The Princess and the Goblin

2011 Reprint of 1872 Edition. George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, George MacDonald inspired many authors, such as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. It was C.S. Lewis who 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. Although George MacDonald wrote The Princess and the Goblin primarily for children, his fantasy continues to delight readers of all ages. It is the story of two young people who grow in maturity and spiritual development as they thwart the evil plans of goblins. MacDonald’s book contains the elements of good story telling-an exciting, well-paced plot and believable characters, who have human weaknesses as well as strengths.