Other editions of book The Princess and the Goblin / The Princess and Curdie

"The Children’s Stories [of George MacDonald] are of such a character that most of them could be read through by a child simply for the story. They all captivate the natural imagination by the vivid realisation of every-day things as in a beautiful dream. But for those who have eyes to see through the clear flow of the tale, the bed of truth can be plainly perceived under the running stream, that seems widening to the river and ever going onward to the infinite sea."from the forward by Joseph Johnson

When Princess Irene and her nursemaid stay out too late one night and are chased home by goblins, a young miner boy called Curdie comes to their rescue. So begins a fantastic adventure in which Irene and Curdie must try to stop a goblin invasion, helped by Irene's mysterious great-great-grandmother. This much-loved tale was a personal favourite of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. This edition includes the sequel, The Princess and Curdie.

The Princess and the Goblin and its sequel quietly suggest in every incident ideas of courage and honor. Both the books start out as normal fairy tales, but slowly become stranger, and they contain layers of symbolism similar to that of Lewis Carroll's work. Eight-year-old Princess Irene lives a lonely life in a castle in a wild, desolate, mountainous kingdom, with only her nursemaid "Lootie" for company. Her father the king is normally absent, and her mother is dead. Unknown to her, the nearby mines are inhabited by a race of goblins, long banished from the kingdom and now anxious to take revenge on their human neighbors. One rainy day, the princess explores the castle and discovers a beautiful, mysterious lady, who identifies herself as Irene's namesake and great-great-grandmother. The adventure continues with Princess Irene and Curdie a year or two older. They must overthrow a set of corrupt ministers who are poisoning Irene's father, the king. Irene's grandmother also reappears and gives Curdie a strange gift. A monster called Lina aids his quest.George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. His writings have been cited as a major literary influence by many notable authors including W. H. Auden, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Walter de la Mare, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. G. K. Chesterton cited The Princess and the Goblin as a book that had "made a difference to my whole existence".

In THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN, eight-year-old Princess Irene lives in a magical, remote kingdom, with only her nursemaid "Lootie" for company. Irene knows nothing of the hidden danger in the kingdom, the goblins. The goblins lurk in mines under the ground, where they plot to overthrow the humans who live on the surface and make them slaves.In THE PRINCESS AND CURDIE, Princess Irene returns with her friend Curdie to fight against corrupt ministers who are plotting to overthrow her father, the King. THE PRINCESS AND CURDIE is the sequel to THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN.George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian clergyman. After attending the University of Aberdeen, MacDonald became a minister and turned to writing "adult fantasy" with a strong Christian theme. MacDonald's works inspired later generations of poets and fantasy writers, including W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle.

Two stories in one book. Irene, a little princess, is protected by her friend, a boy named Curdie, from the goblin miners who live beneath the castle. Curdie was a little boy who worked in the mines with his father, but when he was chosen by a beautiful mysterious fairy to save the King and the Princess, his whole life changed. Scans are of: book front cover; book back cover and an example of the lovely illustrations inside the book

Considered by W.H. Auden to be "the only English children's book in the same class as the Alice books," The Princess and the Goblin is a classic example of nineteenth-century children's literary fairy tales. Both this tale and its sequel, The Princess and Curdie, follow in the tradition of the folk tales of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, yet also impart to the reader a sense of MacDonald's personal vision and unique style. This volume is the only adult edition of these classics currently in print.

The Princess and the Goblin is a fantasy novel written by George MacDonald. The action centers around an eight-year old princess named Irene living in a lonely castle. When Irene gets chased by goblins she is rescued by a young miner named Curdie and they quickly become good friends. The Princess and Curdie, written by George MacDonald, is the sequel novel to The Princess and the Goblin. The action continues to center around Princess Irene and Curdie as they set out to overthrow some corrupt ministers who are poisoning the king. George MacDonald was a Scottish author and Christian minister who is considered to be one of the main pioneers of the fantasy genre of fiction. MacDonald's books influenced many great authors that followed such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Edith Nesbit. MacDonald wrote many classics such as Lilith, Phantastes, The Princess and the Goblin, and At the Back of the North Wind.

This volume is a compilation of two books by George Macdonald: The Princess & The Goblin and The Princess & Curdie. These two stories recount the adventures of the Princess Irene and Curdie, the miner’s son, as they are guided by the princess’ mysterious great great grandmother. Of all the challenges they face, the greatest is their slowness to believe in the fantastic revelations which lead them to their ultimate success: “As Curdie grew, he grew at this time faster in body than in mind—with the usual consequence, that he was getting rather stupid—one of the chief signs of which was that he believed less and less in things he had never seen.” G. K. Chesterton held The Princess & The Goblin in special esteem: In a certain rather special sense I for one can really testify to a book that has made a difference to my whole existence, which helped me to see things in a certain way from the start; a vision of things which even so real a revolution as a change of religious allegiance has substantially only crowned and confirmed.