Book Description
Phantastes A young man named Anodos experiences dream-like adventures in Fairy Land, where he meets tree-spirits, endures the presence of the overwhelming shadow, journeys to the palace of the fairy queen, and searches for the spirit of the earth. The story conveys a profound sadness and a poignant longing for death.
Reviews
"Phantastes is brilliantly subtle. When I began to read it, I expected your typical fantasy novel, but what I got was completely shocking, and in my opinion, better than what I'd hoped it would be. The beauty of the story comes from the allegory, rather than the plot. It's the story of the journey through a life, though on the outside, it appears to be only a man's journey through a fictional world. As I read, it became something that i think everyone can relate to: A tale of love and rejection, growing up, yet remaining a child, casting off pride and learning humility. In a nutshell, it's the stages of a life pieced together in a surprisingly honest and resonant light."
"Do not read this if you are not wanting a baptism of your imagination. This book may come alive in your hands and draw you into worlds inside of worlds inside of worlds, into infinity. If you don't experience that, take what you will. If you are ripe for it, you'll be forever changed in unexplainable ways.
This book was the witness that turned C.S. Lewis from an atheist to one of God's best loved ambassadors. To a 23 year old struggling with illness, fear & doubt, it opened heaven to me.
George MacDonald is known as the Father of Modern Fantasy. Read it just for fantastical entertainment, if you can, and remain unchanged. I dare you. This man is scary."
About Author
George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.He was educated at Aberdeen University and after a short and stormy career as a minister at Arundel, where his unorthodox views led to his dismissal, he turned to fiction as a means of earning a living. He wrote over 50 books.
Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, MacDonald inspired many authors, such as G.K. Chesterton, W. H. Auden, J.R.R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Madeleine L'Engle. Lewis 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."Elizabeth Yates wrote of Sir Gibbie, "It moved me the way books did when, as a child, the great gates of literature began to open and first encounters with noble thoughts and utterances were unspeakably thrilling."Even Mark Twain, who initially disliked MacDonald, became friends with him, and there is some evidence that Twain was influenced by MacDonald.
