The Complete Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

George Macdonald (Author), U. C. Knoepflmacher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999 | Age Level: 18 and up | Grade Level: 12 and up | Series: Penguin Classics

George MacDonald occupied a major position in the intellectual life of his Victorian contemporaries. This volume brings together all eleven of his shorter fairy stories as well as his essay "The Fantastic Imagination". The subjects are those of traditional fantasy: good and wicked fairies, children embarking on elaborate quests, and journeys into unsettling dream worlds. Within this familiar imaginative landscape, his children's stories were profoundly experimental, questioning the association of childhood with purity and innocence, and the need to separate fairy tale wonder from adult scepticism and disbelief.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a minister who was rejected by his congregation, and struggled thereafter to support his family of eleven children by writing. In his own day he was celebrated as poet, preacher, and lecturer, and as the author of numerous novels. He is best known today for his vivid children's stories. U. C. Knoepflmacher has published widely on children's literature and the Victorian period.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140437371
• ISBN-13: 978-0140437379
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133,281 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Scottish

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Fairy Tales, July 3, 2000

By 

Valerie King - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I find it such a pity that this literary genious is not more widely read! This particular book, I have read and re-read so frequently in the last 8 years that I may soon be forced to purchase it again. The cover has been rolled into a perpetual "O" and so many pages have been dog-earred and folded, that it has become rather hard to read. Needless to say, I have found this book one of the most enjoyable of the many many books I've read during my 17 years of life. The stories contained in this book are exceptionally enchanting and the symbolism superb! They have undoubtably had a strong influence on my own writing style.

I would recommend George MacDonald over all other authors (with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien a close second and third). And I would recommend this book to fantasy readers over any other piece I've read.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the first master, February 9, 2003

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

George MacDonald, a 19th-century minister from Scotland, may be the earliest writer of fantasy as we know it today. He was a prolific writer and an influence on grand masters C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and here some of his less-known (but well-written) works.

First of all is his essay on "The Fantastic Imagination," where he discusses fantasy, fairy tales, and the nature of childlike innocence. There are also short stories, such as the novella "Light Princess," about a girl who is a lightweight in mind AND body, excerpts from the dreamy fantasy novel "At The Back of the North Wind," the haunting "Shadows" that appear for a king, a "Wise Woman" who sweeps away an obnoxious princess, and several others.

MacDonald's stories have the sort of rich, compelling prose that the best of 19th-century literature has. His stories are full of creepy creatures, magical women, golden keys and dreamy atmosphere, the sort of stuff now written by Jane Yolen and not many others. But they're also more grounded and traditionally fairy-tale-like than the stories of later writer Lord Dunsany. Rather, you can see how Lewis and Tolkien would have both enjoyed and been influenced by MacDonald.

A good selection of short stories and a thought-provoking essay, definitely for fans of fantasy and fairy tales. Delightful.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Marred by careless proofreading., November 24, 2001

By A Customer

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This review is from: The Complete Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

The stories were languid yet wry. Very enjoyable. However, I don't believe I've ever encountered such careless errors. In addition to numerous spelling errors, the chapter heading was wrong in TWO cases! The introduction was lacking as well. Read George MacDonald, but get a different edition of his works.