This novel is quite different than the rest of George MacDonald's adult novels. It has more laughs by far, though the story as a whole tends tward the melodramatic. It is George MacDonald's most complex work, intricately weaving together the stories of the two main characters: Annie Anderson (approx. 10 years old) and Alec Forbes (approx. 13 years old) as they meet and grow up to young adulthood. Annie looses her father and is forced to move in with her miserly cousin Robert the Bruce, one of the town's shop keepers. Alec eventually goes off to the big city to medical school and is forced to decide whether he will face life's disappointments or dissapate his life away with alchohol.

The first half of this book is too sentimental and bucolic for my tastes and seems geared more tward an adolescent audience. However, the action in the second half more than makes up for it. I would caution the reader that this book has much more Scots dialect in it than some of George MacDonald's other popular works like "David Elginbrod" and "Donald Grant" and you would probably do better to tackle one of these first, so that you don't get too discouraged.

This book stresses character development and has little or no sermonizing. Much of the first half of this book is taken up with the experiences of the two main characters in the town's one room school house and the overly strict disipline meeted out by the school master. His favorite method of disipline is the tawse (a small leather wip flung down from the shoulder) and indeed in one instance he almost beats young Alec to death. The apex of the novel is a tremendous flood, and you will find your eyes filling with tears as your favorite characters struggle for their lives. And you will be satisfied when your least favorite character gets his just deserts.

Considered by many MacDonald's best novel, Alec Forbes of Howglen contains a diversity of characters, personalities, and locales, yet maintains an unstrained and unforced continuity in that there appears no attempt to contrive or incorporate that which is ill-suited or unbelievable. The plot and various subplots flow, commingle, diversify, and rejoin with no break in the natural stream of the story line. Whereas in many novels of such diverse and complex characterization, the reader is forced to backtrack or rethink that which has gone before, there are no such obstacles placed in the road of those who journey alongside Annie and Alec.

This is an absolutely wonderful tale of the lives of two children, Annie and Alec, as they grow into adulthood. Although from two distinct social classes, which occurrence provides ample and diverse challenges for our beloved hero and heroine, Alec and Annie find, after considerable difficulty, trials innumerable, soul-rending afflictions, natural disasters, and, in general, some rather horrific catastrophes, a slender, yet all-powerful, thread which binds them together.

Upon the death of her parents, Annie, who has known nothing but the idyllic life of the small farm, awakens to find everything that she has known and loved gone; her sole childhood companion and dear friend, Brownie-the family cow, as well as the remainder of the livestock, farm implements, furniture, and accessories sold, and she, poor little soul, on the way to live with her father's miserly, mean, hypocritical cousin, Robert Bruce, and his family of ill-bred mongrels, above their shop in town. She and a very small trunk, which contains her meager belongings, are unceremoniously stowed in an attic room which contains no curtains, no lights, holes in the floor, and is shared by rats.

Grieved by the loss of her parents and her home would seem misery enough for one small child, but she is further tormented throughout the day by the Bruce children, and throughout the night by her fear of the rats. School is no sanctuary, for it is ruled by a petty tyrant who holds the firm, unequivocal belief that "to spare the rod is to spoil the child," and he cannot abide a spoiled or disobedient child.

Alec, although far from wealthy, lives with his mother in a modest, but quite comfortable home near the edge of town. It is here that Annie eventually is driven to seek refuge from the countless horrors that stalk her days and nights. It is here, through the eyes of a mother, that Annie sees love sparkle and shimmer as it gently caresses, nurtures, and develops the soul of young Alec.

Follow Annie and Alec, as well as all who cross their paths and touch their lives, in this compelling narrative of real life. For life is not without its trials and tribulations, sorrows and sadness, pains and afflictions, yet it is by and through all such as these,-the manner, means, and motives by which we face and overcome all such obstacles-, that we grow into the men and women that God would have us to be. As a muscle will atrophy if it never meets resistance, so then will a soul wither and die unless forced to encounter the oppressive weights of affliction, self-sacrifice, and self-denial.

We, not unlike water, ever seek the path of least resistance. In this book, MacDonald adeptly illustrates that the best laid plans of men may not provide that which is best for men. God will pursue His plan regardless of our idle hopes, dreams, and speculations. As a result, we often find life, at best, difficult and trying, while, at worst, it may appear all but unbearable. There is, of course, a simple means by which we may "make the way smooth," and that is by doing as Jesus did-the will of His Father.

