The Princess and the Goblin

by George MacDonald

Book Overview

Princess Irene lives in a castle in a wild and lonely mountainous region. One day she discovers a steep and winding stairway leading to a bewildering labyrinth of unused passages with closed doors -... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140367462
• ISBN13: 9780140367461
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 241 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 8 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 6

Customer Reviews

Abridged! Yet, good condition

I received an abridged edition even though it was not stated in the description anywhere. I will be purchasing again and hopefully I do not make the same mistake.

loved it

some books are timeless-----this one written over a hundred years ago! just sent a copy to my niece who is 12. plus a necklace was attached(which i was unaware of when ordering).

Wonderful Children's Story

My grandfather used to read this to us (one of the first copies...darn I wish I knew what happened to that book!) when I was a child and years later I read it as an adult and found it was just as good. It's a wonderful book to read to children in the evening.

Pretty "Princess"

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy. Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them. While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope. Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about? It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares. Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie. Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

A Fantasy Classic

This story is a classic of its kind and was influential in the ongoing development of contemporary fantasy. It combined several pre-existing story elements into a tale with adventure, monsters, morals, and a touch of faery. It is probably no accident that this story is so similiar in tone to Tolkien's fantasies. While I am considerably older than the targeted age group, I found the story to be exciting with a touch of mysticism and mystery. And, yes, it does have a stong moral ending. The princess was thoroughly in character. While overly mature for her age, she exemplifies the British ideal of nobility. And Curdie represented the best of the British working class. As the saying goes, they continually kept their heads while everyone else around them were losing theirs. Although such virtues have been downplayed and vilified in recent times, they are still strong survival skills. MacDonald maintains a sense of suspense and mystery throughout the story, with a good mix of action and reflection. While the authorial comments might seem strange, they do ring true as part of a verbal presentation. Children will ask questions and will insist on clearing up the odd puzzlement. I came upon this story by accident, but I enjoyed it enough to pass it on. -Arthur W. Jordin

A classic well worth seeking out

This wonderful children's novel tells the story of eight year old Princess Irene. Cared for by her nurse Lootie, she lives in a mountain farmhouse while her father rules over the region from a mountain top castle. The local folk work as miners but are beset by the Goblins who inhabit the underground. Irene is saved from the Goblins by Curdie, a thirteen year old miner, and she in turn saves him. The whole thing is told in a pleasant conversational style and is filled with humor, word games, magic, derring-do, and pure wonderment.George MacDonald, a Congregational minister turned novelist, who seems nearly forgotten now, was one of the seminal figures in the development of Fantasy. His influence on other Fantasy authors is obvious, he was a childhood favorite of JRR Tolkein, who especially liked this book, and C.S. Lewis named him one of his favorite authors. His own stories draw on many of the themes and characters of classical European fairy tales. But where they were often merely horrific and meaningless, MacDonald adds a layer of Christian allegory. Thus, Irene and Curdie are eventually saved by a thread so slender that you can't even see it, but which leads them back to safety, teaching Curdie that you sometimes have to believe in things that you can't see.The book would be interesting simply as a touchstone of modern fiction, but it stands up well on its own and will delight adults and children alike.GRADE: A