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Phantastes (Xist Classics) Kindle Edition

by George MacDonald (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 472 ratings
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One of the Original Fairy Tale Classics of Western Literature

“Alas, how easily things go wrong! / A sigh too much, a kiss too long / And there follows a mist and a weeping rain / And life is never the same again” - George MacDonald, Phantastes

Imagine turning 21 and being dragged into a fantasy world full of perils and creatures that want to kill you. Imagine overcoming these dangers, going from villain to hero and beyond, loving and being deceived, helping and being helpless. Imagine waking up and everybody saying you’re gone for 21 days, though it felt like 21 years. How would you change your life?
This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This ebook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it.

Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes

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  1. Print length
    197 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Xist Classics
  5. Publication date
    July 31, 2015
  6. File size
    1284 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"I was dead, and right content," the narrator says in the penultimate chapter of Phantastes. C.S. Lewis said that upon reading this astonishing 19th-century fairy tale he "had crossed a great frontier," and numerous others both before and since have felt similarly. In MacDonald's fairy tales, both those for children and (like this one) those for adults, the "fairy land" clearly represents the spiritual world, or our own world revealed in all of its depth and meaning. At times almost forthrightly allegorical, at other times richly dreamlike (and indeed having a close connection to the symbolic world of dreams), this story of a young man who finds himself on a long journey through a land of fantasy is more truly the story of the spiritual quest that is at the core of his life's work, a quest that must end with the ultimate surrender of the self. The glory of MacDonald's work is that this surrender is both hard won (or lost!) and yet rippling with joy when at last experienced. As the narrator says of a heavenly woman in this tale, "She knew something too good to be told." One senses the same of the author himself. --Doug Thorpe

About the Author

(1824-1905) The great nineteenth-century innovator ofmodern fantasy, whose works influenced C. S. Lewis, J. R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams. "I do not write forchildren," MacDonald once said, "but for the childlike,whether of five, or fifty, or seventy-five."

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01348VHII
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Xist Classics (July 31, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 31, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1284 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 197 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 472 ratings

About the author

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George MacDonald

George MacDonald

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
472 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Gandalf
5.0 out of 5 stars Simplicity and Courage
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2011
Verified Purchase
I had wanted to read this book for some time. As a Lewis fan, and having enjoyed MacDonald in the past, I looked forward to taking in this important work. I was not disappointed.
First, the writing is beautiful. While the work is short on action or dialogue, the writing pulls one along in a magisterial prose that one can not put down. This is not what one expects from a Victorian work. Our modern minds are trained to read short, action packed works that are direct and to the point. This is a work that one can spend time in; enjoying the mental pictures and gliding through Fairy Land from one adventure to another.
Secondly, the story, while at times a little dense, is a reward for those who stick with it. The fantasy of Fairy Land in most interesting, but the allegory is a bit hard to pin down. However, by the end of book it all comes together. In fact I no sooner put it down than I wanted to start again just to make sure that I had not missed anything.
Third, the message, or theology is deep and well worth the read. I am not going to spoil the ending by attempting my own amaturish summary of MacDonald's theology; suffice it to say that is a book worthy of discussion and review with friends and fellow travelors.
I am glad that I finally read this masterpiece, and I understand why C.S.Lewis held it, and MacDonald, in such high regard.
Enjoy!
7 people found this helpful
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Scott Meredith
5.0 out of 5 stars Surf this gorgeous silky dream world
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2005
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This book is fantastic, it's the closest literary equivalent to LSD out there. You will be submerged in the fairy land as it comes to seem more real to you than reality.

The only thing I don't understand is why Macdonald in general, and this work in particular, are so heavily tagged and bagged as Christian? What is particularly Christian about this book? It is a purely psychedelic romp through the collective subconscious. Of course, if you want to play the game, ANY story can be regarded as an allegory of ANYTHING. By that standard, you could interpret the Baghavad Gita or the Tale of Genji or whatever as a Christian allegory also.

I don't buy the Christian allegory angle on this book, no matter how many Lewis or Chesterton quotes are thrown at me. "... remain a heathen, that is, remain sad" ?? Gimmie a break!

Yes, certainly Macdonald was some sort of (heretical) Christian, but above, beyond, and apart from that I feel he was first and foremost a great artist, and nowhere does his genius shine more brilliantly than in Phantastes.