Most sequels stink. A lot. George MacDonald, the first fantasy master, managed to buck that trend with the sequel to "The Princess and the Goblin," with "The Princess and Curdie." If anything, this book is even better than the first -- a bit more mature, a little bit darker, but with the same haunting prose and likeable characters.

In the time since the defeat of the goblins, Curdie has gone back to his life as a miner. Unfortunately he also begins to stray from the pure actions he showed in the first book, pushing aside thoughts of Princess Irene's grandmother and trying to convince himself that the more supernatural events of "Goblin" were just imagination. Until he needlessly wounds a pigeon with his bow and arrow, and takes it to the stately, mysterious Grandmother.

As Curdie regains his innocence and his faith, the Lady sends him on a quest, with a weird doglike creature called Lina who was once a human. She also (by having him stick his hands into burning roses) makes his hands able to feel a person's soul when he touches them, if a person is "growing into a beast" on the inside. Now Curdie and Lina set off for the capital, where Irene's father is physically ill, and falling prey to the scheming of his sinister officials.

If the first book was Irene's, then this book is undeniably Curdie's. The focus is on him almost constantly through the book, and it's his internal struggles that we are fascinated by. Every person (well, most of them, anyway) eventually loses their childlike faith and innocence, as Curdie has begun to do at the beginning. He's naturally a more skeptical person than Irene, and so time begins to fade whatever he thought he saw; also, being "one of the guys" in the mine requires a seemingly more mature attitude. But with the loss of innocence also goes some of the faith and internal beauty, and so MacDonald brings Curdie back to the gentle, trusting kid he was in the first book.

The Lady (also known as Irene's great-great-great-grandmother, Lady of the Silver Moon, and Mother Wotherwop -- don't ask about the last one) is also a more prominent figure. She's still both maternal and supernaturally distant, very warm while also seeming to know everything. Precisely who and what she is remains a mystery, but we see more of her subtle, awe-inspiring powers here.

The writing is, as the first book was, immensely dreamy and haunting. MacDonald let rip with the surreally beautiful descriptions of the Lady's room and appearances, and of scenes like Curdie sticking his hands into the rose petals. Like in "Princess and the Goblin," the plot takes awhile to get moving, but it's so well-written that you probably won't notice.

"The Princess and Curdie" is currently harder to find than the first book, which strikes me as a little odd. (Especially since this duology is just screaming to be compiled in one book) But anyone who enjoyed the first book, or even just enjoys a gorgeously-written fantasy, will definitely want to get this sequel.

'The Princess and Curdie' is a superb sequel to the brilliant children's fantasy 'The Princess and the Goblin'. In both books, MacDonald displays his incredible talent as a story-teller for children, by crafting a tale that makes great reading aloud material for children. Curdie, a miner's son, is sent by a magical princess on an urgent quest to save the king and his kingdom. His companion is Lina, an ugly monster of a dog who proves to be a steadfast, powerful and courageous companion. Curdie discovers that evil and wickedness threaten to overthrow the good kingdom of the king and his daughter Irene, and it is only when Curdie and Lina escape perils and dangers and marshal together the forces of good that the dangers can be overcome.

In the process of telling the story, MacDonald entertains a few curious notions rather surprising for a Christian. Especially surprising are the ideas of a mountain being bubbles of heat thrust from the center of the earth (p.2), and the earth being a cooled body that flew off the sun (p.3) ' ideas more akin to evolutionary thinking than Christian faith in the Biblical teaching about creation. This book is also somewhat different from 'The Princess and the Goblin' on a literary level, because in this book MacDonald's story-telling at times employs vocabulary and sentence structure that is overly complex for children, and at times he waxes overly philosophical.

But those weaknesses aside, it's a thrilling and captivating story of an exciting quest, enhanced by deeper underlying Christian themes. MacDonald describes the king as 'a real king ' that is, one who ruled for the good of his people and not to please himself.' (p.5). True citizens of this kingdom, such as Curdie's parents, are those who 'always loved what was fair and true and right better, not than anything else, but than everything else put together.' (p.35) In contrast there are many false citizens who have open doors but closed hearts, and who live a life of wickedness, chiefly characterized by lying, drinking, stealing and unkindness. These seeds of corruption also contain the seeds of destruction, and threaten to overthrow the kingdom. The morality is clear and solidly Christian.

