The Princess And Curdie: (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.

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.

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!)

This book kept my 12 year old girl on her toes. It is very exciting, and at some points made her cry. She really recommends this book to anyone. It is a good family story. She really enjoyed it. [as dictated to Dad]

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.

Have not yet read the story, so I hope I can upgrade if it turns out to be wonderful. I did want to comment that I purchased the .99 version, and it does have Chapter 2. So, if that concern has kept you from considering this version of the story, then know that it no longer seems to be an issue.

Great, affordable edition with nice illustrations on each chapter's beginning page. Despite frequent reads the spine has held up well and it's a nice size for smaller hands without type that is too small.

...for a reason. Princess Irene is lovely, brave and kind (as all princesses ought to be) and Curdie is as clever, gallant and selfless as all heroes ought to be. The battle against the goblins takes all their cunning, faith, and sacrifice, and George Macdonald's prose and plotting will leave you joyous and uplifted...as all readers ought to be. Enjoy!

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!

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.

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!

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. Fortunately, George MacDonald's early fantasy tale is a story that can easily stand on its own -- it's a mixture of shimmering magic and dark grimy bleakness, written in lushly fantastical prose. The childlike princess can be a little annoying at times, but otherwise this book is a gem.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins by her overprotective father and nursemaid. But one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, they are chased by a bizarre creature... only to be rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie. Since goblins are a job hazard for the miners, Curdie tells her about the goblins and how to scare them away.

But not even singing can fend off the problems that are brewing. While mining, Curdie ends up wandering into the underground caverns where the goblins dwell, and uncovers a horrifying plot to take control of the above-ground kingdom. Meanwhile, Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives, and is sent on a magical quest that leads her to Curdie... but can two children stop a goblin invasion?

"The Princess and the Goblin" is one of those novels that feels like someone dug up an old forgotten fairy tale, polished it and released it on the world -- we have goblins, monsters, a humble young hero, a brave princess and a magical goddess-like figure who bestows magical items every now and then. MacDonald balances it all out nicely, and there's a freshness to his story that steers it away from cliches.

And he wrote in the stately, slightly distant way that most 19th-century authors did, with the one flaw being that things get a little twee at times. But that's a small price to play for the lush, exquisitely dreamlike flavor of some of the scenes, such as Irene's visits to her grandmother, in a starlit tower filled with doves and moonlit burning roses. And at the same time, he weaves in some stuff about the goblins that is purely nightmarish, such as Curdie being chased through the horrendous undergrown caverns.

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 can be a twit at times -- but she slowly grows in strength and independence as the book winds on. Curdie is the yang to Irene's yin, as a down-to-earth miner who has to stem a goblin invasion, and Irene's grandmother... well, we're never quite sure what she is. But she's depicted as being imposing, beautiful and kind, if inexplicably removed from the events of the story.

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. Definitely worth checking out.

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

I remember reading The Princess and the Goblin when I was in elementary school, which feels like so many years ago. When I came across it again just last year, I was hit with some nostalgia. I couldn't seem to recall the exact details of the book. I do remember that the grandmother freaked me out a little, and that the writing style was a little over my head at the time. But since I'm a little more educated now, I figured I could give it another go. I have an undying love affair for fairy tales, and the gorgeous old cover of the edition my library had made me fall head over heels.

The Princess and the Goblin follows Princess Irene, a young princess who lives in a removed house in the country. She was moved her, with a whole household of servants, when she was very young. She doesn't know why she is here and not in the castle with her father. One day, she wanders off and happens upon a staircase that leads to a mysterious room, which her grandmother is waiting. As mysterious as her rooms, her grandmother is magical and powerful while still being kind. The story also follows Curdie, a young but skilled miner, who saves Irene and her caretaker from the goblins when they become lost in the woods one night. He discovers a whole in the ever precarious seperation between the goblins and miners in the underground caves. He begins to follow a family of goblins to learn more about them. He uncovers a sinister plot that involves the young princess and the caves.

