The Golden Key (A Sunburst Book) (Paperback)

by George Macdonald (Author), Maurice Sendak (Illustrator), W. H. Auden (Afterword) "There was a boy who used to sit in the twilight and listen to his great-aunt's stories..." (more)
Key Phrases: Old Man of the Sea

Editorial Reviews

Review

[This] "edition illustrated with remarkable sensitivity makes available once more one of the most beautiful of allegorical fairy tales...The story is itself a key that will open to many children a door on their own imaginative experiences and the pleasure and mystery of allegorical speculation." --The Horn Book

"A new edition illustrated with remarkable sensitivity makes available once more one of the most beautiful of allegorical fairy tales...The story tells of the girl and boy, Tangle and Mossy, who meet and travel together to a mysterious land. For a while their paths separate as Tangle encounters, one after another, the three Old Men--of the Sea, of the Earth, and of the Fire--and she grows wiser and more beautiful with each stage of her journey. Tangle is reunited at last with Mossy, who carries the golden key, and they reach the rainbow, climbing along it toward the 'country whence the shadows fall.' The story, full of dreamlike events and exquisite images, is itself a key that will open to many children a door on their own imaginative experiences and the pleasure and mystery of allegorical speculation." --Horn Book

Product Description
The adventurous wanderings of a boy and girl to find the keyhole which fits the rainbow's golden key.

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Product Details Reading level: Ages 4-8 Paperback: 96 pages Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (December 1, 1984) Language: English ISBN-10: 0374425906 ISBN-13: 978-0374425906 Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.6 x 0.2 inches Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #244,899 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #11 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( M ) > MacDonald, George #14 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( M ) > MacDonald, George #28 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( M ) > Macdonald, George

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There was a boy who used to sit in the twilight and listen to his great-aunt's stories. Read the first page

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Old Man of the Sea

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 1 book:

• George MacDonald by C. S. Lewis in Back Matter

 

74 books cite this book:

• The Complete Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics) by George Macdonald on 12 pages
• Victorian Fantasy by Stephen Prickett on 7 pages
• The Rise of Tolkienian Fantasy by Jared C. Lobdell on 7 pages
• From Homer to Harry Potter: A Handbook on Myth and Fantasy by Matthew T. Dickerson on 7 pages
• Books That Build Character: A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Values Through Stories by William Kilpatrick on 5 pages

See all 74 books citing this book

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	66% buy the item featured on this page: The Golden Key (A Sunburst Book) 4.8 out of 5 stars (18) $7.95
	10% buy The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics) 4.7 out of 5 stars (44) $3.99
	8% buy The Light Princess (Sunburst Book) 4.4 out of 5 stars (14) $7.99
	8% buy The Princess and Curdie (Puffin Classics) 4.4 out of 5 stars (13) $6.99

