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.

The Princess and the Goblin and its sequel quietly suggest in every incident ideas of courage and honor. Both the books start out as normal fairy tales, but slowly become stranger, and they contain layers of symbolism similar to that of Lewis Carroll's work. Eight-year-old Princess Irene lives a lonely life in a castle in a wild, desolate, mountainous kingdom, with only her nursemaid "Lootie" for company. Her father the king is normally absent, and her mother is dead. Unknown to her, the nearby mines are inhabited by a race of goblins, long banished from the kingdom and now anxious to take revenge on their human neighbors. One rainy day, the princess explores the castle and discovers a beautiful, mysterious lady, who identifies herself as Irene's namesake and great-great-grandmother. The adventure continues with Princess Irene and Curdie a year or two older. They must overthrow a set of corrupt ministers who are poisoning Irene's father, the king. Irene's grandmother also reappears and gives Curdie a strange gift. A monster called Lina aids his quest. George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. His writings have been cited as a major literary influence by many notable authors including W. H. Auden, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Walter de la Mare, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. G. K. Chesterton cited The Princess and the Goblin as a book that had "made a difference to my whole existence".

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Eleven years after the publication of The Princess and the Goblin, George MacDonald returned with a sequel, The Princess and Curdie. Like with the first book, this is a rather misleading title: this is Curdie's tale, not Princess Irene's. And greatly unlike the first book, it has no goblins. And while I think we can, in general terms, take the absence of goblins as a good thing, it is not so here. This is a sequel considerably less engaging and charming than its predecessor. The Princess and Curdie is a children's classic fantasy novel by George MacDonald from late 1883. The book is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin. The adventure continues with Princess Irene and Curdie a year or two older. They must overthrow a set of corrupt ministers who are poisoning Irene's father, the king. Princess Irene's great-grandmother has a testing task for Curdie. He will not go alone though, as she provides him with a companion -- the oddest and ugliest creature Curdie has ever seen, but one who turns out to be the most loyal friend he could have hoped for.

This Work by George MacDonald is Annotated George MacDonald was born in Scotland in 1824. He is a poet, writer and novelist who was a mentor to Lewis Carroll and was very influential to CS Lewis, J.R. Tolkien, Frank Baum, Peter S. Beagle, Neil Gaiman, Lloyd Alexander, T.H. White, G.K. Chesterton and more. He was also a religious minister for a short period of time. MacDonald started off his literary career by publishing his book called David Elginbrod in 1863. From there, he continued to write poetry and fiction and was a mentor to many other writers. He is the author of a multitude of novels, stories, spiritual writings, and poetry, which includes The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie, Robert Falconer, Lilith, The Light Princess, Phantastes, David Elginbrod, At the Back of the North Wind, The Day Boy and the Night Girl, Diary of an Old Soul and the Unspoken Sermons series. More About The Princess and the Goblin & The Princess and Curdie: Size - A Convenient 6x9" Glossy Cover Includes Black and White Illustrations Buy a copy of this for you and a copy as a gift for a loved one today!