith (1895)
  24. Salted with Fire / The Minister’s Restoration (1897)
  25. Windlestraws (1925)
  26. The Diary of an Old Soul (1965)
  27. The Golden Key (1967)
  28. The Lady’s Confession (1976)
  29. The Carasoyn (2008)

Short Story Collections In Publication Order

  1. Adela Cathcart (1864)
  2. Dealings With The Fairies… (1867)
  3. A Book of Strife in the Form of The Diary of an Old Soul (1880)
  4. The Gifts of the Child Christ (1882)
  5. Cross Purposes and The Shadows (1890)
  6. The Light Princess (1893)
  7. Fairy Tales of George MacDonald (1904)
  8. The Golden Key and Other Stories (1972)
  9. The Gray Wolf and Other Stories (1980)
  10. The Wise Woman and Other Stories (1980)
  11. The Portent and Other Stories (1994)
  12. The Complete Fairy Tales (1999)

Anthologies In Publication Order

  1. George MacDonald (1946)
  2. The Random House Book of Fantasy Stories (1997)
  3. Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy (2003)
  4. Dreams and Wonders (2010)

Standalone Novels Book Covers

Short Story Collections Book Covers

Anthologies Book Covers

George MacDonald Books Overview

Phantastes

George MacDonald was a 19th century Scottish writer, poet and minister. He is best known for his fairy tales and fantasies. His most popular works are Phantastes, The Princess and the Goblin, At the Back of the North Wind, and Lilith. Phantastes, a Faerie Romance for Men and Women captivates the reader from the very beginning when a man on his 21st birthday receives the keys to an old secretary belonging to his father. He opens it and finds a secret compartment which ‘disclosed a chamber empty, except that in one corner lay a little heap of withered rose leaves, whose long lived scent had long since departed; and, in another, a small packet of papers, tied with a bit of ribbon, whose colour had gone with the rose scent. Almost fearing to touch them, they witnessed so mutely to the law of oblivion, I leaned back in my chair, and regarded them for a moment; when suddenly there stood on the threshold of the little chamber, as though she had just emerged from its depth, a tiny woman form, as perfect in shape as if she had been a small Greek statuette roused to life and motion. Her dress was of a kind that could never grow old fashioned, because it was simply natural: a robe plaited in a band around the neck, and confined by a belt about the waist, descended to her feet. It was only afterwards, however, that I took notice of her dress, although my surprise was by no means of so overpowering a degree as such an apparition might naturally be expected to excite. Seeing, however, as I suppose, some astonishment in my countenance, she came forward within a yard of me, and said, in a voice that strangely recalled a sensation of twilight, and reedy river banks, and a low wind, even in this deathly room: ‘

David Elginbrod / The Tutor’s First Love

George MacDonald was a 19th century Scottish writer, poet and minister. He is best known for his fairy tales and fantasies. His most popular works are Phantastes, The Princess and the Goblin, At the Back of the North Wind, and Lilith. David Elginbrod was MacDonald’s first realistic novel published in 1863. This novel of Scottish country life is a story centering on two saintly personalities, a dignified and pious Scottish peasant, and his daughter. Mysticism, mesmerism, and electro biology are introduced throughout the story. The language is in the dialect of Aberdeen.

The Portent/Lady of the Mansion

A grasp of the hand was all the good bye I could make; and I was soon rattling away to meet the coach for Edinburgh and London. Seated on the top, I was soon buried in a reverie, from which I was suddenly startled by the sound of tinkling iron. Could it be that my adversary was riding unseen alongside of the coach? Was that the clank of the ominous shoe?

