George MacDonald is one of those authors I've long felt guilty for not reading more of. The only book of his that I had read before was The Wise Woman, given to me by a friend as a joke on my username. It was so-so, a bit too heavy on the moralizing for my taste, and ultimately very predictable (but aren't all morality stories that way?). So I never really understood why so many fellow readers praise MacDonald's fantasy stories so highly.

After reading The Princess and the Goblin, I think I understand a bit better, though I will probably never have the same love for MacDonald as those who recommend him to me. He caught me too old; if I were younger I could have swallowed the coldness of the story probably without noticing it. Despite MacDonald's grandfatherly asides to his young readers, there is something disconnected at the core of the story, and it makes itself felt to me. Little things bother me... in the title, which goblin is being mentioned? Is it Harelip? Or is it the Goblin Queen? Or King? It just feels like MacDonald went with the coolest-sounding title without worrying overmuch about it making sense.

But having made these complaints, I do have some good things to say for MacDonald. First off, thank goodness he wrote at all, because he influenced C. S. Lewis' creation of Narnia! I noticed some distinct resemblances. There is a scene where the Princess rescues Curdie from the Goblin dungeon without even meaning to find him; she was following the thread between the ring her grandmother had given her and her grandmother's rooms. Her grandmother even warned her that the thread might take her on what would seem a roundabout path, but she would never be led astray by it. But Curdie cannot see or feel the thread that the Princess is following so surely — just like when Lucy compels the others to follow her as she follows the Aslan they cannot see in Prince Caspian.

Another very similar scene occurs where the Princess takes Curdie to see her grandmother in the upper part of the castle, and Curdie can't see anything but a bare floor and walls — while the Princess is reveling in the rich furnishings and wonderful presence of the old woman. This, and the conversation that Curdie has with his parents about it, reminds me so much of the part in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when Lucy tries to take the others to see Narnia and they are confronted with the smooth blank panel of the back of the wardrobe. Later the Professor challenges their assumption that if things are real, they are there all the time. Big ideas for little heads! But the best children's authors always trust their audience.

I don't know the extent of Lewis' debt to MacDonald, and of course I haven't read MacDonald's other books. I do know that Lewis actually uses MacDonald as a character in The Great Divorce, and his main purpose there is to talk about his belief that everyone will eventually be saved. Lewis comes to the incredibly unsatisfying conclusion that universalism is correct, but it doesn't do to speak of it much. Okay — ? Perhaps it is this theological disconnect that leaves me cold to MacDonald in general.

I remember reading some of MacDonald's historical romances as a young reader; they were lying around the house and when you can't get a ride to the library, you must make do with what you can find. I didn't care for them much at the time, thinking them sentimental and boring. Just yesterday I was helping catalog my church's library and was entering two of those when a friend swooped down and said she'd been bothered by them when she read them years ago. Apparently there was a bit more than sentimental nonsense going on in these books; MacDonald is using them to make a theological statement, attacking positions he didn't agree with. Unfortunately some of the doctrines he attacks are part of biblical Christianity, and as a biblical Christian, I can't go along with that. But I read The Princess and Curdie the night before hearing all this, and had already noted how disconnected I felt from MacDonald. I ended up taking those titles home with me; the church library didn't want them and perhaps some day I'll be moved to read and critique them. Maybe.

There are some lovely descriptions here. I will remember the fire shaped like roses, heavy and nodding, and the Goblin Queen's granite shoes. Curdie's nonsense poetry was fun (I wonder if Tolkien read anything by MacDonald, and if it influenced his hobbit poetry). I thought the character of Lootie, the nurse, was quite interesting. She truly does care for the Princess, but there is something lacking in her, and she will never be able to see the grandmother, or follow a silky thread into the darkest caverns.

I'm glad I read this book in one sitting. It probably would not have tempted me strongly to pick it up again if I hadn't. I'm thankful, for Narnia's sake, that MacDonald wrote fantasy for children; it's just a pity that his work is so flawed. ( )

This is a delightful story about eight year old Princess Irene, her great-great-great-great grandmother, and a miner boy named Curdie. Together they fight to foil the goblins' sinister schemes. Little Irene is a true princess and acts like a little lady, while Curdy is a very brave and heroic boy.

Highly recommended for all ages. I will try to read the sequel, The Princess and Curdie, sometime this year as well. I am also set to read Phantastes by MacDonald for the Fantasy Challenge. I can't wait to get to this more "adult" fantasy tale. I really enjoyed MacDonald's writing, and I am not at all surprised that he was an inspiration to both Lewis and Tolkien. ( )

I was 8 years old when I picked up this book at the library and it completely enchanted me then as it does now. As a young reader, I think I probably skipped a lot of the descriptive passages, but there is enough action and dialogue to keep young readers and listeners attentive. I can't say the same for the sequel, The Princess and Curdie. I don't think I've ever been able to finish that book. But The Princess and the Goblin is a worthy predecessor to the Lord of the Rings and other fable/fantasies. ( )

Mindy Hardwick (Children's Literature)
Princess Irene is eight years old, and lives side by side with the Goblins. The Goblins once lived above ground, but retreated underground when they were subjected to severe laws and taxes. On the top floor of Princess Irene's house is her Great-Great-Grandmother who only Princess Irene can see. Princess Irene's secret Grandmother is magical. She keeps a lighted moon in her window, eats eggs from the pigeons, and spins spider webs into magical thread balls. Soon, the Goblins are being forced from their homes by the miners who sing rhymed verses to push the Goblins further into the hills and away from the mines. So, the Goblins devise a plan to capture Princess Irene. However, Princess Irene is given one of the magical threads and it leads her away from the Goblins when they attack her father's palace. Young readers will be enchanted with this little known fairy tale and find themselves caught up with Princess Irene as she tries to convince the adults around her of her Great-Great-Grandmother's existence. Readers will want to be sure and read the second book in the sequence which continues the story of Princess Irene and her friend, Curdie. 2004 (orig. 1874), HarperCollins, $6.99. Ages 8 to 12.