George MacDonald is an extremely influential writer. If you haven't read any of his works, than you can be sure that you have read the works of someone influenced by him. J.R.R Tolkien and and Madeleine L'Engle are just a few of the A-list writers who owe a lot of thanks to the works of George MacDonald. Not too mention C.S Lewis, one of my personal favorite authors, who was basically the president and number one fanboy of the George MacDonald fanclub during his lifetime. Lewis was so touched by MacDonald's work that he was even moved to convert to Christianity in part thanks to MacDonald, especially his work Phantastes. Like the Chronicles of Narnia, The Princess and the Goblin has a running undercurrent of theological themes. The story deals with the issue of faith: if you can't see something, can you really believe in it? And would you have the faith to remain a believer even when someone contradicts your beliefs? It is especially touching if you are a Christian, but it's not strictly allegorical. You don't necessarily need to be a Christian to get something out of the story.

The story and writing is reminiscent of old-fashioned fairy tales. In this day and age, our stories have to have pages and pages of characterization and relationship building to be considered 'acceptable'. The characters are mostly cariactures, focused mainly on one characteristic that defines their personality. Irene is precocious and a princess, which means that she is automatically more respectable, well-behaved, and honorable than other little girls in the world that George MacDonald has created. However, it is Irene's innocence that defines her and is the whole backbone of the story. She never lies, and yet her caretaker and friends are so quick to believe she is telling a lie when she reveals that she met her grandmother in the tower. She honorably believes that all of her people, who she will one day rule over, are created equal although her caretaker believes she shouldn't affiliate with the peasants surrounding her house. The relationship between Curdie and Irene reminds me of Peter and Wendy from Peter Pan, in that the reader knows that when they grow up (if, in the case of Peter) they would fall in love. However since they are only preteens, these relationships merely start and end with a simple kiss.

George MacDonald aims to be informal in his writing in The Princess and the Goblin. Since the style of writing and the wording is old-fashioned, the familiarity doesn't read as well in this day and age. The writing tends to go in circles, taking a few paragraphs to get back to the original thought. I also happen to write in circles in my writings, so I had little trouble following the train of thought. For someone who is a straightforward thinker, this task might not be as easy. If you are weary of redone fairy tales that twist a old tale into a modern story, I would suggest this story to you. It might help you get back into the original fairy tale frame of mind, while still being modern. Irene is a heroine, not a hero. She is not a damsel in distress, but a rescuer. She will not tire you with fainting or calling out in dispair for the hero to save her. I have added Phantastes to my To Be Read this list after reading this, not only because it so inspired C.S Lewis but as because George MacDonald writes such beautiful stories.

There are some children’s authors that have the gift of slipping sermon-free morals into their books without hampering the story one bit. Lloyd Alexander is a fine example of this. A sadder branch of authors is that of the heavy-handed moral, the sect that could really tell a wonderful tale were it not for the looming “This is GOOD for you” over it all. Norton Juster, author of the witty but slightly preachy “The Phantom Tollbooth,” is one of these, and I’m sad to say that George MacDonald has turned out to be an even more preachy and certainly more vehement member of the group. Although MacDonald’s other works are good (in the case of this book’s predecessor, “The Princess and the Goblin”) or even wonderful (I’m thinking here of “The Light Princess and Other Stories,” which I won’t gush about here because I already have in another review), “The Princess and Curdie” just doesn’t have the same quality.

It starts off pretty well – better, in fact, than “The Princess and the Goblin” began. We’re able to jump right into the story; Curdie, the young miner we already know and love, is finally able to see and believe in another character we already know and love: Princess Irene’s grandmother, a sort of mystical fairy godmother with a lot more power and certainly a lot more spirit. Grandmother Irene (her name, if you didn’t remember, is the same as the little princess’s) even trusts Curdie enough to give him a special ability and a mission: to save the capital city from an unknown menace that’s threatening the king and, by extension, the princess. With a strange, ugly, yet good-hearted little creature for company, Curdie embarks on the journey that will either make him a hero or kill him in the attempt.

I almost wish it had.

No, no, don’t run away just yet! I don’t hate Curdie, and I don’t hate children, and I don’t want to see him die. It’s just that his death would have at least finished the story, which ceases to become a story after Curdie arrives at the capital city. Remember when, in the first book, we were told that the king’s people were generally good and kind and that he managed things well? That was either a total lie or a poor attempt to reserve some shock value for this volume, because that’s not what’s happening anymore. Nearly everyone has turned into a complete villain, and the way MacDonald talks, you’d think there were only two or three good people in a city of thousands. This is both completely unrealistic and low-quality writing, something I never expected of MacDonald.