Particularly fascinating is the concept that all humans are either noble human beings, or else slowly turning into animals on the inside. By putting his hands into a magical fire, Curdie is given the ability to perceive the inner layer of man by means of a handshake: 'you will henceforth be able to know at once the hand of a man who is growing into a beast.' (p.73) One cannot help but wonder if MacDonald has too much faith in human nature, since he does not spell out that it is only the regenerating Spirit that makes a heart true and noble. But the underlying truth is valid: all men's hearts are inclined to be beastly because of sin, but by the grace of God some hearts are changed to be noble and truly human. It echoes the truth of the teaching of Jesus Christ: where your heart is, there your treasure is, and ultimately you cannot serve both God and Mammon. Those who are overwhelmed by wickedness and by love of Mammon, are eventually destroyed, whereas those with a pure heart and love of God establish the kingdom of righteousness. The pessimism of the final ending raises many questions, but perhaps can be best explained as a growing wickedness among men leading to a complete and final judgment, similar to the flood and the end of the world. MacDonald's tale is in the end very reminiscent of the Biblical pattern of the Judges and Kings: in times of wickedness, God raised up judges and kings to ensure the establishment of a kingdom where justice and righteousness reigned.

Just as in the 'The Princess and the Goblin', Irene's great-great-grandmother plays a central and decisive role. She is also known as 'The Mother of Light', 'the Lady of the Silver Moon' and less affectionately as 'Old Mother Wotherwop'. MacDonald attributes to her both omniscience ' 'I am always about' ' and a measure of omnipotence (p.53). She is the Light that guides the way in darkness (p.50), and she it is who commissions Curdie for his quest and ensures its success.

These timeless tales contain enduring truths, as well as delightful stories. What they've done for over 100 years is something that they are still doing today - pleasing imaginative children and adults with a tale of lasting significance.

George MacDonald has the gift of expressing a deep theological idea through the form of a story.I grew up with his fairy stories,as a Adult,I am still affected by the skillful and beautiful portrayal of the quest for wisdom of a pure heart.The Princess and Curdie,is a story of just that.Curdies own journey is a story of the Christian walk and if one wishes can learn much from it.Do not get the idea that The Princess and Curdie is dull however!This book pays tribute to George MacDonalds fantastic imagination,as a child and as an "grownup" once picked up this book is difficult to put down.Perhaps the deepest things are also the most interesting.

With such an amazing perception of human nature (complete with lumps and hard angles we all have but many authors ignore) George makes the characters live outside of the paper it is written on. There are times when you wish to reach through the pages of the novel and shake Hugh and yell "Don't you see? Watch out for the..." Of course you feel silly talking to the book but great ones will do that to a person, and assuredly, this is a great book. Full of truth (from one who was close to it) and unique and subtle twists, George touches on so many subjects and thoughts that the Victorian era seems alive to the modern reader. Keep a notepad handy to record all the wonderfully concise quotes in this gem.

David Elginbrod is a remarkable work in that it embodies the finest elements of style, characterization, plot and subplot development, and, of course, content or worth. Without appropriate content a book is a virtual wasteland after which the disillusioned reader feels as though he has sojourned in the desert, and, having encountered numerous mirages that promised but failed to provide relief, finds himself parched in spirit and soul with no oasis in sight.

This book will elicit the full gamut of emotions as well as provide a welcome array of spiritual and intellectual stimuli. The main character, Hugh Sutherland, is introduced as a congenial young man who wishes no more than to make his way in the world. After the death of his father he is forced by financial constraints to seek employment in order to complete his education. This employment is, of course, as a tutor on a small Scottish estate where he encounters the estate foreman or steward, David Elginbrod and his daughter, Margaret or Maggie.

Sutherland finds the Elginbrod family, although Christian in word and deed, to his liking when compared with the severe and mean manner of his employer. As a result, he finds himself at the Elginbrod cottage whenever time will permit, and begins tutoring both father and daughter. Although Hugh believes himself to be the educator, he will learn as he matures and discovers the various trials and tribulations that lie in his path that it was David, not he, who was, in fact, the real tutor.

MacDonald has excelled in the characters of David and Margaret Elginbrod, while providing a practical application of their teachings in the lives of Hugh Sutherland and those with whom he comes in contact.

