George MacDonald: The Complete Fantasy Collection - 8 Novels & 30+ Short Stories and Fairy Tales (Illustrated): The Princess and the Goblin, Lilith, Phantastes, ... Dealings with the Fairies and many more Kindle Edition

Just to have all of the works of George MacDonald together in one collection made me a very happy camper. I was introduced to the religious writings of MacDonald through C. S. Lewis. Lewis considered MacDonald "his master" and made frequent reference to him in his own books. Years ago I had read MacDonald's Phantastes simply because Lewis thought so highly of it. It wasn't until much later that I discovered that MacDonald was a universalist, but by then I had learned enough about MacDonald to want to know why. So I began reading his "Unspoken Sermons" and "Hope of the Gospel". I found them to be very persuasive. I also found that Lewis was not the only person of note that had been an avid reader of MacDonald. Thomas Talbott was as well. Talbott had written a chapter in the book "All Shall Be Well" titled "The Just Mercy of God - Universal Salvation in George MacDonald". From Talbott I learned that if you want to know more about MacDonald's views on universalism, you have to read his works of fiction. His views often found their way into his stories. That brings me back to where I started and the reason why I am such a happy camper to at last have MacDonald's complete collection.

Beautifully formatted with interactive Table of Contents. And MacDonald's Phantastes alone is worth the price (It was Phantastes that started C.S. Lewis on the road back from atheism to the Christianity of his youth). MacDonald influence not only C.S. Lewis but J. R. R. Tolkien (Lord of the Ring), Charles Williams and many others.You can download MacDonald's works from the internet for free, of course, from many sites, but the format is not so good in some (poor scanning leaves typos). And I like having the Kindle WhisperSync tech, whether on my Kindle or my Smartphone (semi-Smartphone, I should clarify--or semi-Smart user), so when I switch between reading on my phone and Kindle I can easily find my place--all for 99 cents. I like the illustrations as well.We're so used to getting everything online "free" that we now balk at paying even 99 cents, but two decades ago I'd have never imagined having all of his writings in a tiny device on which I can keep notes, bookmarks, etc. We take too much for granted. Spend the 99 cents; it's a bargain.

MacDonald is cited by C.S. Lewis as one of his inspirations, and I can see how Lewis' writing reflects MacDonald's in some ways. Lewis, I must say, is a far superior writer to MacDonald. Still, the "fairy tales" in this collection are quite charming, and the three tales of a country vicar and his family are good reads. My only complaint about reading a collection this massive on my ebook is that it's difficult to remember which of the stories are tied together (they are not together in the book). In short, MacDonald is a quiet writer, able to say in 10,000 words what Lewis can say in 1,000, but it is nice, reflective reading for a summer afternoon.

If you are new to George MacDonald, I recommend you use a Scots dictionary. After you learn 20 to 30 words, you will be able to enjoy his best books: Sir Gibbie, Donal Grant, Malcolm, and The Marquis of Lossie. Also Castle Warlock and Robert Falconer. Many of the others do not require this knowledge, but his best works do. Don't bother with the abridged versions which tend to strip away the author's richest jewels unless you really need an easier version.If anyone has been scarred by a harsh picture of God, these are the books for you! If you are discouraged or depressed or feel a need of deeper character, I heartily recommend these books. God is revealed as a loving Father, full of light and Christ is honored. But it is all done through the study of character--through the delightful characters created in these pages. They are filled to the brim with treasures.They will fill you with joy and peace and make you a better person.

I have been a fan of George MacDonald for decades and this is a REAL treasure--to find his complete (and unedited) works at any price, let alone the few dollars charged for this. MacDonald lived in Scotland and was a contemporary of Charles Dickens. He was a mentor to a later generation of authors such as C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and J.R.R. Tolkein. He was a Christian who wrote fantasies, fiction, poetry, and non-fiction; his life's work amounts to a very large collection. He was a MASTER of the English language. As a Christian thinker you won't find any better--original in the extreme with nothing shallow. One caution: The conversations in his fictional works are written in a Scottish brogue that was hard at first for this American to decipher. It took several books to get used to it and I still have the notes I made many years ago. It was well worth the effort, however; the brogue adds a lot of color to his stories.

So much writing is depressing. Never Gorge MacDonald - we used to read this to our boys when they were young. Now at old age, I have gone back to them.

Excellent book. CS Lewis says of George MacDonald, "The quality which had enchanted me in his imaginative works turned out to be the quality of the real universe, the devine, magical, terrifying, and ecstatic reality in which we all live," from Lewis introduction to "George MacDonald" by C.S. Lewis. When I read anything by MacDonald I feel I'm reading something by Lewis. This books was so engaging, I could not put it down. MacDonald's imagination is every bit as active and vibrant as lewis'. Not surprisingly, Lewis said that MacDonald was the most influential writer in his spiritual growth.