And then there’s the preachiness. MacDonald was a minister, I believe, and most of his books have Christian ideologies running through them. That’s great. I’m totally fine with that. What I’m not fine with is him making a virtual deity out of Grandmother Irene and then shoving it down our throats. She went from Gandalf to God in this book, and it’s incredibly jarring. Although she’s never directly cruel, she dismisses ninety-nine percent of a kingdom as evil and without hope. Isn’t that a little much for a kids’ book? Or for any book with realistic characters?

But I guess that wasn’t the point. Fantasy is one thing, but unrealism is another, and this book is just plain unrealistic. I’ll try not to ruin anything, but let’s just say the ending is both apocalyptic and happy. That should give you a clue as to what kind of book this is. I was warned, and I didn’t heed, but I’ll try once more to save others from my fate: skip “The Princess and Curdie.” It’s still wonderfully written in typical MacDonald fashion, but if you want gentler morals and better characters, look somewhere else.

I just read the Princess and the Goblin this evening, and it is a wonderful book which I highly recommend. In this book, George Macdonald, the masterful story teller (note: he is not necessarily a good writer, but he is a good story teller), tells the story of Irene the princess. Irene is the embodyment of innocence, and in MacDonald's book, innocence is the hero. Not only is the story iteself imaginative and just plain good reading, but it also has a point, something which many of today's fictional books seem to be lacking. The point is summed up in something that Irene's grandmother said: "Seeing is not believing: seeing is only seeing." I think that George MacDonald was trying to provide a picture of faith. We do not believe blindly, as many existentialist and postmodernist church members would tell us, for Irene can see and feel the string which guides her, as well as her Grandmother. However, others, who do not yet have faith (Curdie) cannot see or feel the line UNTIL they believe in it. In effect, MacDonald is saying that we cannot see and feel (metaphorically) God directly until we believe in Him. Notice, however, that while Curdie could not directly see the string, he could see the EFFECTS of the string. He saw evidence that the string existed, then he later concluded that since he saw the evidence of the string, he should believe in the string and the Grandmother who gave it. Then, after believing, he saw the string. This is a very good picture of conversion as it should be. One first sees evidence of God, whether through the lives of Christians or through arguments, or both. Then one believes, and only after one believes does one really "know" God.

MacDonald's "good" (as in the The Good, not his well writen books) is much better than most authors'. C. S. Lewis himself said that George MacDonald portrays the good better than any other auther he knew of. C. S. Lewis' good is of another kind somehow, more powerful and fierce, though no less loving, kind, and compassionate. In all truth, I prefer C. S. Lewis' incarnation of good in Alsan to MacDonald's in Irene's Grandmother, but both are extremely good. Somehow it seems that Irene's Grandmother is not as strong as one would like good to be though.

In conclusion, the fact that George MacDonald managed to take the topic of faith, wrap it in the rich garb of a childrens story, and have it adored by the world is an amazing feat. I am very much looking forward to reading the sequel, The Princess and Curdie, which I hope to do very soon.

First published in book form in 1872; people walked or rode a horse; life was simple. Or was it? This is the story of a girl, eight years old; she's in danger but doesn't know it yet. She will know and grow with it. But first she must meet The Old Lady at the top of the stairs in the tower. Then the mystery really begins! I was on the edge of my seat cheering her on, and she didn't let me down. She most powerfully succeeded in her incredibly hard task. Yes, she is a real Princess and this tale majestically approves it.

I really enjoyed The Princess and Curdie. I liked it even better than The Princess and The Goblin,which was a simpler, sunnier story better suited for a very young audience. This one had much more depth. It gives a view of the darker side of the soul of man. George MacDonald had an uncanny knack for understanding the human psyche and all the elements contained in it. It is much more than just a "children's" book. There are different levels and layers in this that will be enjoyed by adults, as well. It presents morality, faith, etc. without being the least bit preachy and I think it will cause the reader to take a look into his own soul to see if he is becoming a beast or is, indeed, still a human. It has all of the best elements of a fairy tale. It has mystery, the supernatural, strange beasts with somewhat human characteristics and humans with beastly natures just under the surface.

