Most Popular Books by George MacDonald

Lilith, written by the father of fantasy literature, George MacDonald, was first published in 1895. Its importance was recognized in its later revival in paperback by Ballantine Books as the fifth volume of the celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in September, 1969. Lilith is considered among the darkest of MacDonald''s works, and among the most profound. It is a story concerning the nature of life, death and salvation. Many believe MacDonald is arguing for Christian universalism, or the idea that all will eventually be saved. - Excerpted from Lilith (novel)

"There was once a witch who desired to know everything. But the wiser a witch is, the harder she knocks her head against the wall when she comes to it. Her name was Watho, and she had a wolf in her mind . . . " A witch raises her foster children in utter darkness and eternal light. A princess is born without gravity. A boy and girl must make a journey to death''s shores . . . This collection brings together George MacDonald''s loveliest fairy tales, full of beauty and humor, terror and delight. C. S. Lewis famously called MacDonald his master, and J. R. R. Tolkien, G. K. Chesterton, and Madeleine L''Engle named him as a major influence. He is the precursor of the modern fantasy genre, and his finest work remains unsurpassed. The tales in this book include "The Light Princess," "The Golden Key," "The Day Boy and the Night Girl," "The Gray Wolf," and "The Lost Princess."

The Diary of an Old Soul is a book of poems written by George MacDonald that can be read as daily devotionals. George MacDonald was a Scottish author and Christian minister who is considered to be one of the main pioneers of the fantasy genre of fiction. MacDonald''s books influenced many great authors that followed such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Edith Nesbit. MacDonald wrote many classics such as Lilith, Phantastes, The Princess and the Goblin, and At the Back of the North Wind.

George MacDonald (10 December 1824 - 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. His writings have been cited as a major literary influence by many notable authors including W. H. Auden, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Walter de la Mare, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L''Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his "master": "Picking up a copy of Phantastes one day at a train-station bookstall, I began to read. A few hours later," said Lewis, "I knew that I had crossed a great frontier." G. K. Chesterton cited The Princess and the Goblin as a book that had "made a difference to my whole existence

The Princess and the Goblin By George MacDonald story is about the adventurous Princess Irene. The princess is off playing in the woods when she is attacked by goblins pets. She is saved by a mining young warrior boy named Curty. They quickly become friends and get into a lot of trouble. The goblins attack and Irene must rely on her own magic to save Curty, and in turn the entire kingdom. The Princess and the Goblin is a children''s fantasy novel by George MacDonald. It was published in 1872 by Strahan & Co., with black-and-white illustrations by Arthur Hughes. Strahan had published the story and illustrations as a serial in the monthly magazine Good Words for the Young, beginning November 1870. The s

At the Back of the North Wind - By George Mac Donald. At the Back of the North Wind is a children''s book by George MacDonald. It was serialized in the children''s magazine Good Words for the Young beginning in 1868 and was published in book form in 1871. It is a fantasy centered on a boy named Diamond and his adventures with the North Wind. Diamond travels together with the mysterious Lady North Wind through the nights. The book includes the fairy tale Little Daylight, which has been pulled out as an independent work, or separately, added to other collections of his fairy tales. The book tells the story of a young boy named Diamond. He is a very sweet little boy who makes joy everywhere he goes. He fights despair and gloom and brings peace to his family. One night, as he is trying to sleep, Diamond repeatedly plugs up a hole in the loft (also his bedroom) wall to stop the wind from blowing in. However, he soon finds out that this is stopping the North Wind from seeing through her window. Diamond befriends her, and North Wind lets him ride on her back, taking him on several adventures. Though the North Wind does good deeds and helps people, she also does seemingly terrible things. On one of her assignments, she must sink a ship. Yet everything she does that seems bad leads to something good. The North Wind seems to be a representation of Pain and Death working according to God''s will for something good.

George MacDonald was one of the foremost fantasy writers of the 19th century and influenced just about every writer that came after him. He was a mentor of Lewis Carroll, a friend of Mark Twain''s, and a man who helped shape the works of authors like Tolkien.

ADVENTURE: Harry must defend his cad''s honor when his wife is abducted from Singapore.

Reproduction of the original. The Antigonos publishing house specialises in the publication of reprints of historical books. We make sure that these works are made available to the public in good condition in order to preserve their cultural heritage.