Alec Forbes of Howglen / The Maiden’s Bequest

Alec Forbes of Howglen is a novel by George MacDonald, first published in 1865 and is primarily concerned with Scottish country life. George MacDonald 1824 1905 was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Though no longer a household name, his works particularly his fairy tales and fantasy novels have inspired deep admiration in such notables as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L’Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his ‘master’. Even Mark Twain, who initially despised MacDonald, became friends with him. MacDonald grew up influenced by his Congregational Church, with an atmosphere of Calvinism. But MacDonald never felt comfortable with some aspects of Calvinist doctrine. Later novels, such as Robert Falconer 1868 and Lilith 1895, show a distaste for the Calvinist idea that God’s electing love is limited to some and denied to others. Especially in his Unspoken Sermons 1867 89 he shows a highly developed theology. His best known works are Phantastes 1858, At the Back of the North Wind 1871 and The Princess and the Goblin 1872, all fantasy novels, and fairy tales such as The Light Princess 1867, The Golden Key 1867, and The Wise Woman 1875.

Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood, Volume 2

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR’d book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

At the Back of the North Wind

George MacDonald 1824 1905 was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Though no longer a household name, his works particularly his fairy tales and fantasy novels have inspired deep admiration in such notables as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L’Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his ‘master’. Even Mark Twain, who initially despised MacDonald, became friends with him. MacDonald grew up influenced by his Congregational Church, with an atmosphere of Calvinism. But MacDonald never felt comfortable with some aspects of Calvinist doctrine. Later novels, such as Robert Falconer 1868 and Lilith 1895, show a distaste for the Calvinist idea that God’s electing love is limited to some and denied to others. Especially in his Unspoken Sermons 1867 89 he shows a highly developed theology. His best known works are Phantastes 1858, At the Back of the North Wind 1871 and The Princess and the Goblin 1872, all fantasy novels, and fairy tales such as The Light Princess 1867, The Golden Key 1867, and The Wise Woman 1875. At the Back of the North Wind is a children’s book by George MacDonald, published in 1871. It is a fantasy centered around a boy named Diamond and his adventures with the North Wind. Diamond travels together with the mysterious Lady North Wind through the nights.

The Princess and the Goblin

The Princess and the Goblin
CHAPTER I
WHY THE PRINCESS HAS A STORY ABOUT HER
princesses?’ ‘Because every little girl is a princess.’ ‘ You will make them vain if you tell them that’ ‘Not if they understand what I mean.’ ‘Then what do you mean?’ ‘IVhat do you mean by a princess?’ ‘The daughter of a king.’
‘ Very well, then every little girl is a princess, and there would be no need to say anything about it, except that she is always in danger of forgetting her rank, and behaving as if she had grown out of the mud. I have seen little princesses behave like the children of thieves and lying beggars, and that is why they need to be told they are princesses. And that is why, xohen I tell a story of this kind, 1 like la lell it about a princess. Then I can say better what J mean, because I can then give her every beautiful thing I wanl her to have.’
‘Please go on.’
There was once a little princess whose father was Icing over a great country full of mountains and valley

Table of Contents

ILLUSTRATIONS; pacing; l’AGE; She ran for some distance, turned several times, and then began to; be afraid 11; She clapped her hands with delight, and up rose such a flapping of; wings 22; ‘Never mind Princess Irene,’,, he,said, ‘You mustn’t kiss me to-night But you shaVt break yod^Avord’, J jvil! come another time”, V ‘ 42; In an instant she was on the saddled and I’llrisp6d in his great strong; arms OS; ‘Come’ and she still held out her arms 01; The goblins fell back a liltle when he began, and made horrible; grimaces all through the rhyme 1 IB; Curdie went on after her, flashing his torch about 1’8; There sot his mother by Uic fire, and in her arms lay the princess fast asleep; CONTENTS; CDAPTEB PAGE; I Why the Princess Has a Story About Ukr 0; II The Princess Loses Herself 1

The Vicar’s Daughter

George MacDonald 1824 1905 was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Though no longer a household name, his works particularly his fairy tales and fantasy novels have inspired deep admiration in such notables as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L’Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his ‘master’. Even Mark Twain, who initially despised MacDonald, became friends with him. MacDonald grew up influenced by his Congregational Church, with an atmosphere of Calvinism. But MacDonald never felt comfortable with some aspects of Calvinist doctrine. Later novels, such as Robert Falconer 1868 and Lilith 1895, show a distaste for the Calvinist idea that God’s electing love is limited to some and denied to others. Especially in his Unspoken Sermons 1867 89 he shows a highly developed theology. His best known works are Phantastes 1858, At the Back of the North Wind 1871 and The Princess and the Goblin 1872, all fantasy novels, and fairy tales such as The Light Princess 1867, The Golden Key 1867, and The Wise Woman 1875.

