Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women

Name: Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women
Brand: Findaway Voices
Availability: InStock
Author: George MacDonald
ISBN: 9781094282640

Author: George MacDonald

Narrator: Glen Reed

Unabridged: 6 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Yashiki Audio

Published: 01/21/2020

Categories: Fiction, Classic

Synopsis

George MacDonald (1824 –1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. ‘Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women’ is a fantasy novel, which was first published in 1858. It is a coming-of-age tale or spiritual quest narrative of the character Anodos, a young man who is pulled into a dreamlike realm where he goes on a long journey full of dramatic adventures. Anodos discovers the fairies that live in flowers, the tree spirits, and a host of other creatures and apparitions. Ultimately he learns and understands about surrendering the self.

About George MacDonald

George MacDonald was a prolific author of both children's and adult books, including such classics as At the Back of the North Wind, The Princess and the Goblin, Lilith, and Phantastes. His works were the inspiration for later writers, including G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien.

A consummate Scotsman, MacDonald was born on December 10, 1824, in Huntly, Aberdeenshire. He was ordained as a congregationalist minister in 1845 and became a pastor at Arundel. This appointment did not last long, as he soon came into conflict with his parishioners and church because of his belief in purgatory and that all people eventually came into heaven, even animals.

In 1852, MacDonald married Louisa Powell, with whom he had six sons and five daughters. He was forced to resign from his church position in 1853, and after a brief sojourn in Algiers for the sake of his health, he became a freelance preacher, lecturer, and writer. His literary breakthrough came in 1855 with the publication of the narrative poem Within and Without. In the two decades that followed, he gained increasing fame and success with his children's books but was never able to earn enough money to support his family. Luckily, in 1877 he was granted a pension at the request of Queen Victoria.

MacDonald died on September 21, 1905, in Scotland.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Cindy on December 04, 2020

The first time I read this I was a newly married 18 yo. My husband was taking a class at college titled Oxford Christians and I may as well have taken the class myself because I read every single life-changing book Dr. Kay Ludwigson assigned. And of all the books by all those wonderful Inklings and......more

Goodreads review by Susan on June 01, 2019

It’s like a dream: You just find yourself somewhere and you wander on. Not like a quest, with a destination and obstacles along the way. No. You just find yourself walking without a destination and when you get somewhere someone was expecting you, someone who had sent you somewhere, although you don’t k......more

Goodreads review by Megan on February 20, 2011

Absolutely the most incredible book I've ever read. I'm pretty sure it will stay my favorite forever. You know those things in life (books/paintings/scenery/etc) that are just so beautiful that you know you couldn't accurately describe them? That is what this book was, to me. I know that you're not......more

Goodreads review by Douglas on February 29, 2016

I know that I read this once before, many moons ago. But my only recollection of it consisted in the fact that I had read it. I recently decided to read it again because of the impact it had on Lewis. Having done so, I can only conclude that Lewis saw a great deal more in it than I was able to, alth......more

Goodreads review by Carol Bakker on December 26, 2020

Dear Phantastes, I'm sorry we didn't get along. It was me, not you. I was overtired whenever I picked you up. My first thought was, "what was George MacDonald smoking when he wrote this?" If my life depended on it, I could not explain what happened to Anodos. Again, I was distracted. Sometimes the ti......more