The Princess And The Goblin: (Illustrated)

The writing style of which I was not used to, challenged my reading comprehension and I believe I am better because of it. The story was tender and sweet, full of metaphors depicting God and positive values and life lessons.

I must confess that I read "The Princess and the Goblin" primarily for educational purposes. I love studying classical fantastic literature, particularly Lewis and Tolkien. Furthermore, Lewis in particular is an inspiration to me. Therefore, I was very interested to learn about the man who had a tremendous influence on these genre trailblazers, to point that Lewis referred to George MacDonald as his master. And with someone like G.K. Chesterton saying that "Princess" had "made a difference to my whole existence" this book seemed like a good place to start.

Fans of Narnia will clearly see the influence MacDonald had on Lewis in the book. The writing style is very similar. Moreover, one can clearly see a shared knack for bringing out key moral and doctrinal points in manner that is both natural and witty. Though it never feels like a sermon, you still come away feeling as if you've learned something.

Some major themes of the book this include the nature of both courage and faith. It's clearly implied that scary creatures (goblins) are terrified by people who aren't afraid of them. Moreover, MacDonald mocks unwarranted pride and portrays it as the goblin's fatal weakness.

Perhaps the major difference between C.S. Lewis and his master is their theology. While he was anything but conventional, Lewis was far more orthodox than MacDonald. While Lewis was a firm Complementarian, MacDonald had definite Egalitarian leanings, going so far as to make the God-figure an old lady. Interestingly enough, both of these men existed before their given doctrinal stances on this issue had been fully systematized and evaluated by church as whole. In many respects, they were both well ahead of their time on this issue, though they found themselves trailblazing in different directions.

Likewise, there's some "I'm okay, you're okay" sentiment expressed, no doubt the fruit of his Universalist theology. While one's views of these issues may affect their perception of the book, the "preaching" is subtle enough that those who disagree with him won't be terribly turned off. The main feeling you have when you finish the book is that you just read a charming piece of literature, not a theological thesis. That said, I was a little surprised by how contemporary MacDonald sounded. It's as if an Emergent church leader had somehow gotten stuck in the late Victorian era.

The story itself follows a "true princess", Irene, and a brave miner boy, Curdie. Both the main characters have high morals, which are more lifestyles than dogmas. There is very little character development in the book. Irene becomes a little braver and Curdie a little more trusting. But that's about it. Perhaps this was done in the spirit of a care-free fairy tale about two children's adventures.

In summary, the book is very good for what it is. It's not incredibly deep, though the underlying themes that do exist are skillfully and wittily portrayed. The book feels very much like a child's fairy tale, with the author not feeling the need to burden the book with realism or unnecessary details. If you're looking for a light, enjoyable read "The Princess and the Goblin" is a good pick.

Definitly one of the most alligorical writings I've read in a while. With major compliments from well known writers such as C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton, I figured it was worth a try. Could not have been more right.

The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie are wonderful reading for youth and adults. Beautiful language to challenge and stimulate the mind; and beautiful vision of a life of faith, desire for Good, and true life in the power of our Savior Jesus Christ.

I remember reading this with my older sister growing up. It was her favorite book and I enjoyed the chance to read it again. It is a fast read on the Kindle version with little or no dependencies or words-out-of-place.

A most enchanting book. MacDonald is by far one of the greatest writers of all time. This story posesses high vovabular and is very engaging to children from the age of three on up. It should be one of the first chapter books you read to your child. And yes this story has high appeal to both girls and boys.

This is a fine little volume for reading with children or for reading aloud. I read it over a few weeks aloud of an evening to a friend taking turns and she to me. MacDonald is great to be read aloud.

They came out with a movie version of this in the 90's and I loved it! The magic, the bravery, the dream of it all. I can't wait to share this timeless tale with my own daughter! (Because everyone knows the books are always better!)

We are reading this for my daughter's year 3 of home school and she is thoroughly enjoying it. Short chapters and lots of mystery and suspense are keeping my 9 year old engaged and excited to read each day. I love that she begs to read just one more chapter. That says it all for a story to me!

My daughters and I read this book aloud together. I LOVE classics- and we've been reading a mix of classics and contemporary literature. We're reading Harry Potter and Pollyanna right now. We just finished another Lemony Snicket book, and we've read several of the Betsy, Tacy and Tibb books and Heidi. This one was just too long-winded and dragging. I know that's how people wrote once upon and time, and that this may be a revered classic. But, while I did like the idea and actions of the magical grandmother, The Princess and the Goblin was very, very slow. And the end of the book wasn't very satisfying. I still don't know if the grandmother has some goblin blood, and there's so much of the goblins history that was hinted at, but not explained. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever have the patience to read the sequel (especially since I don't know what will end up being resolved).

My recommendation is - if you think you might be interested in this one, you should just check it out of the library.

We are reading this for my daughter's year 3 of home school and she is thoroughly enjoying it. Short chapters and lots of mystery and suspense are keeping my 9 year old engaged and excited to read each day. I love that she begs to read just one more chapter. That says it all for a story to me!

My daughters and I read this book aloud together. I LOVE classics- and we've been reading a mix of classics and contemporary literature. We're reading Harry Potter and Pollyanna right now. We just finished another Lemony Snicket book, and we've read several of the Betsy, Tacy and Tibb books and Heidi. This one was just too long-winded and dragging. I know that's how people wrote once upon and time, and that this may be a revered classic. But, while I did like the idea and actions of the magical grandmother, The Princess and the Goblin was very, very slow. And the end of the book wasn't very satisfying. I still don't know if the grandmother has some goblin blood, and there's so much of the goblins history that was hinted at, but not explained. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever have the patience to read the sequel (especially since I don't know what will end up being resolved).

My recommendation is - if you think you might be interested in this one, you should just check it out of the library.

This book is rather slow in the beginning, but towards the middle the pace picks up. I don't think that this is a children's book, due to the phrasing of the sentences, although adults would think of it as a great read. l would say the age would be probably 12+.

I purchased this book "The Princess and the Goblin" (and "The Princess and Curdie") two wonderful stories that I have loved since childhood. I wanted to give the books to my nieces for their birthday. The books that I received might as well be paperbacks - they are about 1/2 inch thick with plain blue cloth covers. No illustrations and no illustrated book jacket as pictured on the site. These are not gift quality books and I believe they are overpriced. I had to return them. I am disappointed.

It is so hard to find unabridged copies of George MacDonald's work. This one is hacked to bits. If you want an abridged copy, it is fine. Nice illustrations and such... but the rich descriptions and nuances that make MacDonald's work so wonderful, in my eyes, are missing from this title.

Our little princess loves it! There is something to look forward to everyday with my daughter as I do not really know how the story will end too. We enjoy reading the story to her before bedtime. I believe she has recommended this to her classmates! Thank you for this beautiful book! :)

Holy smokes! Get an editor! The prose is extremely wordy, as in Herman Melville wordy. I had the hardest time getting the plot because of the narrator's overt descriptions and opinions. No one cares to read a page about how her toys are so wonderful theres no way to give them an apt description!

This book is a little special because I borrowed it from my local library in Japan. The selection of English books was limited but contained quite a few classics. Considering English books are overpriced in Japan and I wanted to read a real book after a long while I decided to read this one!

I really enjoyed this book and felt that it really dragged me into the fairytale world. It's refreshing to read a book that was written way before I was born and I learned quite a few words too!! I like the fact that it was simple to read as well as enjoyable not only for Children but also for all ages. It's also a fairytale outside of the normal ones I've seen on TV or in movies. I loved the characters Curdie and the Princess because they were so innocent yet courageous regardless of the scary environment. The ending was also very charming and matched the characters well that it made me want to read the next book! Though I doubt my library will have it...

If you love C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien, George MacDonald is a must read - Lewis calls him "the foundation for everything I wrote". I couldn't put this down without finishing in just a couple nights! I also highly recommend Lilith, Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind, and all of his novels about Scotland. The Bethany House publications are a great start, edited for easier reading. Incredible moral content, he is a Bible-based Christian writer who has many a lesson about living a good and charitable life!

The paperback version appears to be a REALLY bad reprint of a bad photocopy job. The text is misaligned with hanging letters and numbers in places that don't make sense and missing words. It is completely unreadable. One of the illustrations is cut halfway through. Ugh! I was really looking forward to rereading this childhood favorite with my daughter, now I need to figure out how to return it.

I often enjoy reading some children's books, as it is possible to write a good story for children with interesting dialogue and characters despite a slightly more limited vocabulary.

However, this was likely written before people tried to do that. I found all of the dialogue and characters flat and uninteresting. Maybe get it for your kids, but skip it yourself.

Father of fantasy, my foot. I gave this ridiculous "story" sixty pages and am still waiting for something to happen. The epic tradition of Tolkien and (arguably) Lewis hails from the Mabinogion and (also arguably) the Kalevala, not from some pathetic effort by Macdonald to pen a "fantasy" that my twin four-year-olds could outdo.

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest” – C. S. Lewis

I like to think that Lewis learned this from reading George MacDonald…I know that both he and J. R. R. Tolkien admired (and were influenced by) his works, including the two Curdie books. Echoes from these two books sound in The Lord of the Rings and Narnia: hostile goblins living in mines, a hero who comes singing to frighten away that baddies in the old forest, and a character who embodies the guidance and care of God Himself (more on her in a minute).

Each story is so full of symbolism and clever little nuggets of wisdom that the relatively simple plots sparkle with wonder. In The Princess and the Goblin, the unseen goblin threat and Princess Irene’s mysterious great-great-grandmother provide opportunities for the princess and the miner boy, Curdie, to exercise trust and belief. In The Princess and Curdie, Curdie, sent and empowered by the great-great-Grandmother, must confront corruption in the King’s capital, discovering inner character and true beauty.

Occasionally Princess Irene borders on being a little too big-eyed and sweet (think Lucy Pevensie in Narnia), and Curdie can be irritatingly dim, but the author never allows them to become too annoying. The character who really shines is the mysterious great-great-Grandmother. In many ways she beautifully embodies the ministry of the Holy Spirit…not in the direct way that Aslan = Jesus in the Narnia books, but by powerfully fulfilling many of the same roles (convicting, comforting, guiding, empowering)…and she’s frequently associated with white pigeons just in case you miss the connection.

In summary, these sparkling fantasy gems perfectly embody another C. S. Lewis quote: “No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”

This is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin. Unlike the first book, this one focuses on Curdie, and Princess Irene is only minimally in it towards the end. When she is finally brought on scene, she is somewhat disappointing in that she has not gained any complexity in the years she has presumably spent growing up between books. Curdie, however, does develop over the book in real, satisfying ways.

The plot was mostly predictable once each problem was revealed, but such can be expected from a children’s book, though I did have some problems with the ease with which each goal was achieved. Even setbacks turned out to be good, so that the arc of the story was a straight line without any lost ground. As with the first book, this story felt wholesome throughout, though I did wonder what the limitations of the great-great-grandmother’s powers were, and wish that was addressed somewhere, especially when the ending came.

