Showing results by author "George MacDonald" in All Categories

Brother Julian became a monk because he thought that was how he would find God. But now, feeling further away from God than ever and rejected by his brother monks, he decides to break his monk's vows and re-enter into the world and the complicated relationships it holds.This dramatic poem was MacDonald's first published work. While it was not a financial success, it is interesting to a student or fan of MacDonald, because it explores themes and ideas that would continue to characterize his work later in life. - Summary by Devorah Allen Cast List: Julian: Larry WilsonBrother Robert: ...

Young Princess Irene is sent to the country to be raised in a half-farmhouse, half-castle located in the side of a mountain. While exploring the top of the castle, Irene becomes lost and inexplicably finds her way to a mystifying and beautiful woman spinning a thread. Princess Irene is drawn to the woman whom she discovers is her great-great-grandmother. But after she returns, her nurse, Lootie, refuses to believe in the old woman's existence.

Written by George MacDonald in 1858, Phantastes is acknowledged as the first modern fantasy novel for adults, inspiring Lewis Carroll, C.S.Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and David Lindsay amongst others.

This is the story of the mystical travels of Diamond, a coachman's son, through distant lands and strange events while riding on the back of the beautiful North Wind.

Originally serialized in 1868 and collected as a book in 1871, At the Back of the North Wind is the magical story of Diamond, the son of a poor coachman, who is swept away by the North Wind – a radiant, maternal spirit with long, flowing hair – and whose life is transformed by a brief glimpse of the beautiful country – at the back of the north wind.

Coward, scoundrel, lover and cheat, but there is no better man to go into the jungle with. Join Flashman in his adventures as he survives fearful ordeals and outlandish perils across the four corners of the world. Given the choice between defending Britannia’s frontier against the mighty Sikh army and pleasuring a ravishing maharani in the Court of the Punjab, Flashman knew where he’d rather be. Of course, that was before he found out about the torture chambers or the malevolent influence of the Mountain of Light…

In this sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, Curdie has returned to his life as a miner and has dismissed the supernatural happenings of the past, believing them to have been a dream. When Curdie callously wounds a pigeon, his conscience leads him to Princess Irene's mystical great-great-grandmother for help. She has him plunge his hands into a pile of rose petals that burns like fire. Extraordinarily, this grants him the power to see what kind of "animal" a person is at heart.

George MacDonald, described by W.H. Auden as "one of the most remarkable writers of the 19th century", was valued in his own time as an original thinker and spiritual guide. Of all his writing, it is the fairy tales that have retained their fascination, and this collection includes all 11 stories. The fairy tales feature the stock characters of traditional tales—fairies both good and bad, and children undertaking precarious journeys. Often adopting paradox and nonsense as Lewis Carroll did, the stories invite adults to deploy the same open-mindedness as children.

Flashman must choose - politcs in London or slave trading in Africa - not that it matters really in this hilarious third installement of the Flashman Papers. When Flashman was inveigled into a game of pontoon with Disraeli and Lord George Bentinck, he was making an unconscious choice about his own future - would it lie in the House of Commons or the West African slave trade? Was there, for that matter, very much difference?

George MacDonald, a Scottish pastor, wrote these short poems, one for each day of the year, to help him with the severer misfortune he was experiencing. The poems are filled with hope and promises of Christ, yet, he also writes about his doubts. These poems are wonderful to listen to for people of any religion. (Summary by Alisson Veldhuis)

Little Diamond, struggling with poverty, hardship, and grief over the death of his mother, is met one night by the mysterious and powerful North Wind. As she guides him through various adventures, Diamond learns to listen for her voice and know her intentions, while facing dangers, joys, and magical realms. Along the way, he learns to face grief, embrace change, and understand the depths of love.

George MacDonald is mainly known for his fantasy works and fairy tales such as At the Back of the North Wind and the Princess and the Goblin. However, during his life he was more famous for many more realistic novels. . . among them the somewhat autobiographical Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood. This story of a young motherless boy growing up with his brothers in a Scottish manse is full of delightful characters. There is Kirsty, an enchanting Highland storyteller, Turkey, the intrepid cowherd, the evil Kelpie, and the lovely Elsie Duff. Throughout the twists and turns of his escapades and ...

George MacDonald's fairy stories and fantasy have inspired a number of writers including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and of this popular fairy story, which as you might suspect concerns a little princess plotted against by a race of goblins, G.K. Chesterton said that it "made a difference to my whole existence." (Summary by Andy Minter)

This is the third book of the 'Marshmallow' trilogy. It is a fictional autobiography written by Ethelwyn Percivale, or 'Wynnie'. Her father is a clergyman, Mr. Walton, whose history has already been told in "A Quiet Neighborhood", the first of the three books. Wynnie has a happy childhood and falls in love with a struggling artist. It is about Wynnie and her family, and her little circle of old and new friends. We learn much about the poor of society of that time. This book is set in the real, every-day world, and our narrator is serious when she calls her life ''quiet and ordinary''. Though ...

"In this book I have sought to trace the course of our religious poetry from an early period of our literary history. ... [I]f its poetry be the cream of a people's thought, some true indications of the history of its religious feeling must be found in its religious verse, and I hope I have not altogether failed in setting forth these indications. My chief aim, however, will show itself to have been the mediating towards an intelligent and cordial sympathy betwixt my readers and the writers from whom I have quoted. In this I have some confidence of success. Heartily do I throw this my small ...

Revolutionary for the time in encouraging children to think like children, the adventure of Princess Irene and Curdie, the boy miner, was to influence generations of writers, including Chesterton and Tolkien. Overflowing with fantastic ideas and images to delight the young and allegory to inspire their morality ‘The Princess and the Goblin’ has remained one of the most exciting tales for over 100 years.Irene lives in a castle on a mountain under which there is a labyrinth of tunnels inhabited by Goblins.

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. Summary from Wikipedia

Dive into a captivating journey of personal transformation with Flight of the Shadow, a mesmerizing novel by George MacDonald. This enchanting tale serves as both a poignant exploration of the dangers of secrecy and a celebration of the power of honesty. Although designed to resonate with a teen audience, its profound themes will linger long after the last page is turned. Written in the elegant style reminiscent of Gothic novels from the nineteenth century, this story weaves together elements of relationships, redemption, and the illuminating choice to live in the light. - Summary by Beth ...

In a tale woven with mystery and emotion, an unscrupulous baronet finds himself a widower, indifferent to the fate of his unattractive newborn heir. However, everything changes when a cold stepmother arrives, and the child is whisked away by a devoted nurse. What unfolds is a captivating journey filled with drama, love, and life lessons—hallmarks of MacDonalds remarkable storytelling. This gripping narrative serves as a sequel to Thomas Wingfold, Curate and Paul Faber, Surgeon. - Summary by HannahMary

Clare was a wanderer, shaped by the tremors of life from a young age. Orphaned by an earthquake before he could even grasp the meaning of his own name, his childhood unfolded as a tapestry of challenges and joys, filled with friends and foes alike. Among these, animals stood as his steadfast companions. Through every trial, Clares pure and loving heart remained a beacon of hope, guiding those around him. “He had had a rough shaking. The earthquake had come and gone… many times. But the shaking earth was his nurse, teaching him to thrive in a world that cannot be shaken.” - Summary by ...