Malcolm / The Fisherman’s Lady

The discovery of a woman’s body in an old house overlooking the sea leads to revelations concerning Malcolm MacPhail, a Scottish fisherman.

The Curate’s Awakening

A young minister’s honest search to discover the truth of Christianity.

Marquis of Lossie / The Marquis’ Secret

And so the young earl held his head high, looked as innocent as may be desirable for a gentleman, had many a fair clean hand laid in his, and many a maiden waist yielded to his arm, while ‘the woman’ flitted about half an alien amongst her own, with his child wound in her old shawl of Lossie tartan; wandering not seldom in the gloaming when her little one slept, along the top of the dune, with the wind blowing keen upon her from the regions of eternal ice, sometimes the snow settling softly on her hair, sometimes the hailstones nestling in its meshes; the skies growing blacker about her, and the sea stormier, while hope retreated so far into the heavenly regions, that hope and heaven both were lost to her view. Thus, alas! the things in which he was superior to her, most of all that he was a gentleman, while she was but a peasant girl the things whose witchery drew her to his will, he made the means of casting her down from the place of her excellency into the mire of shame and loss. The only love worthy of the name ever and always uplifts.

Sir Gibbie/Wee Sir Gibbie of the Highlands

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www. million books. com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. MISTRESS CROALE. The house at which they met had yet not a little character remaining. Mistress Croale had come in for a derived worthiness, in the memory, yet lingering about the place, of a worthy aunt deceased, and always encouraged in herself a vague idea of obligation to live up to it. Hence she had made it a rule to supply drink only so long as her customers kept decent that is, so long as they did not quarrel aloud, and put her in danger of a visit from the police; tell such tales as offended her modesty; utter oaths of any peculiarly atrocious quality; or defame the Sabbath Day, the Kirk, or the Bible. On these terms, and so long as they paid for what they had, they might get as drunk as they pleased, without the smallest offence to Mistress Croale. But if the least unquestionable infringement of her rules occurred, she would pounce upon the shameless one with sudden and sharp reproof. I doubt not that, so doing, she cherished a hope of recommending herself above, and making deposits in view of a coming balance sheet. The result for this life so far was, that, by these claims to respectability, she had gathered a clientele of douce, well disposed drunkards, who rarely gave her any trouble so long as they were in the house, though sometimes she had reason to be anxious about the fate of individuals of them after they left it. Another peculiarity in her government was that she would rarely give drink to a woman. ‘Na, na,’ she would say, ‘what has a wuman to dee wi’ strongdrink! Lat the men dee as they like, we canna help them’ She made exception in behalf of her personal friends; and, for herself, was in the way of sipping only sipping, privately, on account of her ‘trouble,’ she said by which she meant some complaint, speaking of it as if it were general…

Warlock O’Glenwarlock / The Laird’s Inheritance

The house was very old. It had been built for more kinds of shelter than need to be thought of in our days. For the enemies of our ancestors were not only the cold, and the fierce wind, and the rain, and the snow; they were men also enemies harder to keep out than the raging storm or the creeping frost. Hence the more hospitable a house could be, the less must it look what it was: it must wear its face haughty, and turn its smiles inward. The house of Glenwarlock, as it was also sometimes called, consisted of three massive, narrow, tall blocks of building, which showed little connection with each other beyond juxtaposition, two of them standing end to end, with but a few feet of space between, and the third at right angles to the two. In the two which stood end to end, and were originally the principal parts, hardly any windows were to be seen on the side that looked out into the valley; while in the third, which, though looking much of the same age, was of later build, were more windows, but none in the lowest story. Narrow as were these buildings, and four stories high, they had a solid, ponderous look, suggesting a thickness of the walls such as to leave little of a hollow within for the indwellers like great marine shells for a small mollusk. On the other side was a kind of a court, completed by the stables and cow houses, and towards this court were most of the windows many of them for size more like those in the cottages around, than suggestive of a house built by the lords of the soil…
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The Princess and Curdie