The unique ways in which the characters procured their ways around the obstacles, the great-great-grandmother’s gifts of magic and the methods of the creatures, were interesting and did much to keep the story engaging. So too, Curdie’s continual goodwill toward the world, and desire to do right by all things was beautiful to read about. The very last pages made the book feel true and (especially coupled with Curdie in the beginning) drove home the message of the two books: being bad requires nothing more than inattention, being good requires constant effort.

This story was more complicated than its precursor, and retained the tone of gentle good. I rate this book 7/10.

It’s considered the children’s fantasy that spawned all other modern children’s fantasies. All children’s fantasies, period, some say. George MacDonald’s “The Princess and the Goblin” predates all those authors who hid behind initials: J. K. Rowling, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and even E. Nesbit. Is it as good as the masterworks those later authors wrote? Maybe not. But it’s still a sweet, well-turned little story in its own right and deserves a read from any fantasy fan.

Princess Irene, aged eight, lives in a big house far away from her king-papa with her nurse, Lootie, and several loyal servants. Although Irene’s bright, kindhearted, and by no means too perfect to endure, she doesn’t really have any friends. But that changes one day when Irene meets her great-great-grandmother (give or take a few greats), also named Irene, who has been watching over her since she was born. She also meets a young man named Curdie, the son of a miner who’s just clever enough at rhymes to scare away the goblins. (Goblins hate rhymes, you see, because they can’t make any of their own.)

Oh, did I forget to mention the goblins? Yes, they’re former subjects of Irene’s ancestors, but some disagreement or other drove them far underground, where they have since grown twisted and evil, bent upon seeking revenge. And who better to use for revenge than the little Princess? However, they didn’t plan on Irene’s pluckiness, or on Curdie’s resourcefulness. And they definitely didn’t anticipate a nearly all-powerful magical great-grandmother . . .

Even though this is marketed as a kids’ story, MacDonald once said that he didn’t necessarily write for the young, only the young at heart. And he was right. He uses words that I didn’t know until I was in middle school, and his plot isn’t exactly harrowing. However, he makes up for it with the sheer charm of his writing. In any other hands but his, Irene would have become an insufferable brat, but by the end of the fifth chapter, I wanted her for my little sister. Curdie could have been a flawless hero, but he’s an ordinary little boy with flaws and foibles just like the rest of us. The goblins could very well have been just another set of villains who were bad because they looked ugly, but in MacDonald’s world, those who are bad BECOME ugly. I can’t tell you what a difference that makes.

Every once in a while, I did wish the plot would move along a bit quicker. I wasn’t so hot about the abrupt ending. I wanted more closure on Great-Grandmother Irene than I got, and I wish there were one specific Goblin in the story to justify the title – none of them really stand out enough that I could say, “Oh, that’s the one on the front of the book!” But even so, MacDonald’s still done a great job with this neat little book, and I’ll be sure to try out the next, “The Princess and Curdie.”

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

When I was a wee little thing I happened to come across the 1994 animated film adaptation of this believed children's classic and fell in love with it. It wasn't until recently (this year) that I realized that it was based on a classic piece of children's literature so when I found out I did some investigating and downloaded the kobo e-book version onto my BlackBerry and before I knew it I was reading it every chance I got.

Right away though I noticed that there were of course some key differences. Since the movie I watched was a 1994 film there were some changes made to the story line. It was made to be more accessible to the modern audience but for what it was I enjoyed the book version as well.

The story was a fun one and normally I'm not one for the classics but this was a good one. It was enjoyable though I sometimes felt that the story lacked the flow of a more modern novel but that is in part due to the audience it was written for back in 1872.

For me, while my tastes are lean towards the more modern I did enjoy the book. I though Irene was a cute character. Her curiosity while it almost lead to her ruin was adorable to see play out on the pages, though I didn't like the demeaning way she treated Curdie the local boy who saved hers and her nursemaid's skin one night. Then again she was a princess and a very young one at that so I suppose I could excuse her attitude.

Curdie though had to be my favourite character because of how smart, self reliant and courageous manner. He was the main character for me because much of the book centered around his activities in finding the goblins, and figuring out their master plan.

The writing wasgood, it intrigued me but as I stated before the flow put me off a bit. I think that it was a lovely little children's classic and it deserves a spot on every kid's bookshelf because their a princess for the girls to admire and a hero for the boys.

Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone young and old. This would be a good book for a night time read aloud book for kids or to be read by teachers to their classes. I'm a strong believer that though a book is older it should not lose its place on out bookshelves. I plan on reading the sequel to this book in 2013.

Eight-year-old Princess Irene resides in a remote castle with her nurse Lootie and several other servants while her papa-king travels all over his kingdom. The reason that the Princess lives in seclusion is that the goblins who live under the mountain have sworn revenge on the king's family. In addition, she has a mysterious and magical great-great-grandmother who is watching over her but who is seen by nobody else besides her. Also, she becomes friends with a twelve-year-old boy named Curdie who is the son of a local miner. When Irene and Lootie get lost after dark while on a walk in the mountains and are chased by goblins, they first meet Curdie who protects them from the goblins and helps to get them home safely. He pledges himself to guard the Princess.

The goblins have hatched a double plot in which they plan to steal Irene to become the wife of their Prince Harelip and to use the mines to flood the castle. While working in the mines, Curdie overhears part of their plans but is captured and imprisoned by the goblins. However, Irene's grandmother gives her a special thread by which she is led to rescue Curdie and get both of them back home again. Curdie sneaks onto the castle grounds one night to see if he can learn more about the goblins' plans but is mistaken for a prowler by the king's guards and shot with an arrow. He not only is imprisoned but also becomes quite sick with a fever. It is during this very time that the goblins mount their attack. Will they be successful? Will the Princess be saved or will she become the bride of Harelip? And what will happen to Curdie?

Scottish-born author George MacDonald (1824-1905), though theologically considered a heretic, was a masterful storyteller who is often credited with inventing the genre of children's fantasy literature and influenced such later youth fantasy writers as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Madeline L'Engle. MacDonald began his literary career by telling fairy stories to his eleven children and then putting on plays for the poor in his neighborhood with his large family as the cast. His first such novel was At the Back of the North Wind published in 1871. The Princess and the Goblin was serialized in a journal called Good Words for the Young between 1870 and 1871 and then published in book form the following year. To be honest, this is one of the most fascinating and enjoyable books that I have ever read. The story of the Princess Irene and her friend Curdie continues in a sequel, The Princess and Curdie. I'll just have to read it too.

This classic fairy-tale-style story is set in a land where the Goblins and Humans have had a "cold war" for many, many years. Long ago, the Goblins threatened that some day they will steal a princess...and their day finally comes when Princess Irene's nurse accidentally keeps the Princess out after sunset. Luckily, they are rescued by a miner's boy, Curdie - but now the Goblins know where the Princess lives and what she looks like. When the Goblins hatch a devious plot, Curdie and Irene become fast-friends as they act in turn as heroes. First and foremost, this is a fairy-tale. But it is also an allegory about faith. Princess Irene has a great-great-grandmother - a mysterious and heavenly woman that only she can see. Irene's very-great grandmother gives the Princess a magical string and tells her to follow the string whenever she's afraid - never doubting it or deviating from it, regardless of where it may take her. Irene must learn to have faith even when she thinks that the string has led her astray. And Curdie must learn to have faith in a very-great grandmother that he has never seen. This is a sweet story, nice for reading aloud to young children.

The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald is a good fantastical fiction story about the journey of a boy named Curdie who goes on a journey to a city called Gwyntystorm. Like any other fantasy story, there is some sort of royal family that partakes in the story. The old princess gives Curdie the task of a quest. Travel to the city of Gwyntystorm. The princess presents Curdie with items too take on his journey, the items include an emerald that alerts Curdie’s father of danger, abilities to detect good from bad, lastly a companion named Lina. Lina is a scary and monstrous beast, however, Lina is very friendly. Lina saves Curdie from many dangers throughout the book. Once Curdie reaches Gwyntystorm, his task become apparent. Curdie finds the king very ill and weak with Princess Irene tending to his needs. No Spoiler Alert! I will not tell the ending! George MacDonald uses a children's writing style throughout the book which requires a not so hard reading level. The reading level for The Princess and Curdie would be roughly middle school reading level. However, with such an easy reading level, the book uses the writing style as an advantage to express the characterization and imagery throughout the story. The overall score of The Princess and Curdie would be an 8/10. The book intrigued me throughout the quest and journey of Curdie, however, with being a student in high school the story was childish. The Princess and Curdie was a very easy read which helped out with flying through it, but apart of me wishes the book would of had a more wide range of vocabulary to challenge the reader.

Young Princess Irene lives in a distant castle, protected from the goblins which haunt the area at night—until a fateful encounter that begins her journey deep into their mountain stronghold. The Princess and the Goblin has MacDonald's trademark luminous imagination atop a solid and directed plot—it fails to be as profound as some of his more metaphorical work, but it also more consistently engaging and, arguably, successful. Its twee Victorian style takes some adjustment, but is balanced by the darkness of the content; the ending flags, but the book's climax—where willful, unrepentantly feminine Princess Irene, aided by creative magics of graceful simplicity, carries the day—is an image that has held with me since I read the book as a child. The Day Boy and The Night Girl is the best MacDonald that I've read, but The Princess and the Goblin is easily my favorite—it doesn't stretch itself as far, but it's more concrete and as such able to leave a stronger impression while still resonating, as MacDonald's writing does, like a plucked string.

in a sentence or so: well, the goblins are at it again. the little runts are busy in their underground lairs hatching a plan to kidnap cute little princess Irene to make her the newest goblin princess for prince Hairlip. little does the goblin royal family know that Irene has the help of Curdie (a very nice miner's son), her great-great-great-great-grandmother (who lives in a secret area of her attic) and Irene's own resolve to be a very good princess, indeed.

alternating between Irene's adventures and Curdie's expeditions, we find out about the goblins living in the mountain near their homes. Irene is a princess, in the every sense of the word. Curdie is a miner's son, a miner himself, and quite a thoughtful and caring young man really. after Irene has an outing with Lootie, her personal nurse, that brings them much too close to a goblin grab, they meet the always helpful Curdie who saves them from the potential kidnapping and buds an intriguing relationship that will cross paths many times throughout the tale.

it becomes clear to Curdie, and to Lootie, that the goblins are after a new human princess. since Irene's home sits right on the edge of the mountain where the goblins dwell, it's pretty obvious she's the one they're after. the King orders his men to watch Irene and protect her, while Curdie acts on his own to find out what exactly the goblins are up to, and why.