I liked the ending. It may seem depressing to some, but being a pragmatist, I found it refreshing because it was a more realistic, unsweetened ending. I give this tale high marks and would recommend it to anyone from ten to a hundred and ten!

Like many others, I became interested in reading George MacDonald through C.S. Lewis. As with Lewis, I believe MacDonald had a special vocation of calling us fallen humans back from prodigality and corruption in our interior lives.

Please bear in mind that MacDonald is a sophisticated writer, and this children's book is a good fit for a present-day adult and teen, while his adult books, for instance his 'Phantastes', can be cumbersome and even obfuscated for the literary layperson.

Ultimately, I value this book, and 'The Princess and the Goblin', this book's prequel, for calling me back to my faith in a deep and genuine way; a way that can only be realized by taking a blessed excursion to the land of Faerie.

This story is a classic of its kind and was influential in the ongoing development of contemporary fantasy. It combined several pre-existing story elements into a tale with adventure, monsters, morals, and a touch of faery. It is probably no accident that this story is so similiar in tone to Tolkien's fantasies.

While I am considerably older than the targeted age group, I found the story to be exciting with a touch of mysticism and mystery. And, yes, it does have a stong moral ending.

The princess was thoroughly in character. While overly mature for her age, she exemplifies the British ideal of nobility. And Curdie represented the best of the British working class. As the saying goes, they continually kept their heads while everyone else around them were losing theirs. Although such virtues have been downplayed and vilified in recent times, they are still strong survival skills.

MacDonald maintains a sense of suspense and mystery throughout the story, with a good mix of action and reflection. While the authorial comments might seem strange, they do ring true as part of a verbal presentation. Children will ask questions and will insist on clearing up the odd puzzlement.

I came upon this story by accident, but I enjoyed it enough to pass it on.

-Arthur W. Jordin

George MacDonald once again delivers a magical book, filled with adventure and meaning, a delight to read. In this book, MacDoanld shows belief in the extraordinary. Muiltiple times, the great-great-Grandmother does something which requires action which seems to go against worldly reason. MacDonald, I think, is showing that we do not do the will of God in SPITE of reason, but BECAUSE of it. At one point, the Grandmother commands Curdie to plunge his hands into her fire, which Curdie does at once. At first glance, it appears that this is done in spite of reason, for who finds it reasonable to burn themselves? On the second glance, perhaps, we see that it is done, not in a lapse into an irrational leap of faith, but becaue Curdie has good REASON to beleive that the Grandmother knows what is best. In the same way, when God wants us to do something which seems rediculous to worldly reason, it look to the world as if we have abandoned reason and take a leap of faith. Just as in Curdie's case, this is incorrect. We do the will of God, not irrationally, but because we have good reason to believe that God knows what is best, and will keep His promises.

I was a little dissapointed with this book, however, because it somehow does not keep the spirit of the first. The Princess and the Goblin was a tale of innocence, wheras the innocence is lost in this tale. The plotline also seemed less deep, though it was still good. Do not mistake me, this is an very good book, but it is not quite as good as The Princess and the Goblin, which was a masterpiece. Of course, once cannot be expected to turn out masterpieces on a regular basis, indeed, one in a lifetime is quite an achievement in itself.