Curdie was the son of Peter the miner. He lived with his father and mother in a cottage built on a mountain, and he worked with his father inside the mountain. A mountain is a strange and awful thing. In old times, without knowing so much of their strangeness and awfulness as we do, people were yet more afraid of mountains. But then somehow they had not come to see how beautiful they are as well as awful, and they hated them and what people hate they must fear. Now that we have learned to look at them with admiration, perhaps we do not feel quite awe enough of them. To me they are beautiful terrors. I will try to tell you what they are. They are portions of the heart of the earth that have escaped from the dungeon down below, and rushed up and out. For the heart of the earth is a great wallowing mass, not of blood, as in the hearts of men and animals, but of glowing hot, melted metals and stones. And as our hearts keep us alive, so that great lump of heat keeps the earth alive: it is a huge power of buried sunlight that is what it is.

The Day Boy and the Night Girl

The hero of the sun drenched hours, he looks godlike with his golden hair aglow in the sun as he hunts the wild beasts of field and wood. Yet as the light flees at the onset of evening, his self assurance and bravado fade with the light…
and he finds himself beset by terrors he cannot reign. Then he discovers solace, in that terrifying night for within the depths of his fears he encounters a strange, beautiful creature who offers him comfort a girl, who is as much a creature of the dark hours as he is of sunlit days. Watching over both their lives is red haired witch Watho who with guilt and malice in her heart first cares for the two youths then jealously plots their destruction! George MacDonald 1824 1905, Scottish author of Phantastes, here relates the romance of the unusual lovers Photogen and Nycteris, in a land drenched in magic.

The Flight Of The Shadow

THE FLIGPIT OF THE SHADOW. CHAPTER I. mrs. day begins the story. I am old, else, I think, I should not have the courage to tell the story I am going to tell. All those concerned in it about whose feelings I am careful, are gone where, thank God, there are no secrets! If they know what I am doing, I know they do not mind. If they were alive to read as I record, they might perhaps now and again look a little paler and wish the leaf turned, but to see the things set down would not make them unhappy; they do not love secrecy. Half the misery in the world comes from trying to look, instead of trying to be, what one is not. I would that not God only but all good men and women might see me through and through. They would not be pleased with everything they saw, but then neither am I, and I would have no coals of fire in my soul’s pockets ! But my very nature would shudder at the thought of letting one person that loved a secret see

Table of Contents

CONTENTS; 3UPTSR PAGE; I Mrs Day begins the story5; II Miss Martha Moon9; III My uncle15; IV My uncle’s room, and my uncle in it 21 V My first secret31; VI I lose myself44; VII The mirror 51; VIII Thanatos and Zoe 58; IX The garden 70; X Once more a secret 78; XI The mole burrows 84; XII A letter 89; XIII Old love and new 97; XIV Mother and uncle 105; XV The time between116; XVI Fault and no fault119; XVII The summons126; XVIII John sees something137; XIX John is taken ill141; XX A strange visit144; 4; CONTENTS; CHAPTSR; XXI A foiled attempt ; XXII John rt-caijs and remembers; XXIII Letter and answer; XXIV Hand to hand; XXV A very strange thing ; XXVI The evil draws nigher XXVII An encounter XXVIII Another vision XXIX Mother and son , X*X Once more, and yet again X*XI My uncle comes home X*XII Twice two is one X*XIIL Half one is one X*XIV The story of my twin uncles X*XV U

Lilith

A fantasy novel for adults, Lilith is the story of the aptly named Mr. Vane, his magical house, and the journeys into another world into which it leads him. Encountering one mystery after another, he explores the mystery of humanity’s fall from grace and of their redemption. Instructed into the ways of seeing the deeper realities of this world seeing, in a sense, by the light of the spirit the reader senses that MacDonald writes from his own deep experience of radiance, from a bliss so profound that death’s darkness itself is utterly eclipsed in its light. Newly designed and typeset in a modern 6 by 9 inch format by Waking Lion Press.