Irene, who is blissfully unaware that she is the target of an underground snatching, stumbles upon a secret passage that leads her to a wonderful woman who identifies herself as Irene's great-great-great(etc) grandmother , and also her namesake. Irene learns about how her grandmother sustains herself in this most bizarre area of her house, and is simply fascinated by her existence in general. how can she be so old, yet so beautiful? how is it that no one else seems to know she lives here? why doesn't Lootie believe her when she attempts to share her discovery?

this was written as if it were being told like a story being told to a child at nighttime - which was pretty appealing and comforting, actually. there are little interruptions and asides that are clearly for the advantage of the reader, which adds a quaint quality to the read that keeps it light and easy to connect with the characters and the narrator.

there's also a good chunk of goblin lore to sink your literary teeth into, which was quite fun to discover. for example, why those mountain-dwellers are always trying to kidnap humans as their brides, where their weaknesses are, and their aversion to human toes.

because of the intended audience being younger, there are very practical explanations for things that i truly enjoyed. like when someone behaves in a way that Irene doesn't understand (not believing her about attic-granny, for example), the characters in the story help her to discern why that is without making villains of them. the more i ponder that concept, the more i really appreciate the idea that we are able to believe certain things at certain times, and that's okay. it's not that we lose respect for those who can't share our ideas, but patiently wait for them to discover on their own, or just accept the fact that some will never share our ideas.

this was a story of courage, friendship, believing when it feels impossible, trust, and being true to yourself. i liked it a whole lot more than i thought i would, and think this is surely a classic that is a solid read for any reader.

fave quote: "The princess being fast asleep, and Curdie in a faint, she could misrepresent at her pleasure" (208). (sometimes narrator is sassy, and i adore sassy.)
fix er up: started off rather slow and trite, but it picks up and darkens and takes some interesting twists and turns to keep your interest.

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

I much prefer Sci-fi to fairy tales and downloaded this to see if the kids would like it. THis book was written over 100 years ago but it is very understandable and engaging. I was very pleasantly surprised and unable to stop reading until I had finished the book. Although there are some aspects of fairy tales, the books characters and plot feel original.

Young Princess Irene is a typical little girl, very curious and precocious with a big heart, although being a princess, she does not lie and is well-behaved. She makes friends with a miner boy who saves her from the goblins when she accidently stays out too late, but can he save her from their plot to kidnap her?

After reading this, I am surprised that I had never before heard of George MacDonald. I will be reading more of his works.

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

George MacDonald found out his talent for telling fairy tales due to the fact that he had eleven children, and after the success of "At the Back of the North Wind", which was published serially in a magazine, MacDonald wrote his two most famous and popular books: "The Princess and the Goblin" and its sequel "The Princess and Curdie". From these books came the inspiration that brought about the two most famous fantasy authors ever known: J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, both of whom are much indebted to MacDonald's innovative fairytales and it can be safely said that both `The Lord of the Rings' and the `Chronicles of Narnia' are direct descendants of MacDonald's work. From these two original fairytales, Tolkien borrowed the idea of the goblin-infested mountain which arose in his own work as the Mines of Moria, whilst Lewis adopted MacDonald's trend of investing magic and enchantment with Christian images and themes.

"The Princess and the Goblin" centres around two young protagonists: the young princess Irene (pronounced with three syllables: I - Reen - Nee) and the slightly older Curdie, a boy who mines in the mountains. They live close to each other without knowing it, as Irene has grown up on a castle by the mountainside, away from her father and his court whilst Curdie lives with his parents in a simple cottage near the mine shafts.

On a rainy afternoon, when the princess is bored, she explores the old castle and discovers a magical room at the top of the house where her great-great-great grandmother waits for her, accompanied by her pigeons and her magic rose-fires, spinning her a very special gift. Meanwhile, young Curdie is going about his business, knowing full well the danger that he and his fellow miners face everyday due to the population of goblins that live within the mountains that they mine. However, the goblins tend to keep to themselves with the occasion mischievous trick played, and they are easily kept at bay with a cheerful. But now things are different: strange shadows are milling around the castle and Curdie overhears a sinister plot by the goblins to overthrow the king and destroy the homes of those that live above ground. Only together are the two children able to defeat their foes.

Also worth noting is MacDonald's treatment of female characters throughout the book; although the nursemaid Lootie is a stereotypical "mother hen", both the Princess Irene and her great-grandmother are strong female characters - rare for a book first published in 1872. It is Irene who is charged with the task of rescuing Curdie from the clutches of the goblins rather than the other way around, leading her through the darkness of the subterranean caves, guided by a single golden thread (symbolic of faith). Even more thought-provoking is her great-grandmother, who represents the divine within the story. Other books (such as the afore-mentioned "Lord of the Rings" and "Chronicles of Narnia", and many more besides) solely have male figures as their heavenly figures, and is a common theme in later fantasy books for powerful, spiritual females to have a "Mother Nature" or mystical feel to them. Here however, MacDonald presents the angelic spirit in the form of a woman, and the result is rarer in books than many are aware of.

"The Princess and the Goblin" is a true gem of a book, simple yet meaningful, humorous yet poignant and one of those essential children's books that are just as enjoyable for adults to read as they are for children. With plenty of magic and mystery, of especial interest to those interested in the growth of the fantasy genre, and filled with beautiful imagery and ideas, "The Princess and the Goblin" deserves to sit on any bookshelf.

When I was a wee little thing I happened to come across the 1994 animated film adaptation of this believed children's classic and fell in love with it. It wasn't until recently (this year) that I realized that it was based on a classic piece of children's literature so when I found out I did some investigating and downloaded the kobo e-book version onto my BlackBerry and before I knew it I was reading it every chance I got.

Right away though I noticed that there were of course some key differences. Since the movie I watched was a 1994 film there were some changes made to the story line. It was made to be more accessible to the modern audience but for what it was I enjoyed the book version as well.

The story was a fun one and normally I'm not one for the classics but this was a good one. It was enjoyable though I sometimes felt that the story lacked the flow of a more modern novel but that is in part due to the audience it was written for back in 1872.

For me, while my tastes are lean towards the more modern I did enjoy the book. I though Irene was a cute character. Her curiosity while it almost lead to her ruin was adorable to see play out on the pages, though I didn't like the demeaning way she treated Curdie the local boy who saved hers and her nursemaid's skin one night. Then again she was a princess and a very young one at that so I suppose I could excuse her attitude.

Curdie though had to be my favourite character because of how smart, self reliant and courageous manner. He was the main character for me because much of the book centered around his activities in finding the goblins, and figuring out their master plan.

The writing wasgood, it intrigued me but as I stated before the flow put me off a bit. I think that it was a lovely little children's classic and it deserves a spot on every kid's bookshelf because their a princess for the girls to admire and a hero for the boys.

Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone young and old. This would be a good book for a night time read aloud book for kids or to be read by teachers to their classes. I'm a strong believer that though a book is older it should not lose its place on out bookshelves. I plan on reading the sequel to this book in 2013.

Eight-year-old Princess Irene resides in a remote castle with her nurse Lootie and several other servants while her papa-king travels all over his kingdom. The reason that the Princess lives in seclusion is that the goblins who live under the mountain have sworn revenge on the king's family. In addition, she has a mysterious and magical great-great-grandmother who is watching over her but who is seen by nobody else besides her. Also, she becomes friends with a twelve-year-old boy named Curdie who is the son of a local miner. When Irene and Lootie get lost after dark while on a walk in the mountains and are chased by goblins, they first meet Curdie who protects them from the goblins and helps to get them home safely. He pledges himself to guard the Princess.

The goblins have hatched a double plot in which they plan to steal Irene to become the wife of their Prince Harelip and to use the mines to flood the castle. While working in the mines, Curdie overhears part of their plans but is captured and imprisoned by the goblins. However, Irene's grandmother gives her a special thread by which she is led to rescue Curdie and get both of them back home again. Curdie sneaks onto the castle grounds one night to see if he can learn more about the goblins' plans but is mistaken for a prowler by the king's guards and shot with an arrow. He not only is imprisoned but also becomes quite sick with a fever. It is during this very time that the goblins mount their attack. Will they be successful? Will the Princess be saved or will she become the bride of Harelip? And what will happen to Curdie?

Scottish-born author George MacDonald (1824-1905), though theologically considered a heretic, was a masterful storyteller who is often credited with inventing the genre of children's fantasy literature and influenced such later youth fantasy writers as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Madeline L'Engle. MacDonald began his literary career by telling fairy stories to his eleven children and then putting on plays for the poor in his neighborhood with his large family as the cast. His first such novel was At the Back of the North Wind published in 1871. The Princess and the Goblin was serialized in a journal called Good Words for the Young between 1870 and 1871 and then published in book form the following year. To be honest, this is one of the most fascinating and enjoyable books that I have ever read. The story of the Princess Irene and her friend Curdie continues in a sequel, The Princess and Curdie. I'll just have to read it too.

This classic fairy-tale-style story is set in a land where the Goblins and Humans have had a "cold war" for many, many years. Long ago, the Goblins threatened that some day they will steal a princess...and their day finally comes when Princess Irene's nurse accidentally keeps the Princess out after sunset. Luckily, they are rescued by a miner's boy, Curdie - but now the Goblins know where the Princess lives and what she looks like. When the Goblins hatch a devious plot, Curdie and Irene become fast-friends as they act in turn as heroes. First and foremost, this is a fairy-tale. But it is also an allegory about faith. Princess Irene has a great-great-grandmother - a mysterious and heavenly woman that only she can see. Irene's very-great grandmother gives the Princess a magical string and tells her to follow the string whenever she's afraid - never doubting it or deviating from it, regardless of where it may take her. Irene must learn to have faith even when she thinks that the string has led her astray. And Curdie must learn to have faith in a very-great grandmother that he has never seen. This is a sweet story, nice for reading aloud to young children.

The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald is a good fantastical fiction story about the journey of a boy named Curdie who goes on a journey to a city called Gwyntystorm. Like any other fantasy story, there is some sort of royal family that partakes in the story. The old princess gives Curdie the task of a quest. Travel to the city of Gwyntystorm. The princess presents Curdie with items too take on his journey, the items include an emerald that alerts Curdie’s father of danger, abilities to detect good from bad, lastly a companion named Lina. Lina is a scary and monstrous beast, however, Lina is very friendly. Lina saves Curdie from many dangers throughout the book. Once Curdie reaches Gwyntystorm, his task become apparent. Curdie finds the king very ill and weak with Princess Irene tending to his needs. No Spoiler Alert! I will not tell the ending! George MacDonald uses a children's writing style throughout the book which requires a not so hard reading level. The reading level for The Princess and Curdie would be roughly middle school reading level. However, with such an easy reading level, the book uses the writing style as an advantage to express the characterization and imagery throughout the story. The overall score of The Princess and Curdie would be an 8/10. The book intrigued me throughout the quest and journey of Curdie, however, with being a student in high school the story was childish. The Princess and Curdie was a very easy read which helped out with flying through it, but apart of me wishes the book would of had a more wide range of vocabulary to challenge the reader.