Not only an exceptional spiritual work, David Elginbrod weaves a tale of ghosts, mysticism, the supernatural, and love in such a manner as to be both educational, spiritually-uplifting, and spellbinding. My sole regret was when I encountered the final page. I was prepared to begin anew.

I invite you to join Hugh Sutherland as he learns that it is not position, education, prominence, or power that makes a man, but the willingness to serve, with joy and humility, his fellowman thereby doing his Father's will.

George MacDonald's classic work continues to take the breath away of spiritual pilgrims who find him for the first time. These small sonnets are each gems that act as windows for persons to catch a glimpse of the heart of God, and the heart of a man clearly connected to the Spirit's yearning in his life. These are best read slowly and savored, but as with any true classic, each time they are read, they have a richer meaning. The readings are arranged by month, one per day.

These wonderful stories, written by Fraser when he was an officer in the Gordon Highlanders at the end of the Second World War are priceless. There is much sardonic humor and wit here. The characters come and go throughout the book. Each chapter is a self contained story in itself almost. By far the one character who appears most often is the unhygenic pvt. McAuslan. He seems to do for the Scots what some of the WW2 comic characters like Sad Sack did for the GI's. The author, who speaks through the voice of his nom-de-guerre relates many amusing episodes. Some are a little silly at times, and the constant unwashed antics of "Peking Man" McAuslan gets a bit tiring, but this does not take away from the quality or humor of the work.

I like best when Fraser talks about the regimental history and lore of the Gordons when he's taking a break from McAuslan. There are some truly wonderful characters and events related here, all factual enough and displaying the honors and traditions which existed in old Highland regiments like the Gordons. Fraser is at his best when he talks of these traditions and one can see that he relished his hectic years with this famous Highland regiment.

The downsizing of the British Empire and the changes this would wrought in the army as well as the world are the backdrop against which these stories are told. This is not a book about war, but about a time when national service was apart of nearly everyone's life. Some of Fraser's opinions may not be considered PC for today, but this in my opinion adds to the charm of these stories. The war and its aftermath left lasting impressions on those who took part. The Gordon Highlanders are sadly no more, having been downsized in 1994. In this book you will find many funny and amusing tales which made them the fine regiment they once were. Those who have followed Fraser in his Flashman series will find a different style here, but equally entertaining in its own right. The McAuslan stories form part of a number of works that were written about the post war years in Britain. "Tunes of Glory" is another more serious example by Kenneth Kennaway.

The McAuslan stories have been recently gathered together into a triology which is not available from Amazon.com in the States. The book can be ordered from Amazon.com.co.uk and is well worth the extra pennies to do so.
Here's to the Gordons! Long may their memory live!

George MacDonald Fraser served in the "other ranks" of the British Army in Burma late in WWII. Commissioned as a subaltern (2nd lieutenant) following the Japanese surrender, he served as a platoon leader in a Gordon Highlander battalion posted to the Middle East before being "demobbed", i.e. released from active duty. His experiences serve as the basis for THE GENERAL DANCED AT DAWN, initially published in 1970, a first person account by the fictional Dand MacNeill, subaltern of a platoon in an unspecified Highland battalion posted first to Libya, then to Edinburgh, during the period 1945-1947.

THE GENERAL DANCED AT DAWN is a work of wry humor, inasmuch as Lt. MacNeill describes the unintentionally comic situations encountered with his Jocks (men) during garrison life both in Scotland and abroad, mostly the latter. The book is actually a series of short stories, in which a common thread tying all together, besides Dand himself, is Pvt. McAuslan, the dirtiest, most slovenly soldier in His Majesty's service. As described by MacNeill:

" ... he lurched into my office (even in his best tunic and tartan he looked like a fugitive from Culloden who had been hiding in a peat bog) ..."

McAuslan may be the focus of a particular chapter, as when he is court-martialed for refusing an order to enter a pillow fight contest to be held during a gathering of the various Highland regiments. Or, he may make nothing more than a brief cameo appearance, as when he is upbraided by MacNeill for fighting one of the crewman aboard the coastal steamer ferrying the battalion's soccer team on a road-trip against the teams of neighboring British commands - a fight brought on by the sailor's comments regarding McAuslan's unsanitary appearance.