The Diary of an Old Soul

In this new edition of a popular classic, the Scottish poet and novelist George MacDonald 1824 1905 offers prayer for each day of the year. Seemingly simple, the poetic prayers spring from a deep understanding of the personal relationship between God and the individual Christian. ‘The whole,’ MacDonald’s son remarked, ‘is a record of a life’s rather than a year’s religious thought.’

Colin Duriez, an authority on C.S. Lewis who regarded his debt to MacDonald inestimable writes in the introduction that The Diary ‘represents a true Christian mysticism, combining a desire for oneness with God with an essentially bright, clear vision that has captivated readers since the book appeared.’

The Golden Key

This is an ideal fairy tale uniquely revealing an atmosphere of spiritual peace. It is the story of a boy and a girl who live on the edge of Fairyland. The boy has been told that there is a golden key at the end of the rainbow, and this key is not to be sold and no one knows the door it can open only that this door leads somewhere marvelous. When he finally sees a rainbow he follows it across the border into Fairyland and finds The Golden Key. During this time the girl, who is very much ill treated, wanders into the Fairyland forest while following a mysterious owl like flying fish. On this ramble she meets an attractive ageless woman and discovers that she will be journeying with the boy in search of the keyhole the key will fit. The trek is long and remarkable as they meet some wise old men and distinctive sights until, at last, they find the keyhole. The ending is a surprise, but the poet W.H. Auden recommends that the reader should just allow himself to be enthralled by these charming, haunting symbols.

The Lady’s Confession

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www. million books. com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XV. THE PARLOR AT OWLKIRK. When he called, as he had said, in the evening, she looked much better, and there was even a touch of playfulness in her manner. He could not but hope some crisis had been passed. The money she had received for the ring had probably something to do with it. Perhaps she had not known how valuable the ring was. Thereupon in his conscientiousness he began to doubt whether he had given her its worth. In reality he had exceeded it by a few pounds, as he discovered upon inquiry afterward in London. Anyhow it did not much matter, he said to himself: he was sure to find some way of restoring it to her. Suddenly she looked up, and said hurriedly : ‘ I can never repay you, Dr. Faber. No one can do the impossible.’ ‘ You can repay me,’ returned Faber. ‘ How ? ‘ she said, looking startled. ‘ By never again thinking of obligation to me.’ ‘ You must not ask that of me,’ she rejoined. ‘ It would not be right.’ The tinge of a rose not absolutely white floated over her face and forehead as she spoke. ‘ Then I shall be content,’ he replied, ‘ if you will say nothing about it until you are well settled. After that I. promise to send you a bill as long as a snipe’s.’ She smiled, looked up brightly, and said, ‘ You promise ?’ ‘ I do.’ ‘ If you don’t keep your promise, I shall have to take severe measures. Don’t fancy me without money. I could pay you now at least I think so.’ It was a great good sign of her that she could talk about money plainly as she did. It wants a thoroughbred soul to talk just right about money. Most people treat money like a bosom sin : they follow it earnestly, but do not talk about it at all in society. ‘ I only pay six shillings a week for my lodgings ! ‘ she added, with a merry laugh. What…

The Carasoyn

‘You must fetch me a bottle of Carasoyn,’ says she, haughtily. ‘And what is that?’ asks the boy Colin, pleased that he has won the favor of the Queen of the Fairies, even if by accident. ‘Why, it’s the kind of wine that makes people happy!’ The lonely Colin has grown up by his own wits and they have served him well so far! But this Queen is out to fool the boy…
and can even the best human wits suffice in such a contest? George MacDonald 1824 1905, famous for his tales of his beloved Scottish homeland, also wrote fantasies full of both the delights and dreadful dangers to be found in the Land of Faerie.