Young Princess Irene lives in a distant castle, protected from the goblins which haunt the area at night—until a fateful encounter that begins her journey deep into their mountain stronghold. The Princess and the Goblin has MacDonald's trademark luminous imagination atop a solid and directed plot—it fails to be as profound as some of his more metaphorical work, but it also more consistently engaging and, arguably, successful. Its twee Victorian style takes some adjustment, but is balanced by the darkness of the content; the ending flags, but the book's climax—where willful, unrepentantly feminine Princess Irene, aided by creative magics of graceful simplicity, carries the day—is an image that has held with me since I read the book as a child. The Day Boy and The Night Girl is the best MacDonald that I've read, but The Princess and the Goblin is easily my favorite—it doesn't stretch itself as far, but it's more concrete and as such able to leave a stronger impression while still resonating, as MacDonald's writing does, like a plucked string.

in a sentence or so: well, the goblins are at it again. the little runts are busy in their underground lairs hatching a plan to kidnap cute little princess Irene to make her the newest goblin princess for prince Hairlip. little does the goblin royal family know that Irene has the help of Curdie (a very nice miner's son), her great-great-great-great-grandmother (who lives in a secret area of her attic) and Irene's own resolve to be a very good princess, indeed.

alternating between Irene's adventures and Curdie's expeditions, we find out about the goblins living in the mountain near their homes. Irene is a princess, in the every sense of the word. Curdie is a miner's son, a miner himself, and quite a thoughtful and caring young man really. after Irene has an outing with Lootie, her personal nurse, that brings them much too close to a goblin grab, they meet the always helpful Curdie who saves them from the potential kidnapping and buds an intriguing relationship that will cross paths many times throughout the tale.

it becomes clear to Curdie, and to Lootie, that the goblins are after a new human princess. since Irene's home sits right on the edge of the mountain where the goblins dwell, it's pretty obvious she's the one they're after. the King orders his men to watch Irene and protect her, while Curdie acts on his own to find out what exactly the goblins are up to, and why.

Irene, who is blissfully unaware that she is the target of an underground snatching, stumbles upon a secret passage that leads her to a wonderful woman who identifies herself as Irene's great-great-great(etc) grandmother , and also her namesake. Irene learns about how her grandmother sustains herself in this most bizarre area of her house, and is simply fascinated by her existence in general. how can she be so old, yet so beautiful? how is it that no one else seems to know she lives here? why doesn't Lootie believe her when she attempts to share her discovery?

this was written as if it were being told like a story being told to a child at nighttime - which was pretty appealing and comforting, actually. there are little interruptions and asides that are clearly for the advantage of the reader, which adds a quaint quality to the read that keeps it light and easy to connect with the characters and the narrator.

there's also a good chunk of goblin lore to sink your literary teeth into, which was quite fun to discover. for example, why those mountain-dwellers are always trying to kidnap humans as their brides, where their weaknesses are, and their aversion to human toes.

because of the intended audience being younger, there are very practical explanations for things that i truly enjoyed. like when someone behaves in a way that Irene doesn't understand (not believing her about attic-granny, for example), the characters in the story help her to discern why that is without making villains of them. the more i ponder that concept, the more i really appreciate the idea that we are able to believe certain things at certain times, and that's okay. it's not that we lose respect for those who can't share our ideas, but patiently wait for them to discover on their own, or just accept the fact that some will never share our ideas.

this was a story of courage, friendship, believing when it feels impossible, trust, and being true to yourself. i liked it a whole lot more than i thought i would, and think this is surely a classic that is a solid read for any reader.

fave quote: "The princess being fast asleep, and Curdie in a faint, she could misrepresent at her pleasure" (208). (sometimes narrator is sassy, and i adore sassy.)
fix er up: started off rather slow and trite, but it picks up and darkens and takes some interesting twists and turns to keep your interest.

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

I much prefer Sci-fi to fairy tales and downloaded this to see if the kids would like it. THis book was written over 100 years ago but it is very understandable and engaging. I was very pleasantly surprised and unable to stop reading until I had finished the book. Although there are some aspects of fairy tales, the books characters and plot feel original.

Young Princess Irene is a typical little girl, very curious and precocious with a big heart, although being a princess, she does not lie and is well-behaved. She makes friends with a miner boy who saves her from the goblins when she accidently stays out too late, but can he save her from their plot to kidnap her?

After reading this, I am surprised that I had never before heard of George MacDonald. I will be reading more of his works.

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

George MacDonald found out his talent for telling fairy tales due to the fact that he had eleven children, and after the success of "At the Back of the North Wind", which was published serially in a magazine, MacDonald wrote his two most famous and popular books: "The Princess and the Goblin" and its sequel "The Princess and Curdie". From these books came the inspiration that brought about the two most famous fantasy authors ever known: J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, both of whom are much indebted to MacDonald's innovative fairytales and it can be safely said that both `The Lord of the Rings' and the `Chronicles of Narnia' are direct descendants of MacDonald's work. From these two original fairytales, Tolkien borrowed the idea of the goblin-infested mountain which arose in his own work as the Mines of Moria, whilst Lewis adopted MacDonald's trend of investing magic and enchantment with Christian images and themes.

"The Princess and the Goblin" centres around two young protagonists: the young princess Irene (pronounced with three syllables: I - Reen - Nee) and the slightly older Curdie, a boy who mines in the mountains. They live close to each other without knowing it, as Irene has grown up on a castle by the mountainside, away from her father and his court whilst Curdie lives with his parents in a simple cottage near the mine shafts.

On a rainy afternoon, when the princess is bored, she explores the old castle and discovers a magical room at the top of the house where her great-great-great grandmother waits for her, accompanied by her pigeons and her magic rose-fires, spinning her a very special gift. Meanwhile, young Curdie is going about his business, knowing full well the danger that he and his fellow miners face everyday due to the population of goblins that live within the mountains that they mine. However, the goblins tend to keep to themselves with the occasion mischievous trick played, and they are easily kept at bay with a cheerful. But now things are different: strange shadows are milling around the castle and Curdie overhears a sinister plot by the goblins to overthrow the king and destroy the homes of those that live above ground. Only together are the two children able to defeat their foes.

Also worth noting is MacDonald's treatment of female characters throughout the book; although the nursemaid Lootie is a stereotypical "mother hen", both the Princess Irene and her great-grandmother are strong female characters - rare for a book first published in 1872. It is Irene who is charged with the task of rescuing Curdie from the clutches of the goblins rather than the other way around, leading her through the darkness of the subterranean caves, guided by a single golden thread (symbolic of faith). Even more thought-provoking is her great-grandmother, who represents the divine within the story. Other books (such as the afore-mentioned "Lord of the Rings" and "Chronicles of Narnia", and many more besides) solely have male figures as their heavenly figures, and is a common theme in later fantasy books for powerful, spiritual females to have a "Mother Nature" or mystical feel to them. Here however, MacDonald presents the angelic spirit in the form of a woman, and the result is rarer in books than many are aware of.

"The Princess and the Goblin" is a true gem of a book, simple yet meaningful, humorous yet poignant and one of those essential children's books that are just as enjoyable for adults to read as they are for children. With plenty of magic and mystery, of especial interest to those interested in the growth of the fantasy genre, and filled with beautiful imagery and ideas, "The Princess and the Goblin" deserves to sit on any bookshelf.

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

One of the most memorable characters from George MacDonald's "The Princess and the Goblin" was the miner boy Curdie, who rescues Princess Irene and infiltrates the goblin kingdom. But the princess was the real focus on the book, not her miner boy.

However, the sequel "The Princess and Curdie" shifts the focus from Irene to Curdie. MacDonald's otherworldly writing elevates what could have been a simple morality tale, and makes it both horrifying and beautiful. This is one book that doesn't suffer as a sequel.

Time has passed since the events of the first book, and now Curdie is back in the mines, and has come to believe that Irene's great-great-grandmother is "nothing but ridiculous nonsense." Then one day he thoughtlessly shoots a pigeon -- a pigeon that happens to belong to that lady. Overcome with remorse, he carries the pigeon to the tower where she lives.

The lady forgives Curdie, but gives him a mission to fulfil, to make up for it: He and a repulsive creature called Lina must find a way to save the king from his malignant advisors. To do that, she gives him the power to tell whether a man is good at heart -- or is turning into a beast.

About ninety-nine percent of the time, it would be a rotten idea to make a sequel to a book like "The Princess and the Goblin." It was charming, magical and optimistic. So why mess with something that is already perfect?

But "The Princess and Curdie" has the success of being a more mature, darker book, with a surprisingly palatable moral lesson. The skeptical Curdie learns that "whoever does not mean good is always in danger of harm," and MacDonald provides a small glimpse at the darker side of human nature.

MacDonald's writing stays dreamy and vaguely otherworldly, even with such ordinary things as a family sitting down to dinner, or children running out to see a dog. The only problem is the ending, a few paragraphs that could have been easily left out, which seem needlessly pessimistic after the book's triumphant events.

MacDonald continues wotj the mysterious, goddess-like presence of the old princess, hinting that she is everywhere under different names. And Lina is an especially poignant addition, a woman who did something, and ended up being turned into a grotesque creature as a punishment.

While "The Princess and Curdie" is very different from its predecessor, it is also a rich, enchanting fantasy story that builds on the strengths of MacDonald's first "Princess" book.

One of the most memorable characters from George MacDonald's "The Princess and the Goblin" was the miner boy Curdie, who rescues Princess Irene and infiltrates the goblin kingdom. But the princess was the real focus on the book, not her miner boy.

However, the sequel "The Princess and Curdie" shifts the focus from Irene to Curdie. MacDonald's otherworldly writing elevates what could have been a simple morality tale, and makes it both horrifying and beautiful. This is one book that doesn't suffer as a sequel.

Time has passed since the events of the first book, and now Curdie is back in the mines, and has come to believe that Irene's great-great-grandmother is "nothing but ridiculous nonsense." Then one day he thoughtlessly shoots a pigeon -- a pigeon that happens to belong to that lady. Overcome with remorse, he carries the pigeon to the tower where she lives.

The lady forgives Curdie, but gives him a mission to fulfil, to make up for it: He and a repulsive creature called Lina must find a way to save the king from his malignant advisors. To do that, she gives him the power to tell whether a man is good at heart -- or is turning into a beast.

About ninety-nine percent of the time, it would be a rotten idea to make a sequel to a book like "The Princess and the Goblin." It was charming, magical and optimistic. So why mess with something that is already perfect?

But "The Princess and Curdie" has the success of being a more mature, darker book, with a surprisingly palatable moral lesson. The skeptical Curdie learns that "whoever does not mean good is always in danger of harm," and MacDonald provides a small glimpse at the darker side of human nature.

MacDonald's writing stays dreamy and vaguely otherworldly, even with such ordinary things as a family sitting down to dinner, or children running out to see a dog. The only problem is the ending, a few paragraphs that could have been easily left out, which seem needlessly pessimistic after the book's triumphant events.