The squalid presence of McAuslan notwithstanding, the central character of the book is Dand MacNeill, whether he's coping with the unfathomable questions of the officer selection board, pressed into command of an overnight troop train from Cairo to Jerusalem through unruly Palestine, mounting the ceremonial guard at Edinburgh Castle, or taking lessons in regimental piping history from the god-like Regimental Sergeant Major. Dand's narrative of military service is of such good humor and wit that it's evident his alter ego, Fraser, remembers his own time in uniform as an enriching life experience, despite the hardships of WWII combat. This positive slant on the book's theme, and Fraser's/MacNeill's fine sense of the ludicrous, make the volume one that I couldn't put down. (I've encountered so-called "thrillers" that were less absorbing.)

Note: THE GENERAL DANCED AT DAWN is currently out of print in the US. However, it and Fraser's two sequels in the McAuslan series, MCAUSLAN IN THE ROUGH and THE SHEIKH AND THE DUSTBIN, are all contained in THE COMPLETE MCAUSLAN, available from Amazon.co.uk. This is a superb volume, worth to an Anglophile every pence spent in postage to deliver it across The Pond to The Colonies.

It is time that you hear "the sub-muckin', the whole cheese, the hail clanjamfry, the lot' about the Scottish Highland Regiment that served in Africa after World War II.

George MacDonald Fraser has written the stories of this regiment and its most infamous soldier, Private McAuslan, in three collections: "The General Danced at Dawn", "McAuslan in the Rough", and "The Sheikh and the Dustbin".

Through the narration by platoon commander Dand McNeil, McAuslan comes alive as the dirtiest soldier in the world, "wan o' nature's blunders; he cannae help bein' horrible. It's a gift."

Yet McAuslan is one of the most loveable creatures in all of literature. He may be grungy, filthy, clumsy, and disreputable, but he tries to do his best. Through his many misadventures, McAuslan marches into the heart of the reader, right leg and right arm swinging in unison, of course.

McAuslan, outcast that he is, experiences some infamous moments in his career: court martial defendant, ghost-catcher, star-crossed lover, golf caddie, expert map reader, and champion of the regimental quiz game (!). His tales, and the tales of his comrades-in-arms, are poignant at times, hilarious at others. These tales are so memorable because they are based on true stories.

The reader basks in all things Scottish in the stories. The language of the soldiers is written in Scottish brogue, although Fraser says in his introduction, "Incidentally, most of this volume is, I hope, written in English." Don't fret - a glossary is provided. (Reading the glossary alone causes some serious belly laughs.

If you read only one book this year, read this one. And if you know any veterans, give them a copy. It's a volume that the reader will not soon forget.

I read this book as part four of my chronological survey of the life and times of the greatest jewel in the British crown. After greatly enjoying the original Flashman papers and the two following edited packages, I consider this installment the best so far.

Fraser not only gives us the expected portion of ribaldry, but puts our hero in an accurately described historic situation in which some of the players are so spineless that they make Flashy look rather virtuous, by comparison.The result is a well-documented narrative, describing the first series of big battles of the British in the Punjab in which the local powers did not have any scruples about plotting a defeat resulting in thousands of deaths of their own people, just to hold on to power a little longer.

In style, Flashman, who looks rather upstanding through it all, gets none of the credit that he for once deserved. Don't worry, even our weak-boweled toady bastard himself took it rather philosophically.

This book was a great read and I can't wait to devour the next volume in the series.

Reading this series in chronological order has been tricky, thanks to Fraser's skipping about history. Still, having already read "Flashman", "Royal Flash", and "Flashman's Lady", I saw a change in the "Mountain of Light": Flashy gets a little backbone.

The book itself focuses on a largely forgotten episode in British India, between the Afghan withdrawal in 1842 and the Great Mutiny in the 1850s. This time, Flashman is called into service just as the 80,000-strong Sikh army, the Khalsa, appears ready to sweep down on the English and drive them out once and for all. Flashman is drawn into behind-the-scenes subterfuge that take him from the Sikh royal court to the middle of bloody battlefields. To say much more would spoil the living history that Fraser's created.

However, I find it interesting to note a change in Flashman's character. The first novel, "Flashman", remains my favorite because the young character flees from every battle, and it is only through luck and chicanery that he rises to his fame. Never fear; Flashman still lies to save his hide and jumps on every woman he can get, but I finished "The Mountain of Light" feeling that Flashy had done a pretty good service--which he will tell you in the book. Maybe this is due to Fraser. While the book is the 4th chronologically, it's Fraser's 10th book about his alter ego. Having known the character for so long, maybe Flashman's done a little growing up.