Most sequels stink. A lot. George MacDonald, the first fantasy master, managed to buck that trend with the sequel to "The Princess and the Goblin," with "The Princess and Curdie." If anything, this book is even better than the first -- a bit more mature, a little bit darker, but with the same haunting prose and likeable characters.
In the time since the defeat of the goblins, Curdie has gone back to his life as a miner. Unfortunately he also begins to stray from the pure actions he showed in the first book, pushing aside thoughts of Princess Irene's grandmother and trying to convince himself that the more supernatural events of "Goblin" were just imagination. Until he needlessly wounds a pigeon with his bow and arrow, and takes it to the stately, mysterious Grandmother.
As Curdie regains his innocence and his faith, the Lady sends him on a quest, with a weird doglike creature called Lina who was once a human. She also (by having him stick his hands into burning roses) makes his hands able to feel a person's soul when he touches them, if a person is "growing into a beast" on the inside. Now Curdie and Lina set off for the capital, where Irene's father is physically ill, and falling prey to the scheming of his sinister officials.
If the first book was Irene's, then this book is undeniably Curdie's. The focus is on him almost constantly through the book, and it's his internal struggles that we are fascinated by. Every person (well, most of them, anyway) eventually loses their childlike faith and innocence, as Curdie has begun to do at the beginning. He's naturally a more skeptical person than Irene, and so time begins to fade whatever he thought he saw; also, being "one of the guys" in the mine requires a seemingly more mature attitude. But with the loss of innocence also goes some of the faith and internal beauty, and so MacDonald brings Curdie back to the gentle, trusting kid he was in the first book.
The Lady (also known as Irene's great-great-great-grandmother, Lady of the Silver Moon, and Mother Wotherwop -- don't ask about the last one) is also a more prominent figure. She's still both maternal and supernaturally distant, very warm while also seeming to know everything. Precisely who and what she is remains a mystery, but we see more of her subtle, awe-inspiring powers here.
The writing is, as the first book was, immensely dreamy and haunting. MacDonald let rip with the surreally beautiful descriptions of the Lady's room and appearances, and of scenes like Curdie sticking his hands into the rose petals. Like in "Princess and the Goblin," the plot takes awhile to get moving, but it's so well-written that you probably won't notice.
"The Princess and Curdie" is currently harder to find than the first book, which strikes me as a little odd. (Especially since this duology is just screaming to be compiled in one book) But anyone who enjoyed the first book, or even just enjoys a gorgeously-written fantasy, will definitely want to get this sequel.

So you love C.S. Lewis� Narnia Chronicles? There people who don�t are few and far between. One of the biggest influences on C.S. Lewis was this man, George MacDonald (1824-1905). It was MacDonald�s talent for telling fairy stories that inspired Lewis in writing his own. Like Lewis, MacDonald has a remarkable ability to tell a delightful and enchanting story for children, layered with strong Christian themes and imagery by means of allegory and symbols. �The Princess and the Goblin� is one of his most beloved works for children, and an excellent introduction to his style and success.
�The Princess and the Goblin� features a heroine � a princess called Irene � and a hero � a simple miner�s son called Curdie. While working overtime in the mines to earn money to buy his mother a red petty-coat, Curdie chances upon the goblins who live in the mountain, and discovers that they are hatching an evil plot against the king and his palace. Meanwhile the princess makes a discovery of her own � high in the castle she finds a wonderful old lady who is her great-great-grandmother. The problem is, nobody else knows of her grandmother, and nobody believes her. But the princess does believe, and it is by her faith in her grandmother and the magic thread that she receives from her, that she is able to rescue Curdie. Together they rescue the entire palace from disaster at the hands of the goblins.
In telling the story, MacDonald has an enchanting conversational style, wonderfully suitable for reading aloud to enraptured children � an ability perfecting in telling stories to his own eleven children. But �The Princess and the Goblin� is more than just a story. Before pursuing a literary career, MacDonald was a Congregationalist minister, and so integrates important underlying Christian themes. Believing in the great-great-grandmother despite the fact that many cannot see her, is a symbol of believing in God. MacDonald uses this to show how the Christian faith involves believing without seeing, and that not everyone has to �see� something for it to be true. The grandmother�s lamp and magic thread are the guides on which the princess must depend, much like the Word which is a lamp on our path. It may sound tacky, but it works.
Children are not likely to grasp the deeper underlying themes that MacDonald is working with. Nonetheless the story has a clear message for children. The clear conflict between the royal powers of light against the goblin powers of darkness is unmistakable. Moreover, the princess is presented as a model of virtue, and MacDonald frequently asserts the importance of moral virtues such as always telling the truth, keeping your word, and admitting your faults � moral virtues that are equally important for princes and princesses of God�s kingdom. Courage, honesty, grace, dignity and beauty are timeless ideals for children of all times to strive for. If you love Narnia, you�re sure to like this one, and you�ll find yourself quickly grabbing the sequel, �The Princess and Curdie.� �The Princess and the Goblin� was one of J.R.R. Tolkien�s childhood favorites, highly regarded by C.S. Lewis, described by W.H. Auden as �the only English children�s book in the same class as the Alice books�, and generally considered as a classic example of nineteenth century children�s literary fairy tales. So if you haven�t yet read this book, it�s about time you did. With admirers such as Tolkien, Lewis and Auden, if you become a MacDonald�s admirer you�ll find yourself in good company!

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.