MacDonald continues wotj the mysterious, goddess-like presence of the old princess, hinting that she is everywhere under different names. And Lina is an especially poignant addition, a woman who did something, and ended up being turned into a grotesque creature as a punishment.

While "The Princess and Curdie" is very different from its predecessor, it is also a rich, enchanting fantasy story that builds on the strengths of MacDonald's first "Princess" book.

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

wonderful female leading roles. I truly enjoyed reading this story. and appreciate the uniqueness of strong young female main character supported by wonderful spiritual grandmother spirit. It is rare story of this type that have females in leading roles, esp for that time period. I loved how it showed the young 5 year old learning to trust her inner truth, trust what she knows is true even though those around her do not understand, and question her. Also how she learned to trust her invisible mentor, the grandmother, even though her primary caregiver did not understand this. Much of the activity of this story occurs within the mind of the 5 year old girl as she explores her world. I very much respect her courage and willingness to explore the unknown.

One of the most memorable characters from George MacDonald's "The Princess and the Goblin" was the miner boy Curdie, who rescues Princess Irene and infiltrates the goblin kingdom. But the princess was the real focus on the book, not her miner boy.

However, the sequel "The Princess and Curdie" shifts the focus from Irene to Curdie. MacDonald's otherworldly writing elevates what could have been a simple morality tale, and makes it both horrifying and beautiful. This is one book that doesn't suffer as a sequel.

Time has passed since the events of the first book, and now Curdie is back in the mines, and has come to believe that Irene's great-great-grandmother is "nothing but ridiculous nonsense." Then one day he thoughtlessly shoots a pigeon -- a pigeon that happens to belong to that lady. Overcome with remorse, he carries the pigeon to the tower where she lives.

The lady forgives Curdie, but gives him a mission to fulfil, to make up for it: He and a repulsive creature called Lina must find a way to save the king from his malignant advisors. To do that, she gives him the power to tell whether a man is good at heart -- or is turning into a beast.

About ninety-nine percent of the time, it would be a rotten idea to make a sequel to a book like "The Princess and the Goblin." It was charming, magical and optimistic. So why mess with something that is already perfect?

But "The Princess and Curdie" has the success of being a more mature, darker book, with a surprisingly palatable moral lesson. The skeptical Curdie learns that "whoever does not mean good is always in danger of harm," and MacDonald provides a small glimpse at the darker side of human nature.

MacDonald's writing stays dreamy and vaguely otherworldly, even with such ordinary things as a family sitting down to dinner, or children running out to see a dog. The only problem is the ending, a few paragraphs that could have been easily left out, which seem needlessly pessimistic after the book's triumphant events.

MacDonald continues wotj the mysterious, goddess-like presence of the old princess, hinting that she is everywhere under different names. And Lina is an especially poignant addition, a woman who did something, and ended up being turned into a grotesque creature as a punishment.

While "The Princess and Curdie" is very different from its predecessor, it is also a rich, enchanting fantasy story that builds on the strengths of MacDonald's first "Princess" book.

This is a story about a child princess who pretty much wanders around making her nurse's head spin. In her wanderings she finds a young man who is named Curdie. Curdie is a miner, or at least his father is and he aspires to be one. The goblins are a threat in the mountains. The princess Irene randomly meets another person, who is a magical great-great-great grandmother who helps her in so many ways even though so many people don't believe her when she explains she exists. Adventures take place, though I think the story gets too rushed about that it muffles together at times. I got confused here and there, but started to understand what was confusing me. Anyway, Curdie comes about in this story several times and is important for a mere miner. It was a nice story, but I am unsure if I want to read the sequel or not.

This wonderful children's novel tells the story of eight year old Princess Irene. Cared for by her nurse Lootie, she lives in a mountain farmhouse while her father rules over the region from a mountain top castle. The local folk work as miners but are beset by the Goblins who inhabit the underground. Irene is saved from the Goblins by Curdie, a thirteen year old miner, and she in turn saves him. The whole thing is told in a pleasant conversational style and is filled with humor, word games, magic, derring-do, and pure wonderment.
George MacDonald, a Congregational minister turned novelist, who seems nearly forgotten now, was one of the seminal figures in the development of Fantasy. His influence on other Fantasy authors is obvious, he was a childhood favorite of JRR Tolkein, who especially liked this book, and C.S. Lewis named him one of his favorite authors. His own stories draw on many of the themes and characters of classical European fairy tales. But where they were often merely horrific and meaningless, MacDonald adds a layer of Christian allegory. Thus, Irene and Curdie are eventually saved by a thread so slender that you can't even see it, but which leads them back to safety, teaching Curdie that you sometimes have to believe in things that you can't see.
The book would be interesting simply as a touchstone of modern fiction, but it stands up well on its own and will delight adults and children alike.
GRADE: A

This Victorian children's classic by George MacDonald has enchanted generations of children on both sides of the Atlantic, with its memorable young protagonists: 8-year old princess Irene and Curdie, a 12-year-old miner's son. Destined to meet and ultimately rescue each other these endearing children struggle with the skeptical disblief of adults--and evern worse, of each other! Yet both children have faith in their private value system of what is True.

Evil Goblins (also called cobs) and their degenerate animal creatures are plotting to steal the princes as a bride for their grotesque prince. Not content with blackmailing a truce between goblins and sun people the underground nemesis excavates to
bring ruin to the King's castle and local countryside. Irene's King-Papa, as she calls, him, is rarely in residence where his daughter lives, preferring to ride circuit throughout his realm and make himself known to his people, leaving the princess in the care of her nurse, Lootie, and some men-at-arms.

Irene's life becomes interesting when she discovers a beautiful old lady--who claims to be her great-grandmother--spinning gossamer threads in an upper garret in a tower up a lonely stairway. Later the pirncess meets brave Curdie--fearless and clever in the face of goblins--who undertakes to spy on them inorder to discover their fiendish schemes against the sun people. Alas, no one believes Irene when she tells the truth; even Curdie disbelieves her tale of a magic thread which guides her. Both children receive the same advice from different maternal sources: "follow the thread." Can mere children save the kingdom and will Irene be permitted to keep her royal promise to Curdie? A delightfully quaint tale for kids of all ages.

The PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN proves yet another of MacDonald's fantasy charmers (q.v. AT THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND), as the novel presents the adventures (psychological as well as physical) of protected Princess Irene (aged 8) and a brave miner boy with the unlikely name of Curdie. The tale involves the schemes of evil goblins who lurk below the earth, who exult to tease and torture the "sun people" as they call humankind. Can a mere youth foil the callous machinations of these subterranrean fiends?
Princess Irene meets a mysterious but loving old lady at a spinning wheel (have we heard this somewhere before?), while Curdie proves himself a useful ally to her King-papa. Her faithful but outspoken nurse, Lootie, learns some bitter lessons, as she is almost dismissed by the king and (even worse) by Irene herself. Grown ups must learn to believe what they hear from honest children; children must learn to believe what can not always be seen or what makes scientific sense. Any little girl who sees herself as an unrecognized princess can learn to behave with the grace and dignity of a True Princess. Boys will admire the courage and resourcefulness of the miner's son--the only one in the kingdom to realize what the goblins are plotting. A quaintly spun yarn (with gentle edification for children) for readers of all ages.

This is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin and takes place about a year after the happenings with the goblins. Curdie has gone back to his life as a miner and is slowing becoming nitwitted. One day he shoots a bird relizes that the bird probably belonged to the princess's great-great grandmother (who has a major role in the first book). He starts to feel remorse and rushes to find the grandmother, they have a long chat. He learns that doing nothing wrong and nothing good is wrong in itself. The Grandmother sends him on a mission to help the King from an unknown danger. It is a great book and has a lot of good values in it, but is still adventureous and appealing to children. I think that all of George MacDonalds books are great for all ages and if you like his books I also reccommend "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C. S. Lewis and any books by E. Nesbit

After reading the Princess & the Goblin, I found this book a bit slow at first. It focuses on Curdie and his moral development, and is perhaps the most "preachy" fantasy novel I have ever read - without being poor literature. MacDonald's ethical and spiritual insights are a natural part of the narrative. Anyway, in our day of political correctness and pretended nicety, this story highlights the war of good and evil that occurs mainly inside us - yet requires us to behave accordingly in our outward life. As the old princess tells Curdie, don't discard your weapons - there are plenty of things in this world that NEED to be killed. A great book for young people and for those who need younger and purer hearts. Like a child's version of a Walter Scott novel, it sets up things slowly, then rushes to a dramatic finish.

Before we get started I should offer my alternative reading first: in this fairy tale a good hearted peasant boy rescues a princess from evil goblins, thereby winning her heart and the respect of her father the king.

Enough said? But the more I think about this book, the more there is to think about. The values are just so different to just about anything else I've read and don't have a neat category waiting. The conventions are turned around - did I mention that the princess also rescues the peasant boy? I can't say I enjoyed it as much as I did reading the sequel The Princess and Curdie (out of order), but I'm not sure if that reflects higher expectations or me just being in a different mental space rather than a difference in quality.

Macdonald encourages his target audience of young girls and boys to think of themselves as princesses and princes, and to act accordingly. His didactic intention is quite unapologetically overt, as in his not infrequent prods along the lines of: "Irene knew to be polite - not like some princesses I can think of." He's really run with that childish statistical impossibility - that just about every individual pre/early teen (cf. Adrian Mole) feels that they are destined for greater things than everyone else. Thus it's not a problem that there are only an elect few in the kingdom who have royal character: Macdonald's intended audience will generally assume they're with that specialised minority.

Or is that my culture speaking - where children are raised on unrealistic dreams that they'll have to grieve the loss of upon reaching maturity? Were 19th century kids raised on more pedestrian expectations? However there's still a sense of the magic of childhood in Kipling - although Macdonald seems to feel it's possible to maintain that magic. Perhaps it's partly that Macdonald was writing for a more wealthy element within his society (that element who, at very least, were literate) who already had an idea of their class as an elite.

Anyway... in this world most are blind, or at best short-sighted. The key to supernatural vision comes through character and faith - although it also seems to be genetic: the princess really is royal, despite having no input from mother and hardly ever seeing her noble father. She rises above her shallow-natured nurse to deserved imperious rule.

It's all about integrity, and it seems many have forgotten how to be pure, or were never taught. You can see why Lewis acknowledged MacDonald as his master - he constantly throws out surprising pictures of what it means to be innocent, and how this is actually strength, while wickedness or selfishness can't even apprehend this as anything but simple-mindedness or weakness. I think I enjoyed Lewis' depiction of this with unfallen Eve in Voyage to Venus (Perelandra) more, but there's an acknowledged debt.