Adela Cathcart

Adelia Cathcart has an illness of the spirit perhaps an illness of the soul. No one not her father, her neighbors, not even the curate of her parish nor his doctor brother can scry the secret of her malady. But her uncle John not a blood relation, but a friend of her father’s who goes by the name ‘John Smith’ has a notion. He notices that as the neighbors tell an anecdote to one another in her presence Adelia seems for a moment to come back to life. We should read her stories, he says. Beautiful, beautiful stories. Now they read the tale of ‘The Broken Swords,’ a story of two sisters and a brother who gaze for the last time on a great pale golden star that followed the sun down the steep west. It went down to arise again; and the brother about to depart might return, but more than the usual doubt hung upon his future. For between the white dresses of the sisters, shone his scarlet coat and golden sword knot, which he had put on for the first time, more to gratify their pride than his own vanity. The brightening moon, as if prophetic of a future memory, had already begun to dim the scarlet and the gold, and to give them a pale, ghostly hue. And slowly, slowly, Adelia begins to recover…
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Dealings With The Fairies…

Here are five incredible tales of fairies and fantasy by George MacDonald, the 19th century Scottish author whose works influenced and were admired by such literary greats as C.S. Lewis, W.H. Auden, C.K. Chesterton and J.R.R. Tolkien. Reprinted from a rare 1867 edition, this work contains stories that are not only wonderful tales on their own, but ones that also convey important messages and lessons to the reader be it through the gravity defying princess in The Light Princess; or by way of Tricksey Wee and Buffy Bob in The Giant’s Heart; or through the mysterious creatures and their king in The Shadows; or from the tale of Alice and Richard and their journey in fairyland in Cross Purposes; or, finally, by way of the magic and mystery of Tangle and Mossy s journey in The Golden Key. While most fairy tales are written specifically for children, these were not. Instead, wrote the author, they were written for the child like, whether they be of five, or fifty, or seventy five. For this edition there are six new illustrations drawn by Kathy Harestad one full color illustration, which you see on the cover and five wonderful black and white drawings, each drawn specifically for a chapter in the book.

A Book of Strife in the Form of The Diary of an Old Soul

George MacDonald 1824 1905 was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Though no longer a household name, his works particularly his fairy tales and fantasy novels have inspired deep admiration in such notables as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L’Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his ‘master’. Even Mark Twain, who initially despised MacDonald, became friends with him. MacDonald grew up influenced by his Congregational Church, with an atmosphere of Calvinism. But MacDonald never felt comfortable with some aspects of Calvinist doctrine. Later novels, such as Robert Falconer 1868 and Lilith 1895, show a distaste for the Calvinist idea that God’s electing love is limited to some and denied to others. Especially in his Unspoken Sermons 1867 89 he shows a highly developed theology. His best known works are Phantastes 1858, At the Back of the North Wind 1871 and The Princess and the Goblin 1872, all fantasy novels, and fairy tales such as The Light Princess 1867, The Golden Key 1867, and The Wise Woman 1875.

The Gifts of the Child Christ

George MacDonald 1824 1905 was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Though no longer well known, his works particularly his fairy tales and fantasy novels have inspired admiration in such notables as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L’Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his ‘master’. Even Mark Twain, who initially detested MacDonald, became friends with him, and there is some evidence that Twain was influenced by MacDonald. His bestknown works are Phantastes 1858, At the Back of the North Wind 1871, The Princess and the Goblin 1872, The Lost Princess 1875, Thomas Wingfold, Curate 1876, The Marquis of Lossie 1877 and Sir Gibbie 1879. He also published some volumes of sermons, the pulpit not having proved an unreservedly successful venue.