Also included in this volume are "The Giant''s Heart," "The Golden Key," "Cross Purposes," and "The Shadows."

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Princess and Curdie The Princess and Curdie is a children''s classic fantasy novel by George MacDonald from late 1883. The book is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin. The adventure continues with Princess Irene and Curdie a year or two older. They must overthrow a set of corrupt ministers who are poisoning Irene''s father, the king. Irene''s grandmother also reappears and gives Curdie a strange gift. A monster called Lina aids his quest. Two years have passed since the last book, and Princess Irene and her father go to Gwyntystorm, while Curdie (a miner boy who is the friend of the Princess) stays at home with his mother and father. As the years go by, Curdie begins to hunt for pleasure. He also slowly begins to doubt Irene''s story of her great-great grandmother. One day, he shoots down a white pigeon. Curdie then remembers Irene''s tale of her grandmother''s pigeons, assumes the one he has shot down was one of them, and becomes aware of his folly. A light appears at the roof of the castle, and Curdie follows it. There, Curdie meets the old Princess, who appears small and withered, contrary to Irene''s descriptions. The old Princess gently tells Curdie of his wrong thinking, and he confesses. Because he now believes, the pigeon heals. He is then told to keep his bow and arrows but use them for good instead of bad things. The old Princess then tells Curdie he must go on a special quest. Before she sends him, she burns his hands in her special fire of roses. His cleansed hands now possess the ability to be able to feel the hands of his fellow men and detect what kind of person (or beast) they are on the inside. She also gives Curdie''s father a special emerald to keep while Curdie is away on the quest. If Curdie is in danger, the emerald will change colour, to alert his father to go after him. Curdie is given a monstrous yet friendly beast, Lina, as his only travelling companion. Lina saves him from many perils as they travel to Gwyntystorm. Once they reach their destination, Curdie''s task becomes clear: he finds himself at the King''s palace, where the King lies weak and ill in his bedchamber with his daughter Irene his only nurse. Having sneaked in to spy on what is going on and eavesdrop on the palace servants, Curdie realises that the King''s "doctor" is actually slowly poisoning him. The palace servants and courtiers have all become morally corrupt and enemies of the king. No one can be trusted and both the Princess and the King are in mortal danger, so Curdie realises why the Old Princess has sent him: he must save the king (Irene''s father) from a plot to poison him and steal his kingdom by forcibly marrying his daughter Princess Irene to an evil pretender. With the aid of the old Princess, who has been disguised as a housemaid, the king, his daughter, and the kingdom are saved. Curdie and Princess Irene are later married and rule the kingdom after the king dies. However, they have no children, and after they both die, the kingdom deteriorates until one day it collapses and has never been spoken of again.

Lilith is a fantasy novel by Scottish writer George MacDonald, first published in 1895. It was reprinted in paperback by Ballantine Books as the fifth volume of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in September 1969. Lilith is considered among the darkest of MacDonald''s works, and among the most profound.

About The Princess And The Goblin by George MacDonaldThe Princess and the Goblin is a children''s fantasy novel by George MacDonald. It was published in 1872 by Strahan & Co. The sequel to this book is The Princess and Curdie. Anne Thaxter Eaton writes in A Critical History of Children''s Literature that The Princess and the Goblin and its sequel "quietly suggest in every incident ideas of courage and honor." Jeffrey Holdaway, in the New Zealand Art Monthly, said that both books start out as "normal fairytales but slowly become stranger", and that they contain layers of symbolism similar to that of Lewis Carroll''s work.

Phantastes

The classic fantasy that influenced C. S. Lewis and Tolkien, considered one of George MacDonald s most important works, is the story of the young man, Anodos, and his adventures in fairyland which ultimately reveal the human condition. I write, not for children, wrote George MacDonald, but for the child-like, whether they be of five, or fifty, or seventy-five. All-at-once written with an innocent whimsy and soulful yearning, the heart of Anodos journey through fairyland reveals a spiritual quest that requires a surrender of the self. MacDonald s fantasy novel as well as his other works have had major influence on many authors who considered him their mentor: C. S. Lewis said, I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master; indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him. J. R. R. Tolkien called his fairy tales stories of power and beauty. Madeleine L Engle said, Surely, George MacDonald is the grandfather of us all all of us who struggle to come to terms with truth through fantasy.