I'm still unsure whether this really does synchronise with what Jesus taught and stood for. It's definitely a possible reading of the kingdom of God - which is only for a few. Only a few are able - or will choose - to be morally courageous. Consistently making these choices makes you `royal' in the mythical sense - you escape the mire of petty self-advancement/protection and live in the fullness of righteousness that rightly places you above your subjects. It's also royal in the biblical sense: we know who your father really is by how you live. Curdie has always been prepared to lose his life, and in so doing, as Jesus says, gains it: he doesn't even think about it that much, you just do what is right, and if death ensues, that's a relatively minor consequence compared with the alternative of not doing right. Thus, MacDonald illustrates, he gains a wholeness of being that, for example, the timid nurse can't even imagine. Jesus called people out of `the world' into a spiritual awareness that transcended it - the kingdom that is `within you'. There's also an attempt to paint a world where benign cosmic forces can step in at any time to bring supernatural rescue - but often inexplicably don't, and good people must often use their own diligence, courage and skill to fight alone - this being the way many Christians interpret their experience in this world.

Why, then, am I still uncomfortable? I suppose there's just such danger in this arrogance. Curdie and the Princess don't even think about the fact that their conviction of what is right might mean dismissing the opinions of ninety percent of the people they meet. Perhaps some of my discomfort rises from having some Christians blithely dismiss the actions and thoughts of stacks of people they don't begin to understand (or even try to). But does such ignorant misjudgement necessarily justify the contemporary cant of unwillingness to judge anything (cant as at heart pluralism is highly intolerant)? But that's what MacDonald glories in - most people are compromised, and he emphatically urges his readers to keep to the higher vision. To not be motivated by what drives just about everyone.

But some would say, "Hang on George, I feel like you're saying just about everybody's got it wrong except you." And he might reply, "You're right, I am." Although rather than confrontationally pointing at others and saying, `You're wicked', MacDonald paints a picture of holiness and says, "Look at that - that's goodness." It's up to his readers to draw uncomfortable conclusions - or, rather, be inspired to step out of the narrow selfish bounds of convention that surround them.

Curdie is still, however, an earthly hero: he defeats rather than loves his enemies. MacDonald mixes his love of fairy tales with that of the New Testament. We've got nascent romance alongside supernatural endorsement of goodness. And what do we do with the fey/enigmatic goddess/great-great-grandma? Macdonald's biographers point to his veneration of his step-mother, and for a patriarchal time his books have some unusually powerful women hard to fit into mainstream doctrine.

I suspect MacDonald wouldn't have had any problem with that.

My mother read this book to me when I was four or five years old. The book was very memorable and my impressions of two of the main characters, Curdy and the grandmother, stayed with me over the years. I assumed the book had gone out of print and was surprised to come across it while browsing in a bookstore one day.

The story is magical and reading it again after so many years was very enjoyable. It was almost like undertaking a type of archaeological excavation deep into the recesses of my memories.

The author, George MacDonald (1824-1905), lived in Scotland and in addition to writing, was also a Christian minister. I later learned that he was very influential on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I personally believe that Tolkien's idea in The Hobbit of a mountain filled with goblins originated with George MacDonald's story of the goblin filled mountain in this book.

The story is a kind of allegory. There is a princess that was sent away from her father's house, a grand and beautiful palace built upon a mountain (her father is a king), to live in a house on the side of another mountain, half-way between its base and its peak. This seems to be a metaphor for the Christian idea that human spirits leave the home of their Heavenly Father, to enter mortal life. (see Wordsworth's poem: "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: The soul that rises with us, our life's Star, Hath had elsewhere its setting, And cometh from afar: Not in entire forgetfulness, And not in utter nakedness, But trailing clouds of glory do we come From God, who is our home...") It seems fitting to say that mortal life is found half-way down from heaven.

Curdy is a young miner who works in the mountain with his father every day. The mountain is filled with goblins that can only come out at night. The princess lives in a castle that is very mysterious. Its foundations stretch down into the mountains where the goblins live, but its upper towers are rarely visited, and a wise old woman, who turns out to be a type of symbol of heavenly guidance, lives there.

Curdy learns about the goblins' plot to invade the palace and capture the princess, and with the help of the wise old woman is able to save the princess. Curdy is not able to see the wise old woman at first because he does not believe in her. In one telling scene, the princess brings Curdy to see the old woman, but Curdy has not yet prepared himself to believe and so cannot see her. The princess is hurt because Curdy does not believe her and wants the old woman to show herself to Curdy. To this request, the old woman wisely replies that Curdy "is not yet able to believe some things. Seeing is not believing - it is only seeing." She also admonishes the princess that someone who already sees, (because they have developed faith) must be patient with others who cannot yet see, and therefore "must be content ... to be misunderstood for a while."

George MacDonald is one of my favorite storytellers. The Princess and the Goblin has a sequel, The Princess and Curdie, which is equally enjoyable. Another great book by MacDonald is The Wise Woman. MacDonald said that he didn't write for children "but for the child-like, whether they be of five, or fifty, or seventy-five."

I am in complete agreement with the reviewer who said that anyone will profit by reading this book.

The book was a natural choice for me. I've been exploring children's literature as well as authors who happened to be influenced by MacDonald.

The story is a fairy story. It is bright and airy and fresh. There is a mythopoeic aura about the tale that makes it magical. Likewise, there is delightful fairy logic that afford some profounds spiritual insights.

The characters are those that frequently populate fairytales, but they are not stale or worn. The children in the story are good role models (if you want to read this to your kids). They are not perfect, and they makes poor choices, but they make effort to mend their errors.

As a parent, I look forward to reading this to my daughter in a few years. (Princesses are in vogue and I would much prefer Irene over Snow White or Cinderella).

It terms of age appropriateness: there is some violence, as well as killing of animals and goblins.

The Princess and the Goblin was one of my favorite childhood books, My copy was read and re-read for the dreamlike sense of magic and wonder of the rooms at the top of the tower; the gritty terror of the goblins under the mountain.
I suppose one can read religious allegory into the story if one tries (and the same goes for the poignancy of The Light Princess), but in those cases the message never got in the way of the story.
Such is not the case with The Princess and Curdie. From page one to the end, the characters (there is nothing in particular to identify them with the characters of The Princess & the Goblin save for the names) walk through their roles woodenly in order to illustrate MacDonald's religious and social beliefs. It's unbelievably preachy - and most modern readers will find MacDonald's ideas rather peculiar. His worldview is naively idealistic, verging on offensively classist. (Servants have a duty to serve honestly, a good child should have nothing to keep from his parents, drinking is bad (except if you're a king; then it is wholesome), sophistication is bad, rustic naiivete is good, poverty is a privilege (!!!!).... the list goes on.
If you're looking for a fantasy with the beauty of the Princess and The Goblin, with that fairytale quality to it, try something by Patricia McKillip instead of this "sequel."

This is a story about a child princess who pretty much wanders around making her nurse's head spin. In her wanderings she finds a young man who is named Curdie. Curdie is a miner, or at least his father is and he aspires to be one. The goblins are a threat in the mountains. The princess Irene randomly meets another person, who is a magical great-great-great grandmother who helps her in so many ways even though so many people don't believe her when she explains she exists. Adventures take place, though I think the story gets too rushed about that it muffles together at times. I got confused here and there, but started to understand what was confusing me. Anyway, Curdie comes about in this story several times and is important for a mere miner. It was a nice story, but I am unsure if I want to read the sequel or not.

�The Princess and Curdie� is a superb sequel to the brilliant children�s fantasy �The Princess and the Goblin�. In both books, MacDonald displays his incredible talent as a story-teller for children, by crafting a tale that makes great reading aloud material for children. Curdie, a miner�s son, is sent by a magical princess on an urgent quest to save the king and his kingdom. His companion is Lina, an ugly monster of a dog who proves to be a steadfast, powerful and courageous companion. Curdie discovers that evil and wickedness threaten to overthrow the good kingdom of the king and his daughter Irene, and it is only when Curdie and Lina escape perils and dangers and marshal together the forces of good that the dangers can be overcome.
In the process of telling the story, MacDonald entertains a few curious notions rather surprising for a Christian. Especially surprising are the ideas of a mountain being bubbles of heat thrust from the center of the earth (p.2), and the earth being a cooled body that flew off the sun (p.3) � ideas more akin to evolutionary thinking than Christian faith in the Biblical teaching about creation. This book is also somewhat different from �The Princess and the Goblin� on a literary level, because in this book MacDonald�s story-telling at times employs vocabulary and sentence structure that is overly complex for children, and at times he waxes overly philosophical.
But those weaknesses aside, it�s a thrilling and captivating story of an exciting quest, enhanced by deeper underlying Christian themes. MacDonald describes the king as �a real king � that is, one who ruled for the good of his people and not to please himself.� (p.5). True citizens of this kingdom, such as Curdie�s parents, are those who �always loved what was fair and true and right better, not than anything else, but than everything else put together.� (p.35) In contrast there are many false citizens who have open doors but closed hearts, and who live a life of wickedness, chiefly characterized by lying, drinking, stealing and unkindness. These seeds of corruption also contain the seeds of destruction, and threaten to overthrow the kingdom. The morality is clear and solidly Christian.
Particularly fascinating is the concept that all humans are either noble human beings, or else slowly turning into animals on the inside. By putting his hands into a magical fire, Curdie is given the ability to perceive the inner layer of man by means of a handshake: �you will henceforth be able to know at once the hand of a man who is growing into a beast.� (p.73) One cannot help but wonder if MacDonald has too much faith in human nature, since he does not spell out that it is only the regenerating Spirit that makes a heart true and noble. But the underlying truth is valid: all men�s hearts are inclined to be beastly because of sin, but by the grace of God some hearts are changed to be noble and truly human. It echoes the truth of the teaching of Jesus Christ: where your heart is, there your treasure is, and ultimately you cannot serve both God and Mammon. Those who are overwhelmed by wickedness and by love of Mammon, are eventually destroyed, whereas those with a pure heart and love of God establish the kingdom of righteousness. The pessimism of the final ending raises many questions, but perhaps can be best explained as a growing wickedness among men leading to a complete and final judgment, similar to the flood and the end of the world. MacDonald�s tale is in the end very reminiscent of the Biblical pattern of the Judges and Kings: in times of wickedness, God raised up judges and kings to ensure the establishment of a kingdom where justice and righteousness reigned.
Just as in the �The Princess and the Goblin�, Irene�s great-great-grandmother plays a central and decisive role. She is also known as �The Mother of Light�, �the Lady of the Silver Moon� and less affectionately as �Old Mother Wotherwop�. MacDonald attributes to her both omniscience � �I am always about� � and a measure of omnipotence (p.53). She is the Light that guides the way in darkness (p.50), and she it is who commissions Curdie for his quest and ensures its success.
These timeless tales contain enduring truths, as well as delightful stories. What they�ve done for over 100 years is something that they are still doing today - pleasing imaginative children and adults with a tale of lasting significance.

So it's written for children but I could hardly tell the difference. The simplicity of the storytelling made it all the more appealing and the veins of courage, humilty, and human frailty running through it were impressive and awe inspiring. Like I said it's simple but don't let that word fool you. It's brilliantly written and encourages the reader to look at his or her own character. "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." Proverbs 27:19 It's a lesson we could all learn if not relearn...