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews 5 star:  (16) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 55 of 55 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely mystical fairy tale, March 20, 2001 By  Richard R. Horton (Webster Groves, MO United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    A couple of shortish pieces by the great 19th Century Scottish clergyman and writer George MacDonald were illustrated by Maurice Sendak in the 1960s, and they are now available in attractive paperback editions from Sunburst. One is a very light-hearted story called _The Light Princess_, and the other is a mystical and lovely fairy tale called _The Golden Key_. _The Golden Key_ is the story of two children, a boy and a girl, who live (not together) on the border of Fairyland. The boy has been told that at the end of the rainbow he can find a golden key -- it is not to be sold, and no one knows what door it may open, but it will surely lead somewhere wonderful. One day he sees a rainbow, and decides to follow it into Fairyland, where it seems the end of it might be -- and there he finds the golden key. Meantime, the girl, much mistreated, wanders into the forest of Fairyland, following a strange owl-like flying fish. Soon she meets a beautiful, ageless, woman, and she learns that she and the boy must journey together, looking for the keyhole into which the golden key will fit. Their journey is long (though the story is short), and quite wonderful. They meet some strange and wise old men, and encounter many beautiful and curious sights. At last, of course, they find the doorway with keyhole. The ending is unexpected and quite moving and beautiful. It is tempting to try to analyze this story -- is it an allegory of marriage? or the story of a joint journey to salvation? Perhaps, though, as W. H. Auden suggests in his afterword, it is best to simply let yourself be absorbed by the story, to enjoy its lovely and haunting images. This book is listed as for ages 4-8, which is absurd -- it will satisfy all ages, and if anything the target audience is definitely older children than 8. MacDonald, a key influence on C. S. Lewis, was one of the greatest of all children's fantasists -- try his _Princess and Curdie_ books, or especially his fabulous novel _At the Back of the North Wind_. (He also wrote such fine adult fantasies as _Lilith_.) The Sendak illustrations are fine and quirky as well. 23 of 23 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars An adult fairy tale, October 22, 1997 By A Customer It is a pity that George MacDonald is usually thought of as a writer of children's stories. The Golden Key is a fairy tale but there are few children indeed who will truly appreciate the symbolism and mystery of scenes like the journey through the valley of shadows. This one has me thinking and wondering for weeks after each time I read it. 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Heaven in a wildflower, August 24, 2000 By  William Timothy Lukeman - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       A perfect fairy tale, lovely and deeply moving, containing more within its few short pages than most novels could ever hope to achieve. While sensitive children will certainly enjoy it, I think adult readers will discover far more - rich in symbolism, which never overwhelms the narrative, and conveying an atmosphere of unearthly peace, "The Golden Key" acquires a patina of subtle beauty and meaning with each new reading. Highly recommended!		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars what dreams may come THE GOLDEN KEY by George MacDonald is nothing short of fascinating. It is all at the same time a fairy tale and a unique mystery. Read more Published 10 months ago by D. COLLIER 5.0 out of 5 stars a very fun fantasy adventure I love fairy tales, and this story is a most excellent example of the genre. It follows two children on their journeys through Fairyland and their interactions with various... Read more Published 13 months ago by MFinesilver 5.0 out of 5 stars The Opening of a New Door in the Development of Literature While The Golden Key may not be my all-time favorite book, it certainly has a strong connection to the book that I treasure most of all (well, second to the Bible). Read more Published 24 months ago by Scott 5.0 out of 5 stars The Golden Key I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my 20-year-old daughter. It was one of her favorite books as a child and she frequently checked it out of our local library until it... Read more Published on January 10, 2007 by Elizabeth L. Aten 5.0 out of 5 stars Water This book is like a drink of the freshest, clearest water on the brightest, bluest spring day you can imagine. Read more Published on December 12, 2005 by K. Johnson 5.0 out of 5 stars The talent for loving An earlier reviewer mentioned the difficulty of understanding the imagery of the story and another suggested (perhaps rightly) that the golden key represents Christ. C.S. Read more Published on January 26, 2005 by Sergius Paulus 5.0 out of 5 stars Read this little story... the tale of tangle and mossy, two child like creatures on the adventure of the ages. alone - together - parting - re-uniting, until which is which becomes forgotten and... Read more Published on January 19, 2005 by 2-B determined 5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtakingly Beautiful Just read "The Golden Key" for the first time. As soon as I finished, I read it for a second time. Read more Published on July 31, 2004 by L. Marcus 5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful little book I found this book while I was reading my way through the library's fairy tale shelf. I didn't understand any of the symbolism at the time, but I still liked it. Read more Published on February 27, 2003 by methylethel 5.0 out of 5 stars Tolkien and C. S. Lewis loved this one(and so did I)! Afterward by W. H. Auden. This "great work" as C.S. Lewis described The Golden Key, tells of a boy and a girl, and their mysterious journey. J.R.R. Read more Published on January 3, 2002 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (December 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374425906
• ISBN-13: 978-0374425906
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #244,899 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #11 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( M ) > MacDonald, George
  #14 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( M ) > MacDonald, George
  #28 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( M ) > Macdonald, George

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely mystical fairy tale, March 20, 2001

By	Richard R. Horton (Webster Groves, MO United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A couple of shortish pieces by the great 19th Century Scottish clergyman and writer George MacDonald were illustrated by Maurice Sendak in the 1960s, and they are now available in attractive paperback editions from Sunburst. One is a very light-hearted story called _The Light Princess_, and the other is a mystical and lovely fairy tale called _The Golden Key_.

_The Golden Key_ is the story of two children, a boy and a girl, who live (not together) on the border of Fairyland. The boy has been told that at the end of the rainbow he can find a golden key -- it is not to be sold, and no one knows what door it may open, but it will surely lead somewhere wonderful. One day he sees a rainbow, and decides to follow it into Fairyland, where it seems the end of it might be -- and there he finds the golden key. Meantime, the girl, much mistreated, wanders into the forest of Fairyland, following a strange owl-like flying fish. Soon she meets a beautiful, ageless, woman, and she learns that she and the boy must journey together, looking for the keyhole into which the golden key will fit.

Their journey is long (though the story is short), and quite wonderful. They meet some strange and wise old men, and encounter many beautiful and curious sights. At last, of course, they find the doorway with keyhole. The ending is unexpected and quite moving and beautiful.

It is tempting to try to analyze this story -- is it an allegory of marriage? or the story of a joint journey to salvation? Perhaps, though, as W. H. Auden suggests in his afterword, it is best to simply let yourself be absorbed by the story, to enjoy its lovely and haunting images. This book is listed as for ages 4-8, which is absurd -- it will satisfy all ages, and if anything the target audience is definitely older children than 8. MacDonald, a key influence on C. S. Lewis, was one of the greatest of all children's fantasists -- try his _Princess and Curdie_ books, or especially his fabulous novel _At the Back of the North Wind_. (He also wrote such fine adult fantasies as _Lilith_.) The Sendak illustrations are fine and quirky as well.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An adult fairy tale, October 22, 1997

By A Customer

It is a pity that George MacDonald is usually thought of as a writer of children's stories. The Golden Key is a fairy tale but there are few children indeed who will truly appreciate the symbolism and mystery of scenes like the journey through the valley of shadows. This one has me thinking and wondering for weeks after each time I read it.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heaven in a wildflower, August 24, 2000

By	William Timothy Lukeman - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A perfect fairy tale, lovely and deeply moving, containing more within its few short pages than most novels could ever hope to achieve. While sensitive children will certainly enjoy it, I think adult readers will discover far more - rich in symbolism, which never overwhelms the narrative, and conveying an atmosphere of unearthly peace, "The Golden Key" acquires a patina of subtle beauty and meaning with each new reading. Highly recommended!