Customer Reviews

The Curate of Glaston

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If you are really interested in reading George MacDonald, this is not the book for you. The text of the orignal book, "Thomas Wingfold Curate" on which this book is suppoedely based, is wildly tampered with, from the very first sentence of the novel. This is not George MacDonald at all. The editor has taken huge liberties with one of literature's great Christian authors. I would suggest that you find the original text of this book rather that reading this. It will be worth the search. It is much better than this abridgement, which doesn't even have the courage to call itself that.

Michael Phillips is a superb editor of George MacDonald's books, in case you haven't discovered that. The first book is about a minister who doesn't know the Lord, but comes to it. He makes aquaintance of some surprising people who are dwarfs and they share their lives with him (and us)in a touching, incredible way; they really are at the heart of the story. Also in this is a wonderful, albiet difficult love of a sister for her brother that could be today, not the late 1800's, when it was written. Another is about a doctor and a beautiful woman. I read every Geroge MacDonald I can find, and this is one of the best.

If you really want to read this story then you will find a copy of "Thomas Wingfold" by George MacDonald. I can't imagine why anyone would want to read an edited version when the real thing is available. Check out the official George MacDonald website. Many of his works are available on line, I'm not sure about this one. George MacDonald was one of the great ones and his stories, novels, poems and spiritual writings hold up well, in spite of the Victorian language. It is worth the extra effort to read the real thing instead of its shadow.

This book was my first introduction to George MacDonald, and I must say, I was blown away. George MacDonald was a contemporary of Charles Dickens, but their styles are very different. George MacDonald is a very engaging read; admittedly, I didn't really get into the book until the third chapter, but after that, I read through every minute of my spare time.
The first section of the book, The Curate's Awakening, was my favorite of the three; the character of Polwarth has a way of affirming some of my beliefs with irrefutable logic, while challenging others with the same. The Curate's Awakening is the best thesis of Biblical Holiness in everyday living that I've ever read.
The second section, The Lady's Confession, was my least favorite of the sections, not because it was bad, but because it was less good. Here again, Polwarth makes some profound statements, including that in which Polwarth shows by contrast that the exterior of a person means nothing, while the interior is paramount. This idea is the entire thrust of The Lady's Confession.
The third section was different than the others; the Curate of the first section is present throughout all three, but here, in the third, he is barely so. I mean to say that, while he is a character in the story, he is not a major one, but merely supportive. This section fell between the first and second on the scale of enjoyment. It is a shallower story than the others--less tedious. I do not mean to say that the others were very tedious, but this one was less so. This section lacks the depth of inner conflict that Thomas Wingfold, in the first, and Paul Faber and Juliet experienced in the second. This section is the story of a more gentle spiritual birth; not less real to life, but less dramatic.
Overall, I'm glad I purchased and read this book. It is entirely worth the time it takes to read, though when it arrives in the mail, you'll probably think you've ordered a phone book with a pretty cover. It is very thick! The spiritual insight contained in this book exceeds that of any other book I've ever read, and you will benefit.

Before reading this book I'd never heard of George MacDonald, but now I want to read more of his books. Having been house-bound for two year, unable to attend church the last years, reading this novel was like being ministered to each and every time I read it. The characters interact to bring alive messages typically heard in a sermon but in an animated way. A wonderful way to learn. The curate's own discovery of Jesus steered me to examining some of my own motivations. For any fan of history, great story-telling, and Jesus, this is a wonderful read. The background on George MacDonald provided before the novels is also a bonus.

C.S.Lewis once wrote a review using the words, "Here are beauties that pierce like swords or burn like cold iron...Good beyond hope". These words say what I would say of this trilogy.

My dad introduced me to George MacDonald about five years back. I was a little afraid that I would drown in details, like my sister had threatened I would. The first book of his I picked up was the Curates Awakening and I fell in love right away. It had romance, suspense, conflict etc. but shared in a deeper way than most novels I've read. I felt like I too was having an encounter with God right along with the Curate. I highly recommend this trilogy as well as any other books by George. You won't be disappointed.

A wonderful tale of a minister's search for Christ and the lives that are affected because of it. It was because of this book that my interest in George Macdonald began!