Excellently written classic, the inspiration of giants such as Lewis and Tolkien.

You can almost imagine yourself seated at the foot of the 'master', as C.S. Lewis referred to him, listening to the fantastical tale, studded with gems of ethical and moral value to any human...including adults.

Until I read other people's reviews of this book, it never occurred to me that The Princess and Curdie was at all "preachy" or "dull." It certainly isn't any more didactic than The Chronicles of Narnia, and I would say it is much less so. This is one of my favorite books and has been since I was a kid. I can see how it might seem overly moralistic to someone who is only used to reading cynical, modern (or, more appropriately, post-modern) children's books, but I think anyone who can handle C.S. Lewis should be fine with this book. It's a sweet book and a wonderful sequel to The Princess and the Goblins.

The Princess and the Goblin and this book, The Princess and Curdie, together make up a single story that is among the most moving and insightful tales ever penned for children, or rather for the child-like.
In the first book, Curdie is an almost perfect young boy, fearless and valiant, and though only twelve he is instrumental in saving the kingdom from a goblin plot. In The Princess and Curdie, though, he sets out becoming more and more ordinary, until by good fortune he comes face to face with the mysterious old woman rumored to live in the nearby tower (the Princess already knows her quite well!). The old woman prepares Curdie for a quest she is sending him on. How? By having him plunge his hands into a pile of rose petals that burns like a fire.
Though Curdie thinks his hands have burned off, he finds them unscathed. But they have a new sensitivity: by shaking a person's hand, he can tell what kind of an animal they are turning into, at heart. The old woman also gives him a companion--a hideous dog-like beast, but whose great ugly paw feels to Curdie like the hand of a little girl.
Curdie travels to the capitol city, where he finds the kingdom in a sorry state, his friend the Princess near despair, and her King-Papa ensnared and enfeebled by the devious plots of the all-too-real and believable officials of the court. The threat posed to the kingdom by those who serve in the castle is far greater than the earlier threat posed by the goblins.
This wonderful story shows good and evil fighting, and shows that the two go by very different sets of rules! And help comes from strange quarters. I never grow tired of this book's insights or of the great plot and storyline. I've re-read both books every couple years since my first time as a child, more than 30 years ago. MacDonald and Lewis Carroll were friends, but to my tastes MacDonald is the greater storyteller. And the ending of this story is unlike any I've read elsewhere, serving as the source of many discussions on why MacDonald ended it that way!

I've been reading George Mac Donald's books ever since I stumbled across Phantastes but the Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie are prizes. The first part of this book is so enlightening, George Mac Donald does indeed reach the child in all of us through his fairy tales.

if you read the princess and the goblin, read the princess and curdie. in this story, curdie the miner is a little older and less innocent. the mysterious old woman sends him on a quest to save the king from a plot against him. once again, you get george macdonalds lovely writing, so dont pass this up. he is one of the few fantasy authors whose style makes you want to relax, curl up, and enjoy a thoroughly fun story. no cheesy, fluffy epic quest here, just a very classic fantasy. there are more characters in this book, and this time there is a journey. the villains are thoroughly nasty, and they get their just desserts. there is a big battle at the end too. the characters curdie meets along the way bring a very interesting twist to the bigger things going on, especially the strange "animals" he meets in the woods. they are a nice concept and have an interesting background, and i havent read much newer fantasy that uses it. i wont give too much away. add this book to your collection proudly.

I was needing a light read, and when I came across this book I knew I found something good. George MacDonald is an author that I have always meant to read. He is a Victorian writer, and although fairly tales can sometimes be cheesy, this one turned out to be really good! There is moralization without being too heavy handed.

At 32, I waited far too long to read this! Yet, the genius of MacDonald is that his words are profound and lovely enough to take me back to being 8 or 9 again. Reading this piece of literature shed light on current issues in society, as well as a rekindling of the magic in my heart and imagination which I thought were lost. I can't wait to read it aloud to my daughters!

I found this book enchanting and captivating. The characters of Curdie, the Princess, and the King are well developed, and likeable. Also, the plot is interesting and suspensful in many places. As a whole, this book is a bit more mature than the Princess and the Goblins, and I appreciate that maturity. It lends a more serious, but still just as fantastic, air to the book.

But while the storytelling may have been first-rate, I cannot say the same of the publishing. While I like the idea of Print On Demand, the quality is diminished compared to a book published by a larger publisher. I found numerous typos, most notably incorrect capitalization. Many of the initial words of sentences were left uncapitalized. And although this may not make the book any less readable in the long run, it was annoying.

I would recommend this book, but would recommend you find a copy of the Puffin edition, which (I hope) has been more carefully edited.

This is the second story I read written by George MacDonald, although this story was written for children I as an adult read it with great interesting.

It seems to be the first time that I feel the beauty of language although I have studied English for so many years. Besides, this story does provide the deep insight into the human behavior, which perhaps is the pre-request for a writer. In short, I love this writer's stories very much, and I will try to read more, although I would hope to read his books again.

If you're new to George MacDonald - this is one of his BEST! His fantasy books for children are so good and wholesome and the kids don't feel "preached to", but the stories cover so many good lessons! They are NOT the idiot Nursery Rhyme type of "story" - these are "real" people facing real challenges and finding character as they move through their lives.

Love this story and virtually every story by G.M.. Wonderful fairtytale stories for my daughter, she enjoys all his stories very much, this one In particular. I absolutely enjoy George Macdonald's essays and sermons.

A decidedly delightful fairy tale, of honor, bravery, and peril!

This is my first of George MacDonald's, and I can honestly say I enjoyed this little fantasy adventure. I so enjoyed following the Princess, as she has now become a favorite literary character of mine, the way she so sweetly handles her royal privileges.

I'm now looking forward to the sequel!

So many fine reviews here already about MacDonald's powerful text (for children and adults). I would only add that this edition which includes 8 or 10 gentle and mysterious drawings (watercolors?) by Jessie Wilcox Smith portrays the fearful goblins (also Curdie, Irene, and her father, etc.) without weakening the strength of the tale or scaring the young reader. I purchased this book for an avid seven-year-old reader who loved the story and also commented on the "beautiful" pictures. The book is also good to read aloud to a number of children in a broad age range. My too-cool 11-year-old became mesmerized after the first chapter and found himself talking with his younger brother (!) about the story.

George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin is a classic childrens tale of the 19th century, and one of the earliest and most influential. The story concerns a young princess (around 8 years when the story begins), and the devious plots of the goblins to kidnap her. To help her she has her new friend, the boy miner Curdie, and her beautiful and wise old grandmother.
Any lover of children literature should definitely give this a read.

"The Princess and the Goblin" is one of the gems of children's literature, which deserves to sit on any bookshelf. The same can not be said of its sequel "The Princess and Curdie", which differs so much in tone and content from the original, that it is sometimes difficult to remember it is in fact a sequel to the dreamy, beautiful "The Princess and the Goblin". Don't get me wrong, I love George MacDonald's wonderful books, and although there are some nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout the book and Irene's grandmother is as fascinating as ever (as well as being one of the few feminine representations of Christian mysticism in children's literature) this particular MacDonald novel left me a little cold.

It begins extremely well: after the cataclysmic events at the conclusion of the previous book, the Princess Irene and her father have departed the ruined manor house for her father's castle in the kingdom's capital Gwyntystorm. Curdie and his parents have remained on the mountainside, continuing their humble existence as miners. But Irene's magical great-great-great grandmother still has plans for the young miner, and after he kills one of her pigeons he remorsefully seek her out in order to atone for his crimes. This is precisely what the goddess-like figure of the grandmother hoped for, and within a few chapters she has Curdie all set to go on a quest of his own.

But like any good fairy-godmother figure, she equips him with some magical gifts before he goes: the first is the ability to recognise a person's inner being simply by shaking their hands (given via her magical fire-roses). The second is a bizarre looking creature named Lina that will accompany him on his journey. His destination is Gwyntystorm, to the Princess and the King, and the trouble that awaits him there. On the way he encounters several strange creatures; a ragtag much of indescribable animals (which serve a purpose later in the story) and a flock of sinister white birds (which don't, and whose presence in the story is a bit of a mystery). Finally he reaches Gwyntystorm only to find the place is over-run with corruption and a sinister plot against the King.

However, there are several things that bothered me throughout the course of the story. First of all is the plot line of the incapacitated king being secretly manipulated by his ministers; even in MacDonald's day this was a tired old story that's been done to death in everything from ancient myth to Arthurian folklore to Lord of the Rings.

Secondly is the myriad of plot devices that he brings into the story only to completely ignore later on. This includes the afore-mentioned white birds, but this is a minor occasion that is easily forgotten. More crucial is the character of Lina and the other creatures who are hinted to be transformed humans atoning for their sins; but their development never goes past this hint into something deeper.

Third is the treatment with which MacDonald handles many of his characters. On the course of the journey Curdie meets with hardly any decent or worthy people. With the exception of Derba and her young granddaughter, the entire world seems to be made up of rude, greedy, loathsome individuals who throw rocks, call names, set dogs on travellers and other heinous things. Of course, this may be truer to life than some would like to admit, but the inclusion of so many horrible people, both in the palace and in the streets is wearying after a while. It is especially painful when MacDonald gets to the climax of the story, when all the wrong-doers are inevitably punished for their sins. Perhaps some readers will get a sense of self-righteous pleasure out of the pain MacDonald places upon them, but for me it felt as though an almost sadistic pleasure was taken in terrifying and destroying these people: a man whose nose is bitten all the way through, women and children are scared witless, a man's finger is bitten off, and MacDonald's own words: "they were smeared with rancid dripping, their faces were rubbed in maggots." My ideas of Christianity and its meanings are based around redemption, forgiveness and grace; yet I found very little of such things here. All the things I have described are found within the chapter: "Vengeance" and continues in "More Vengeance." Didn't God say: "Vengeance is mine?" Isn't wrath one of the seven deadly sins?

Finally the King himself goes out, but by this stage I had to wonder: is there anyone left in his city to govern? By making the city of Gwyntystorm such a vile place I found no pleasure in the characters' successful defence of it, and the final page of the book that recounts the ultimate fate of the city is utterly unappealing.

I hate writing bad reviews, especially when they disagree with other the store.com reviewers whose opinions I often agree with and whose advice I take (that's you E. A. Solinas!), but I really didn't like "The Princess and Curdie." Don't let this put you off other George MacDonald books, especially "The Princess and the Goblin" but I recommend you give this one a miss.

George MacDonald was a master of story telling. Rarely politically incorrect, he might be forgiven, having lived in Scotland and England in the 1800's and died in 1905. He was an influence on C.S.Lewis' storytelling. There are collections of MacDonald's stories that are positively delightful!