Cross Purposes and The Shadows

The fairy Peaseblossom and the goblin Toadstool set off on the oddest mission: to lure a girl and a boy to F ry, to bring before the Queen for her subjects in Fairyland are too well behaved to be amusing. Can they find the right dreamers? Then Peaseblossom encounters Alice, who wishes she could watch a setting sun at all times while Toadstool runs into the nearly penniless Richard, who wants a buy a new umbrella for his mother. Perfect! Yet nothing can go as planned…
and soon Alice and Richard find themselves alone and lost in a strange woods, with no help but the guidance of the strange creatures they encounter along the way. George MacDonald, author of Phantastes, here presents three tales of magical Faery ‘Cross Purposes,’ ‘The Shadows,’ and ‘The Flight of the Shadow.’

The Light Princess

An authoritative edition of the shorter fairy tales of George MacDonald, ‘one of the most remarkable writers of the nineteenth century’ W. H. Auden

George MacDonald occupied a major position in the intellectual life of his Victorian contemporaries, and his dazzling fairy tales earned him the admiration of such twentieth century writers as C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and W. H. Auden. Employing paradox, play, and nonsense, like Lewis Carroll’s Alice books, MacDonald’s fairy tales offer an elusive yet meaningful alternative order to the dubious certitudes of everyday life.

The Complete Fairy Tales brings together all eleven of George MacDonald’s shorter fairy tales, including ‘The Light Princess‘ and ‘The Golden Key,’ as well as his essay ‘The Fantastic Imagination.’ The subjects are those of traditional fantasy: fairies good and wicked, children embarking on elaborate quests, journeys into unsettling dreamworlds, life risking labors undertaken. Though they allude to familiar tales such as ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Jack the Giant Killer,’ MacDonald’s stories are profoundly experimental and subversive. By questioning the concept that a childhood associated with purity, innocence, and fairy tale ‘wonder’ ought to be segregated from adult skepticism and disbelief, they invite adult readers to adopt the same elasticity and openmindedness that come so naturally to a child.

‘I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master…
The quality that had enchanted me in his imaginative works turned out to be the quality of the real universe, the divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic reality in which we all live.’ C. S. Lewis

The Golden Key and Other Stories

This is an ideal fairy tale uniquely revealing an atmosphere of spiritual peace. It is the story of a boy and a girl who live on the edge of Fairyland. The boy has been told that there is a golden key at the end of the rainbow, and this key is not to be sold and no one knows the door it can open only that this door leads somewhere marvelous. When he finally sees a rainbow he follows it across the border into Fairyland and finds the golden key. During this time the girl, who is very much ill treated, wanders into the Fairyland forest while following a mysterious owl like flying fish. On this ramble she meets an attractive ageless woman and discovers that she will be journeying with the boy in search of the keyhole the key will fit. The trek is long and remarkable as they meet some wise old men and distinctive sights until, at last, they find the keyhole. The ending is a surprise, but the poet W.H. Auden recommends that the reader should just allow himself to be enthralled by these charming, haunting symbols.

The Gray Wolf and Other Stories

Some of MacDonalds finest short works are compiled in these four volumes marvelous fairy tales and stories certain to delight readers familiar with MacDonald and those new to his work.

The Wise Woman and Other Stories

The Wise Woman is a shining example, and my personal favourite amongst all of MacDonald’s fiction. It is an excellent resource for anyone wishing for reinforcement in the development of diligence, responsibility, loyalty and faith. It is a powerful motivator for those of us who struggle with procrastination and sloth. It is a tender help in discerning between genuine love and selfish neglect or indulgence. It is an encouraging testament to the gracious and nurturing care of our Heavenly Father. And as in much of MacDonald’s writing, it offers rich treasures on the subjects of duty, obedience and the process by which we yield to God’s transforming power. George MacDonald was a 19th century Aberdeenshire Scot; a professor, pastor, preacher, poet and author. He is considered by many the ‘father of fantasy’ and bore strong influence on W.H. Auden, G.K. Chesterton, Madeline L’Engle, C.S. Lewis, E. Nesbit, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain and Elizabeth Yates. While his literary impact was profound, moreso has his faith inspired these and countless others who have been stimulated by his character and theology as expressed simply and profoundly in stories and parables.