Other Christian authors are credited with great works that have no Christian content or interpretation, such as Shusaku Endo's "When I Whistle". Let it be so with "Phantastes".

Usage Advice:
You need to take time and situate yourself a bit protected, away from your world, to get the most from this book. It needs to be savored like fine wine tasting or smoking a water pipe or something.

(By the way, if you want a present-day update on the modern fairy world scene, same geomythic stuff as Phantastes, check out "What's Beyond that Star" by Richard Leviton.)

Phantastes - so good the Feds should make it illegal.
11 people found this helpful
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Michael D. Mullen
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read with many memorable lines
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2007
Verified Purchase
I came to this story, having read some of MacDonald's writings years ago, and now being drawn to him through a brief biography I had read of him. I also had read (again) Lewis' The "Great Divorce," where MacDonald shows up in heaven as a guide. All of this drew me to "Phantastes."

I found myself struggling at first, not being a regular reader of the fantasy genre. As I read this story, I, like so many have alluded to above, found the story to be a bit uneven, or disjointed. Still, the symbolism of some episoides intrigued me, and kept me going. The more I read, the more enjoyable and delightful it became. Over all the book is very entertaining, and even edifying. I rarely say this about a read, but I was encouraged after reading this book.

There are parts of this book, lines, paragraphs, and even one chapter, where the authors words approach the masterpiece level. His word-craft is superb at moments and should not be missed.
12 people found this helpful
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lynn
5.0 out of 5 stars Make of it "what you can"
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
The five stars might be misleading...I love this book, but that doesn't automatically mean you will. The main character (if you can even call him that, you don't learn his name until a few chapters in) is dreaming...at least, he journeys to Faerieland, which is essentially the same thing for MacDonald. But again—don't be misled! Dreaming for MacDonald doesn't mean you're not awake. But you, the reader, might either feel like this story is as confusing and meandering as a dream, or maybe even a nightmare.

The first time I read it, I nearly stopped halfway because I was so lost. And yet I couldn't give up, either. I think it's because I dimly realized and connected the confusion at the beginning of the story to Anodos--a dreamer and idealist who cannot realize or bring about any of his beloved dreams and ideals. I wanted to know what would happen to this poor, pathetic dreamer, able to free an enchanted maiden with a song, but unable to free himself.

MacDonald's writing might seem at times to have no point at all, like a trip on LSD, as a reviewer mentioned above, but don't be deceived. MacDonald knew what he wrote, and believed that everything he meant could mean even more than he intended. (Check out his essay "The Fantastic Imagination" if you want more of his thoughts on what fantasy can do.)

And the story becomes more solid and straightforward (as straightforward as MacDonald gets, which is never very much) as it goes.

There is indeed a moral of the story, if you're enough of a "true man or woman" (in MacDonald's words) to listen, and of you have the courage to see it. He would encourage you to make, "not what you please" of this story, but rather "what you can."
35 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Shaelah Abell
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on December 15, 2015
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Super creative story. I couldn't put it down. Very inspiring writing.
One person found this helpful
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Jonathan
4.0 out of 5 stars A surreal fantasy.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
A classic that influenced the great Christian apologist CSLewis.
Recommended. Deliciously surreal.
2 people found this helpful
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Julie Razavi
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2014
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Interesting for Macdonald enthusiasts.
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Caitlin
2.0 out of 5 stars Gummed up pages
Reviewed in Canada on September 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
I was so excited to receive this book as a gift for my husband. It is his all time favourite story and his original copy is worn to pieces. Our oldest son has taken an interest in the book so I thought a new copy for them to read together was in order!
When I received the package, which arrived quickly (thank you!), I was pretty disappointed to see this tar-like substance on the sides and top of the pages. It doesn't come off. I'm not sure what it even is!
Customer image
Caitlin
2.0 out of 5 stars Gummed up pages
Reviewed in Canada on September 2, 2020
I was so excited to receive this book as a gift for my husband. It is his all time favourite story and his original copy is worn to pieces. Our oldest son has taken an interest in the book so I thought a new copy for them to read together was in order!
When I received the package, which arrived quickly (thank you!), I was pretty disappointed to see this tar-like substance on the sides and top of the pages. It doesn't come off. I'm not sure what it even is!
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