The Golden Key (1867)

Bewilderingly creative--almost to the point of being, as one reviewer put it: "stream of consciousness."I'm giving it three stars, not in comparison to other authors' works, but in comparison to MacDonald's. I've enjoyed other of his works more, such as "The Princess and the Goblin," "The Day Boy and the Night Girl," and "Gray Wolf." I enjoyed it, but not so much that I would give it a four.**UPDATE**: I read it again. My appreciation of "The Golden Key" has risen, and so has my rating: to four. ( )

I agree with the older Tolkien, "Ill-written, incoherent, and bad, in spite of a few memorable passages." ( )

See Sendak and MacDonald at From Word to Word

Vivid and queer. I don't know quite what to make of it , but I will remember the land from which the shadows fall...