Sadly, I don't know that much about the British Empire's interests in India, so the characters that paraded through this book I don't know anything about. But having read this, my introduction to the Flasman Papers, I'm sure as hell going to find out all I can about that period in colonial history. I devour history novels with as much voraciousness as Flasman devours female conquests and I'll certainly be reading the other installments in thsi magnificent series.

History is boring? Not if it's written by George MacDonald Fraser. India comes alive in a way most authors can only dream of, and you can taste the chapattis. I didn't think Fraser could top Flashman at the Charge, but he has done it. Read this book! Imagine a world without fiction, or worse, a world without Harry Flashman? No thanks, I'll keep them both.

This is my second favorite Flashman book, after (by a close margin) "Flashman and the Mountain of Light". History, plot, and characterization are superb, as are all the descriptive parts. As for the suspension of disbelief... I found nothing inconsistent in Flashman's recount of Moss Troopers torturing their captives. Exactly because he is utterly selfish, Flashman does not identify with Moss Troopers any more than with sepoys, or with anyone else for that matter. Also he derives sadistic pleasure out of exposing other people's baseness whenever he can - to justify his own, perhaps.

Only two things about Harry Flashman I found really hard to believe. One is his linguistic ability, which sometimes borders on supernatural (although in this book it is merely very good). In "Flashman and the Dragon" he becomes near-fluent in CHINESE in less than a month - his first tonal language, I might add, - and in "Flashman and the Redskins" he switches to thinking in Siouxan upon hearing it for the first time in 25 years. And the second thing which defies belief - how did a man in his nineties manage to write all these manuscripts in a few short years? His fingers should have fallen off!

This book and "Flashman at the Charge" represent the summit of the Flashman series. The author is deeply involved in Indian history and Flashman is in top shape as political agent, soldier, lover and major domo. The death of his school mate Scud East even provokes Flashman into (possibly) showing his own feelings.

Lilith is typical MacDonald. It is often tedious. It can leave you guessing as to what exactly is going on. It can leave you downright frustrated with the man. Yet it has moments of brilliance that make the whole endeavor more than worth the struggle. Lilith is one of MacDonald's most mature books. It is much darker than works such as The Princess and the Goblin or At the Back of the North Wind. It has some affinity with the works of MacDonald's friend, Lewis Carroll. At its core, it is an allegory for MacDonald's anti-Calvinist notions of Universalism. For all its obtuseness and periodical preachiness, it is a fine story in the end (I liken it to Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter, which, for me, was a pain to read--but when it was over I loved the story). Just an aside--you should really read this book and then go on to C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. The two books go very well together.

I don't think I even know how many times I've read this novel as it is truely my favorite. Each and every time I do, however, I see something I missed or understand something about the world I didn't understand or see previously. I am an avid fantasy reader but no author of the hundreds of fantasy novels I've read can even touch the world that George MacDonald creates in Lilith. The fact that it was written in the 1800's boggles the mind considering the depth that the author goes into theory of parallel universe and basic perception of "who" you are. From a Christian perspective, I think the word "pure" is what comes to mind often when reading this novel or Phantasies. George MacDonald also has several childrens stories which my nephews love, The Light Princess for instance. Whether your reading for spiritual reasons or strictly for a wonderous journey in the world of fantasy George MacDonald is, as C.S. Lewis said, "The Master".

The real _masterpieces_ of fantasy, as opposed to the "entertaining reads," are not numerous. This is one of the masterpieces. It is not a perfect book, but it belongs in the company of the greatest, such as

The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion (Tolkien); Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength, and Till We Have Faces (Lewis); The Man Who Was Thursday (Chesterton); A Wizard of Earthsea (Le Guin); The Owl Service (Garner); Titus Groan and Gormenghast (Peake)... books of that caliber.

Don't miss MacDonald's magnificent tales such as "The Day Boy and the Night Girl" and "The Golden Key."

Read MacDonald's Lilith. If you are so moved, read it in conjunction with the detailed, free study guide available at the MacDonald "Golden Key" website:

So you love C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles? There people who don't are few and far between. One of the biggest influences on C.S. Lewis was this man, George MacDonald (1824-1905). It was MacDonald's talent for telling fairy stories that inspired Lewis in writing his own. Like Lewis, MacDonald has a remarkable ability to tell a delightful and enchanting story for children, layered with strong Christian themes and imagery by means of allegory and symbols. 'The Princess and the Goblin' is one of his most beloved works for children, and an excellent introduction to his style and success.

