THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN - A BOOK THAT INSPIRED TOLKIEN. With original illustrations. THE PROFESSOR'S BOOKSHELF #5: Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, was a great admirer of George MacDonald's fairy-stories. When his children were young, he used to read The Princess and the Goblin to them in the evenings, before they went to bed. 'Tolkien knew well MacDonald's children's books "The Princess and the Goblin" and "The Princess and Curdie", both of which influenced Tolkien's depiction of goblins in The Hobbit, ' writes Douglas A. Anderson in 'Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy'. Dart-Thornton's introduction notes similarities between this story and Tolkien's works, for example: 'The wise, magical, prescient grandmother of the Princess Irene, seems to be a literary ancestor of Galadriel; centuries old and yet looking young, a queen, a healer, a beautiful, golden-haired woman associated with water. 'Princess Irene has a magic ring which is associated with invisibility, being linked to a semi-visible thread. This ring aids her in an escape from the Goblin Underground, much as The One Ring aids Bilbo.' This new edition contains ten illustrations by Jessie Willcox-Smith from the 1920 edition, which was published when Tolkien was aged 28, his eldest child John was three years old and his second child Michael had just been born. The delicately beautiful drawings of Willcox-Smith have been loved by generations of children to this very day. Also included is an illustration by Arthur Hughes from the 1911 edition.

A little princess is protected by her friend Curdie from the goblin miners who live beneath the castle. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN- A BOOK THAT INSPIRED TOLKIEN. With Original Illustrations. Professor J.R.R. Tolkien was a great admirer of George MacDonald's fairy-stories. When his children were young, he used to read The Princess and the Goblin to them in the evenings, before they went to bed. In a 1938 letter to the Observer newspaper, Tolkien stated that some ideas in The Hobbit "derived from (previously digested) epic, mythology, and fairy-story-not, however, Victorian in authorship, as a rule to which George MacDonald is the chief exception." "Tolkien knew well MacDonald's children's books 'The Princess and the Goblin' and 'The Princess and Curdie', both of which influenced Tolkien's depiction of goblins in 'The Hobbit'", writes Douglas A. Anderson in "Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy." There are many reflections of MacDonald's Princess books in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings - not least, the goblins themselves. The wise, magical, prescient grandmother of the Princess Irene, seems to be a literary ancestor of Galadriel; centuries old and yet looking young, a queen, a healer, a beautiful, golden-haired woman associated with water. Princess Irene has a magic ring which is associated with invisibility, being linked to a semi-visible thread. This ring aids her in an escape from the Goblin Underground, much as The One Ring aids Bilbo. This edition contains the delicately beautiful illustrations of Jessie Willcox Smith, much-loved by generations of children to this very day.

The Book of Wonder (1912) is a short story collection by Lord Dunsany. Published at the height of his career, The Book of Wonder would influence such writers as J. R. R. Tolkein, Ursula K. Le Guin, and H. P. Lovecraft. Recognized as a pioneering author of fantasy and science fiction, Dunsany is a man whose work, in the words of Lovecraft, remains “unexcelled in the sorcery of crystalline singing prose, and supreme in the creation of a gorgeous and languorous world of incandescently exotic vision.” The Book of Wonder, Dunsany’s fifth collection of stories, contains fourteen of his finest tales of fantasy and adventure. In “The Hoard of the Gibbelins,” originally published in London weekly The Sketch, is the story of Alderic, a Knight of the Order of the City. Courageous and strong, he ventures to the island realm of the Gibbelins, where a horde of treasure is rumored to be held at the base of a treacherous castle. In “Chu-Bu and Sheemish,” two idols held in the same ancient temple compete for the adoration of their worshippers. As Chu-Bu and Sheemish attempt more and more astounding miracles, they risk striking fear in the hearts of their superstitious people. Humorous and inventive, Dunsany’s tales of high fantasy continue to delight over a century after they first appeared in print. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Lord Dunsany’s The Book of Wonder is a classic of Irish fantasy fiction reimagined for modern readers.

Terry Brooks. David Eddings. George R. R. Martin. Robin Hobb. The top names in modern fantasy all acknowledge J. R. R. Tolkien as their role model, the author whose work inspired them to create their own epics. But what writers influenced Tolkien himself? Here, internationally recognized Tolkien expert Douglas A. Anderson has gathered the fiction of authors who sparked Tolkien’s imagination in a collection destined to become a classic in its own right. Andrew Lang’s romantic swashbuckler, “The Story of Sigurd,” features magic rings, an enchanted sword, and a brave hero loved by two beautiful women— and cursed by a ferocious dragon. Tolkien read E. A. Wyke-Smith’s “The Marvelous Land of Snergs” to his children, delighting in these charming tales of a pixieish people “only slightly taller than the average table.” Also appearing in this collection is a never-before-published gem by David Lindsay, author of Voyage to Arcturus, a novel which Tolkien praised highly both as a thriller and as a work of philosophy, religion, and morals. In stories packed with magical journeys, conflicted heroes, and terrible beasts, this extraordinary volume is one that no fan of fantasy or Tolkien should be without. These tales just might inspire a new generation of creative writers. Tales Before Tolkien: 22 Magical Stories “The Elves” by Ludwig Tieck “The Golden Key” by George Macdonald “Puss-Cat Mew” by E. H. Knatchbull-Hugessen “The Griffin and the Minor Canon” by Frank R. Stockton “The Demon Pope” by Richard Garnett “The Story of Sigurd” by Andrew Lang “The Folk of the Mountain Door” by William Morris “Black Heart and White Heart” by H. Rider Haggard “The Dragon Tamers” by E. Nesbit “The Far Islands” by John Buchan “The Drawn Arrow” by Clemence Housman “The Enchanted Buffalo” by L. Frank Baum “Chu-bu and Sheemish” by Lord Dunsany “The Baumhoff Explosive” by William Hope Hodgson “The Regent of the North” by Kenneth Morris “The Coming of the Terror” by Arthur Machen “The Elf Trap” by Francis Stevens “The Thin Queen of Elfhame” by James Branch Cabell “The Woman of the Wood” by A. Merritt “Golithos the Ogre” by E. A. Wyke-Smith “The Story of Alwina” by Austin Tappan Wright “A Christmas Play” by David Lindsay

From the man who influenced the minds of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L’Engle, comes a classic story about courage and overcoming evil. Follow young Princess Irene and her friend Curdie as they fight goblins who want to overthrow the kingdom. Intended for children, George MacDonald’s fantastical writing is captivating for readers of all ages.