The Portent and Other Stories

George MacDonald 1824 1905 was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Though no longer a household name, his works particularly his fairy tales and fantasy novels have inspired deep admiration in such notables as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L’Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his ‘master’. Even Mark Twain, who initially despised MacDonald, became friends with him. MacDonald grew up influenced by his Congregational Church, with an atmosphere of Calvinism. But MacDonald never felt comfortable with some aspects of Calvinist doctrine. Later novels, such as Robert Falconer 1868 and Lilith 1895, show a distaste for the Calvinist idea that God’s electing love is limited to some and denied to others. Especially in his Unspoken Sermons 1867 89 he shows a highly developed theology. His best known works are Phantastes 1858, At the Back of the North Wind 1871 and The Princess and the Goblin 1872, all fantasy novels, and fairy tales such as The Light Princess 1867, The Golden Key 1867, and The Wise Woman 1875.

The Complete Fairy Tales

An authoritative edition of the shorter fairy tales of George MacDonald, ‘one of the most remarkable writers of the nineteenth century’ W. H. Auden

George MacDonald occupied a major position in the intellectual life of his Victorian contemporaries, and his dazzling fairy tales earned him the admiration of such twentieth century writers as C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and W. H. Auden. Employing paradox, play, and nonsense, like Lewis Carroll’s Alice books, MacDonald’s fairy tales offer an elusive yet meaningful alternative order to the dubious certitudes of everyday life.

The Complete Fairy Tales brings together all eleven of George MacDonald’s shorter fairy tales, including ‘The Light Princess’ and ‘The Golden Key,’ as well as his essay ‘The Fantastic Imagination.’ The subjects are those of traditional fantasy: fairies good and wicked, children embarking on elaborate quests, journeys into unsettling dreamworlds, life risking labors undertaken. Though they allude to familiar tales such as ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Jack the Giant Killer,’ MacDonald’s stories are profoundly experimental and subversive. By questioning the concept that a childhood associated with purity, innocence, and fairy tale ‘wonder’ ought to be segregated from adult skepticism and disbelief, they invite adult readers to adopt the same elasticity and openmindedness that come so naturally to a child.

‘I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master…
The quality that had enchanted me in his imaginative works turned out to be the quality of the real universe, the divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic reality in which we all live.’ C. S. Lewis

George MacDonald

In this collection selected by C. S. Lewis are 365 selections from MacDonald’s inspiring and challenging writings.

Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy

A superb collection, a splendid and much needed book. Anderson has cleared away the dross and shown us the golden roots of fantasy before it became a genre. Michael Moorcock, author of The Eternal ChampionMany of today’s top names in fantasy acknowledge J.R.R. Tolkien as the author whose work inspired them to create their own epics. But which writers influenced Tolkien himself? In a collection destined to become a classic in its own right, internationally recognized Tolkien expert Douglas A. Anderson, editor of The Annotated Hobbit, has gathered the fiction of the many gifted authors who sparked Tolkien s imagination. Included are Andrew Lang s romantic swashbuckler The Story of Sigurd, which features magic rings and a ferocious dragon; an excerpt from E. A. Wyke Smith s The Marvelous Land of Snergs, about creatures who were precursors to Tolkien s hobbits; and a never before published gem by David Lindsay, author of A Voyage to Arcturus, a novel that Tolkien praised highly both as a thriller and as a work of philosophy, religion, and morality. In stories packed with magical journeys, conflicted heroes, and terrible beasts, this extraordinary volume is one that no fan of fantasy or Tolkien should be without. These tales just might inspire a new generation of creative writers.

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