Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women

A youthful, somewhat agnostic Clive Staples Lewis fatefully encountered "Phantastes" as his first George MacDonald book; and years later, as C S Lewis the Oxford don and eminent author, he was loud in his acknowledgment of his debt to the Scottish fantasy author. It says much for Lewis that, even in his youth, he rose eagerly to the challenge of entering the fictional world of "Phantastes" and of learning, from its author, how to write fantasy. Many an English-speaking reader, from that day to this, could not accomplish as much, but set "Phantastes" back on the shelf from a stance of incomprehension, confusion, frustration, and even indignant disdain.

To be fair, these readers have a point. "Phantastes" presumes much of its reader, on more levels than one. Take the literary level alone, from which George MacDonald quotes German Romantic authors from Schiller to Novalis, and scatters these quotes throughout his book. Many conventionally-educated readers are not at all literate in the works of art and criticism so freely quoted by MacDonald.

At last, in this edition, an annotated approach to "Phantastes" is available to the reading public, and not before time. My ordered copy was delivered in fine condition, and at first glance, this edition appears complete and unabridged. Such cannot always be presumed of new editions of "Phantastes," as is, sadly, the case with the Anne Fremantle edition published in the United States. The editor of that version cut nearly all of the poems, or "songs," from where MacDonald placed them amongst his paragraphs of prose. As far as I can tell, all of the poetry is here.

There are plenty of footnotes, and thankfully they do not overwhelm the actual text but are restrained. Many is the scholar who would find it hard to restrain her- or himself if you got one started on the minutiae of "Phantastes." Thus, a manageable size of book, reasonably priced since it is paperback, and one meant to last and to remain valuable if not to appreciate in value.

I hear Mark Worthings modern language re-write of George MacDonald's classic, PHANTASTES, is very good. I will buy it as soon as it is released in Kindle format. But beware, the store is sloppy with this posting. It does show Worthing's book, but several of the versions listed, including the Kindle version, are MacDonald's original work.

That is, of course, the classic, but there is potential for confusion here.

MacDonald's hugely-influential fairytale masterpiece is filled with a strange, haunting beauty, but also densely-packed with Christian and spiritual allegory which can make it impenetrable to modern readers. What does the hero's name, Anados mean? (Literally 'pathless,' and early in the story he wanders off the path, with a vague feeling he's meant to stay on it, but Anados can also mean 'upwards,' indicating his slow climb towards spiritual enlightenment.) Why does Anados always walk towards the East? (Because when this was published in 1858, Christian readers were expected to know that East = Christ, because the Sun rises in the East.) Nick Page has provided just the right annotations to orient modern readers so they'll be able to grasp the allegorical gist of this truly gorgeous, incredibly innovative fairytale sufficiently to enter and enjoy it.

The Nick Page edition features a great introduction, with photos of MacDonald, his homes and the beautiful landscape where he grew up. Annotations further clarify the work by providing context regarding which stories most influenced this one (primarily German Romantics like Novalis, but also Spenser's Faerie Queene and many others). Finally, this edition includes George MacDonald's incredibly beautiful essay on fairytales, 'The Fantastic Imagination,' an obvious influence on Tolkien's famous essay 'On Fairy-Stories.' If you're thinking of giving Phantastes a read, this is absolutely the edition to get.

Phantastes is perhaps the most beautiful thing I have ever read. It blurs the lines between all forms of art reminding one of looking at a painting or listening to a beautiful strain of music. I highly recommend the book, for it provides with it not only good reading but a deep experience.

However, the 2012 Popular Classics Publishing of the book is NOT the copy I would recommend. First, in a regular copy of Phantastes one would find that George MacDonald quoted another author at the beginning of each chapter. These quotations add depth to the story because they cause the reader to see Phantastes outside of the book. Also these quotations add depth to George MacDonald, for first it shows his education as well as the sorts of authors he esteemed. Secondly, this copy is an awkward size. It's perhaps 11" give or take, which makes for an unpleasant aesthetic appearance, but also it simply does not feel like reading a book. Finally the copy does not do a good job in formatting the songs found throughout the book. These songs are difficult to read because it it is obvious that they are supposed to be formated in the way one would format poetry and yet that is simply not the case in this book where the poetry is formatted as prose.

Phantastes as retold by Mark Worthing was a great read.
I tried years ago to read the original Phantastes by George MacDonald - that's the one Tolkien and Lewis raved about as a major inspiration to their work - It was a bit hard going, slow in places and old language. I found it both intriguing and also tedious, and in the end I failed to read most of it (this was partly because I was studying at the time and had a dozen other easier books I also had to read).
this modern re-telling is great. It captures the heart of the original text without losing the flavour of the text, or the meaning of the content. Some of the slower parts have been freed up and it no-longer feels tedious to read. I enjoyed it so much that I went back and actually enjoyed the original more as a result.

This was an amazing book by George MacDonald. It was absolutely beautiful and I could not put it down. When I had to put it down, my thoughts were constantly drawn back to the story of Anodos and his journey through the Land of Faerie.
As I read, I could see that he was showing me much more than just the skin of the story. There was so much underneath that I could see, like shadows of fish in pond. You can see them, but can't particularly tell what kind they are. Perhaps this is due to lack of intelligence on my part, yet, there was much that I did not understand about the story. Even so, it added to the beauty and mystery of the book.
Also, this version by Johannesen is great. The illustrations by Arthur Hughes are perfect to go along with the book.

The following review is given specifically for the Johannesen edition (George MacDonald Original Works) of Phantastes.

First of all, the book has a slick, dark green cover that is waterproof. The front cover and spine are engraved with gold leafing, which gives the book a beautiful antique appearance. Furthermore, the spine is well-rounded and appears to be enforced for a lifetime of handling (this is obviously important for a serious book collector!). Also, the sewn pages within are acid-free and are of a light cream color which makes it easy on the eyes while reading.

Secondly, Johannesen has included all thirty-three illustrations by Arthur Hughes. No other modern printing of this text includes these illustrations. Although it may sound silly to wish for these illustrations, it really adds a touch of delightful nostaglia to Phantastes

Thirdly, the Johannesen editions are considered authoritative editions, which hold significant weight for the literary student or MacDonald scholar.

Although the price may seem a bit steep, the product is well worth it. This is an attractive edition which may be passed down through your family for generations to come. I hope that this brief review has been helpful - happy shopping!

Phantastes, by George MacDonald, was first published in 1858. The somewhat rambling prose style reflects the writing of that era. In spite of the wordiness, the story is delightful and very interesting. I was impressed that the yearnings of the main character and the yearnings of us 21rst- century humans are largely the same. On the whole, I much enjoyed the tale.

eBook downloaded from Gutenberg. A man records his travels through fairyland.

There simply wasn't enough of a story in the travelogue to hold my attention. Odd events happened, one after another, but were not related or explained. I tried, because I adore C.S. Lewis and Lewis raves about MacDonald, but I barely made it through the first 10% of the book before giving up.

eBook downloaded from Gutenberg. A man records his travels through fairyland.

There simply wasn't enough of a story in the travelogue to hold my attention. Odd events happened, one after another, but were not related or explained. I tried, because I adore C.S. Lewis and Lewis raves about MacDonald, but I barely made it through the first 10% of the book before giving up.