'The Princess and the Goblin' features a heroine ' a princess called Irene ' and a hero ' a simple miner's son called Curdie. While working overtime in the mines to earn money to buy his mother a red petty-coat, Curdie chances upon the goblins who live in the mountain, and discovers that they are hatching an evil plot against the king and his palace. Meanwhile the princess makes a discovery of her own ' high in the castle she finds a wonderful old lady who is her great-great-grandmother. The problem is, nobody else knows of her grandmother, and nobody believes her. But the princess does believe, and it is by her faith in her grandmother and the magic thread that she receives from her, that she is able to rescue Curdie. Together they rescue the entire palace from disaster at the hands of the goblins.

In telling the story, MacDonald has an enchanting conversational style, wonderfully suitable for reading aloud to enraptured children ' an ability perfecting in telling stories to his own eleven children. But 'The Princess and the Goblin' is more than just a story. Before pursuing a literary career, MacDonald was a Congregationalist minister, and so integrates important underlying Christian themes. Believing in the great-great-grandmother despite the fact that many cannot see her, is a symbol of believing in God. MacDonald uses this to show how the Christian faith involves believing without seeing, and that not everyone has to 'see' something for it to be true. The grandmother's lamp and magic thread are the guides on which the princess must depend, much like the Word which is a lamp on our path. It may sound tacky, but it works.

Children are not likely to grasp the deeper underlying themes that MacDonald is working with. Nonetheless the story has a clear message for children. The clear conflict between the royal powers of light against the goblin powers of darkness is unmistakable. Moreover, the princess is presented as a model of virtue, and MacDonald frequently asserts the importance of moral virtues such as always telling the truth, keeping your word, and admitting your faults ' moral virtues that are equally important for princes and princesses of God's kingdom. Courage, honesty, grace, dignity and beauty are timeless ideals for children of all times to strive for. If you love Narnia, you're sure to like this one, and you'll find yourself quickly grabbing the sequel, 'The Princess and Curdie.' 'The Princess and the Goblin' was one of J.R.R. Tolkien's childhood favorites, highly regarded by C.S. Lewis, described by W.H. Auden as 'the only English children's book in the same class as the Alice books', and generally considered as a classic example of nineteenth century children's literary fairy tales. So if you haven't yet read this book, it's about time you did. With admirers such as Tolkien, Lewis and Auden, if you become a MacDonald's admirer you'll find yourself in good company!

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

This book is not only beautifully written and perfect for all ages, "The Princess and the Goblin" is also morally strong and uplifting. Children of either sex will be interested in it, with a loving and beautiful grandmother, a strong and intelligent young girl, and a young boy who is intent on protecting his loved ones and uncovering the evil goblin plot. I have read this countless times, and each time I discover something new. The sequel, "The Princess and Curdie," is also worth reading. I love this book!

Too bad they didn't have frequent flier miles in Flashy's day; this Flashman adventure starts in London and sees the character halfway around the world to India, with stops in the Crimea and the Russian heartland. As one would expect, its a story global in scope and as usual for the series, quite true to history. Disparate topics such as the treatment of Russian serfs and the Afghan rebel leaders are woven well into the tale.

Another reviewer hits on the only problem in this book: the number of locales strains against the bonds of credulity. Flashman, dispatched to fight in the Crimean War, is basically involved in an entirely different story by the end of the book. I really would've liked to see a little more of the Charge of the Light Brigade and less of Russia.

But Fraser does such a great job of painting these historical scenes and Flashy is just so entertaining, that I can't give this book any less than 4 1/2 stars. Since Amazon doesn't offer that feature, there's really no problem in rounding up to 5.

The great Flashman series is probably the funniest nad most entertaining series of history books ever written. Reading it is a brilliant history lesson, far better than any avaliable in a textbook. For all ages!

Flashman at the Charge is one of his best. A cad who can keep you laughing and clinging to the edge of your chair. All the way through this installment of the Flashman papers, Flashman keeps getting into trouble and out again, a little wiser and "more expirianced." If you want to read any of the Flashman books, this one is a winner! Or add it to the list of wonderful Fraser books that you have loved already! I would recommend this book to anyone with a passion for learning and laughing