Unlike "The Princess and the Goblin", this isn't a fairy tale, still less a children's book (God forbid!) It's a work of dystopian fiction, written by a moralist and theologian, exposing the moral and spiritual bankruptcy of nineteenth-century capitalism in the same way as 'Oliver Twist' exposed its social, financial, and legal inequalities. More recent fiction in the same dystopian vein would include the Capitalist dystopias of H.G. Wells' "Shape of Things to Come" and Pohl and Kornbluth's "The Space Merchants", Orwell's Communist dystopia "1984", and the martial dystopia in W.H Auden's poem, 'The Shield of Achilles".

As dystopian literature, "The Princess and Curdie"'s critique of the society it parodies is both absolutely devastating and surprisingly contemporary.

For example, this description of Gwyntystorm could have come right out of a 21st-century Republican manifesto:

"No man pretended to love his neighbour, but every one said he
knew that peace and quiet behaviour was the best thing for himself, and
that, he said, was quite as useful, and a great deal more reasonable.
The city was prosperous and rich, and if anybody was not comfortable,
everybody else said he ought to be....

There were even certain quacks in the city who advertised pills for enabling people to think
well of themselves, and some few bought of them, but most laughed, and
said, with evident truth, that they did not require them."

Or how about this sermon from a Gwyntystorm preacher of the 'prosperity Gospel'?

The main proof of the verity of their religion, he said, was,
that things always went well with those who professed it; and its first
fundamental principle, grounded in inborn invariable instinct, was,
that every One should take care of that One. This was the first duty of
Man. If every one would but obey this law, number one, then would every
one be perfectly cared for--one being always equal to one.

The contemporary analogies extend further. Why, one might ask, is the Princess so helpless and passive, when she is so courageous and active in the first book? Similarly you well ask, today: Why does the seemingly intelligent and well-meaning Obama always cave to the Republicans? Because that is what a society that is corrupt in this particular way does to decent people - in the absence of any ethical way to ensure that others behave decently, it renders them impotent and helpless.

For example: how, in the end - even having won their victory - are the Princess, Curdie, and the King supposed to rule this land? The evil that saturates Gwyntystorm is not the imaginary,, blacker-than-black, romantic evil of Sauron, Satan, or Mephistopheles, but rather a type of evil that we see so often every day that we take it for granted - what Hannah Arendt called 'the banality of evil'. These people are not evil enough to be wiped out in a hail of fire and brimstone - though one can see how even a compassionate God might be tempted - but nor is there any easily-imaginable method to show them the error of their ways. An evil society creates evil individuals, and vice versa.

In writing any dystopian fable, the easy and fun part is skewering the failings of the society you describe. The hard part is coming up with a reasonably sympathetic protagonist, and ideally a happy(ish), ending, given that realistically any such society would have to the power to brainwash, or failing that to crush, any given individual. Of the dystopian works referred to above, only Orwell has the courage to abandon the happy ending completely and show us a society that can crush an individual not only physically ("Imagine a boot stamping on a human face ... forever") but also morally (... "Do it to Julia!"). Dickens saves Oliver Twist through a chain of highly improbable coincidences, but to his credit he does show us what might more typically happen to individuals in such a society, especially through the tragic fate of Nancy but also through the harsh punishment meted out to the Artful Dodger and even to Fagin.

Macdonald's status as a children's writer, and the book's status as a sequel, rule out a totally dark ending, but he is enough of a moral realist to see that a happy ending won't work either. Hence the dual happy/unhappy ending, in which the forces of good win their victory, but it is not enough to redeem Gwyntystorm: "The nation was victorious, but the people were conquered." This comes from Macdonald's Universalist theology, in which God will never permanently condemn anyone to Hell, but nor will he force salvation prematurely on those who are not yet willing to accept it.

Hence also the Princess and Curdie's failure to make any permanent change in the outlook of the people of Gwytnystorm, which many other reviewers found unsatisfactory, but I admire as honest and realistic. Even Gwyntystorm's demise has modern parallels - out of their greed for gold, capitalists undermine the foundations on which the city rests, until it finally collapses.

2008 financial crisis, anyone?

In this sequel to George MacDonald's 'The Princess and the Goblin,' Curdie has grown older and doesn't believe in the grandmother. After learning to believe again, he sets out on a mission to spread truth and heal the kingdom.
I suggest this book for anyone. Five stars for me.

I read this book when I was eight years old and LOVED it! I was happy to find it was still in print and I can share it with my grandchildren. I credit this book to starting my love of reading, especially fantasy and science fiction. It is a great combination of fairy tale and adventure.

George MacDonald has the gift of expressing a deep theological idea through the form of a story.I grew up with his fairy stories,as a Adult,I am still affected by the skillful and beautiful portrayal of the quest for wisdom of a pure heart.The Princess and Curdie,is a story of just that.Curdies own journey is a story of the Christian walk and if one wishes can learn much from it.Do not get the idea that The Princess and Curdie is dull however!This book pays tribute to George MacDonalds fantastic imagination,as a child and as an "grownup" once picked up this book is difficult to put down.Perhaps the deepest things are also the most interesting.

I cant believe I haven't read this untill now, its such a great book! A princess lives in a castle all her life, never knowing of the great dangers that go on in the mountain. One day(being about 7 years old) she finds a stairway in her house that she has never seen and it leads her to her great, great grandmother. After she meets her grandmother she is shown the dangers of the goblins and meets a boy named Curdie who mines in the mountain with his father. Throughout the book Curdie and the princess have many encounters with the goblins. This is a great book I highly recommend it for readers of all ages.

Read it many years ago and really liked it. I have other books I am reading now but will read it when I can. It is interesting and actually a lovely children's book. Especially good perhaps as a read aloud to a child book.

The .99 cent kindle book is missing chapter 2. I ended up having to buy the 2.99 version and that one looks just fine. There is also a free kindle download of this book that you may want to try before buying the 2.99 version.

I love 'The Princess and the Goblin' partly because it is very easy to read, but still of satisfying depth, and partly because nothing happened the way I expected it to. Kids love this story, and fortunately adults do too. It is timeless because it features a hero who, while being imperfect, doesn't waver from his values.

George MacDonald's old-fashioned tales of fantasy are very entertaining and, unfortunately, over-looked. Once I read this book, I wanted to know about him and his life. He was a very charitable man with a large family and a large group of literary genuises of the time as his friends. This book is exciting, colorful, and very imaginative. An essential book of fantasy for any age.

My grandfather used to read this to us (one of the first copies...darn I wish I knew what happened to that book!) when I was a child and years later I read it as an adult and found it was just as good. It's a wonderful book to read to children in the evening.

George MacDonald has produced some mind-blowing works in his lifetime, as demonstrated in The Complete Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics). This one however, seems much more traditional. Rather than fly you in and out of reality itself as he did in The Golden Key, he takes you into your standard medieval setting and leaves you there. This left me feeling disappointed. Really, the only thing I'd classify as mind-blowing in The Princess and the Goblin would be the cobs creatures.

I suppose anyone who's really into stuff like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty could find much enjoyment in this story, and although such stories have their fair share of magic, they actually look rather bland sitting next to some of MacDonald's shorter tales. Personally, I think he could have made the Princess and the Goblin much, much shorter and kept the story intact.

To summarize, if you're into insane stuff as much as I am, look elsewhere for something to hold your interest. Don't cross MacDonald's other works off your list though.

This is a story you must read to your children. The author inspired C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and you will learn why (if you're a fan of Narnia and The Ring Trilogy) when you enjoy this book. Good read! Great to read by the fire. Children will be enthralled.

I recommend this book to anyone who forgets what they are here for in life...and what their meaning is... I have my doctorate in Psycholgy and I work to integrate spirituality and philosophy in my practice. I purchase THIS book-- The Princess and the Curdie -- as well as George MacDonald's The Wise Woman -over and over---to help my clients with their problems. In my opinion, George MacDonald has more insight into the psyche than any other writer I have encountered.

I read this book with some friends as an evening activity and we had a great time with the story. We had a lot of laughs and got the next book that continues the story. I would say this book is better than the second book. The characters are wonderful and it allows for great discussion.

Honestly, this story is very much interesting than other classical children stories. Even I, an adult, read this story with great interests and hope to see a film based on this story.

Of course, this is indeed a typical tale popular in earlier time, anyhow I enjoy it very much.

The quality of this printing is horrible and does not include any ink illustration, which all others I have seen DID include. Find another version, perhaps an older one and DO order this story, just not this particular book!

The Princess and Curdie is a slow moving book for ages 9-12. As a 10 year old the language of the book is hard to understand. l would recommend it for ages 15+.

Rating Chart

One Star: Pathetic
Two Star: Poor
Three Star: Fair
Four Star: Good
Five Star: Excellent

~Lila White

I love religious themes in children's literature, but The Princess and Curdie got too preachy for me. I really disliked the resolution with its Bosch-like vision of the torments experienced by sinners--it had that feeling of titallation. And the ending? How depressing and slapped on it seems! There's plenty of other fantastical, well-written literature that wrestles with moral dilemmas. I won't be including this in my library of children's books.

The book is good, I liked the ending, but I definately know that the movie is WAY worse than the book. I shun those who made the movie, and hope that the writer realized that the people who he let make this film did a terrible job. I hope those who made the movie are reincarnated so that they are actually GOOD at what they do, so that everyone doesn't have to suffer through another one of these horrible movies.

Beautifully formatted with interactive Table of Contents. And MacDonald's Phantastes alone is worth the price (It was Phantastes that started C.S. Lewis on the road back from atheism to the Christianity of his youth). MacDonald influence not only C.S. Lewis but J. R. R. Tolkien (Lord of the Ring), Charles Williams and many others.

You can download MacDonald's works from the internet for free, of course, from many sites, but the format is not so good in some (poor scanning leaves typos). And I like having the Kindle WhisperSync tech, whether on my Kindle or my Smartphone (semi-Smartphone, I should clarify--or semi-Smart user), so when I switch between reading on my phone and Kindle I can easily find my place--all for 99 cents. I like the illustrations as well.

We're so used to getting everything online "free" that we now balk at paying even 99 cents, but two decades ago I'd have never imagined having all of his writings in a tiny device on which I can keep notes, bookmarks, etc. We take too much for granted. Spend the 99 cents; it's a bargain.

MacDonald's fertile imagination and deep spiritual conviction combine to make, The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie two works that left me wanting more. Unknowingly I read them in the wrong order. It didn't matter that much but the next time I read them I'll read them in the proper order. Read The Princess and the Goblin first and then move on to The Princess and Curdie if you care about the chronological order. I love these books!

Fortunately for all of us words did not fail George MacDonald. Finding these books was like finding a hidden treasure that will continue to pay interest for a lifetime. It was serendipitous for me as I didn't read children's books when I was a child. Never mind that. I'm so happy that I found these books before I turned 67 that I share them with anyone who'll listen.

This is the best thing you can do for yourself and your child. George MacDonald was a timeless angel descended upon earth for our edification. He had a long beard and lots of children also I think he was a minister who was kicked out for out of line beliefs. REBEL.