Phantastes A Faerie Romance

Phantastes : A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald, first published in 1858, is a rare manuscript, the original residing in one of the great libraries of the world. This book is a reproduction of that original, which has been scanned and cleaned by state-of-the-art publishing tools for better readability and enhanced appreciation. Restoration Editors' mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life. Some smudges, annotations or unclear text may still exist, due to permanent damage to the original work. We believe the literary significance of the text justifies offering this reproduction, allowing a new generation to appreciate it.

Phantastes : A Faerie Romance by George MacDonald, first published in 1874, is a rare manuscript, the original residing in one of the great libraries of the world. This book is a reproduction of that original, which has been scanned and cleaned by state-of-the-art publishing tools for better readability and enhanced appreciation. Restoration Editors' mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life. Some smudges, annotations or unclear text may still exist, due to permanent damage to the original work. We believe the literary significance of the text justifies offering this reproduction, allowing a new generation to appreciate it.

Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women is a fantasy novel written by George MacDonald. The story centers on the character Anodos and takes its inspiration from German Romanticism, particularly Novalis. It concerns a young man who is pulled into a dreamlike world and over there he hunts for his ideal of female beauty, embodied by the "Marble Lady". Anodos lives through many adventures and temptations while in the other world, until he is finally ready to give up his ideals. 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".

Phantastes is one of the all-time classic fantasy novels, a "dream-romance" by the author of "Lilith." The works of George MacDonald influenced all who followed, from William Morris to C.S. Lewis to J.R.R. Tolkien. Anados, a young man, is pulled into a dreamlike world and there hunts for his ideal of female beauty, embodied by the “Marble Lady.” He lives through many adventures and temptations while in the other world, until he is finally ready to give up his ideals. A classic of Victorian fantasy, this edition includes a major introduction from best-selling author Lin Carter.

Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women PREFACE CHAPTER I CHAPTER II CHAPTER III CHAPTER IV CHAPTER V CHAPTER VI CHAPTER VII CHAPTER VIII CHAPTER IX CHAPTER X CHAPTER XI CHAPTER XII CHAPTER XIII CHAPTER XIV CHAPTER XV CHAPTER XVI CHAPTER XVII CHAPTER XVIII CHAPTER XIX CHAPTER XX CHAPTER XXI CHAPTER XXII CHAPTER XXIII CHAPTER XXIV CHAPTER XXV

Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women is a fantasy novel written by George MacDonald, first published in London in 1858. It was later reprinted in paperback by Ballantine Books as the fourteenth volume in the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in April of 1970. The story centers on the character Anodos ("without a path" or "ascent" in Greek) and draws inspiration from German romanticism, particularly Novalis. A story is about a young man who is dragged into a dream world and there he seeks his ideal of feminine beauty, embodied by the "Marble Lady". Anodos experiences many adventures and temptations while in the other world until he is finally ready to give up his ideals. The story begins the day after Anodos' twenty-first birthday. He discovers an old fairy (whom he learns to be his grandmother) at the desk that he opens with a key that he inherited as a birthright from his late father. After the fairy shows her Fairy Land in a vision, Anodos wakes up the next day to discover that her room, built with natural elements, is taking literal form and transforming into a wood. Find out that he has been transported to Fairy Land. Anodos then meets a woman and her daughter in a cabin who warns him about the Fresno and Aliso, who seek to destroy it. She is told that the spirits of these trees can leave their host trees and roam Fairy Land. Then explore the world of fairies, who live in flowers, making them shine. The flowers, they tell him, die if the fairies leave. Then she has a nightmarish encounter with the spirit of the Fresno, escapes, and finds rest in the warmth and love of the spirit of the Haya. After this, find the statue (affectionately called "my marble lady" by Anodes) of Pygmalion. After he sings to him, the statue runs away from him. He chases after the lady and finds a woman he thinks is her. However, this lady is actually the Alder Maiden in disguise. The Ash's spirit joins the Maiden and is close to killing Anodos when he is saved by Sir Percivale (who chopped down the royal ash with an ax). Anodos later meets a woman and her daughter who believe in fairy tales and the magic of Fairy Land, despite the disbelief of the woman's husband. Anodos also finds his shadow, an evil presence that follows and haunts Anodos for the rest of the story. Anodos finds a palace that mysteriously belongs to him, and contains a room with an inscription that reads "Sir Anodos". In the palace, read the story of Cosmo of Prague. Cosmo is a believer in fantasy who sacrifices his life to free his lover's soul from an enchanted mirror (whether the event was a fictional story made by a Fairy Land author or if it was a recording of an event in the world of Anodes. Left ambiguous). Anodos spends a lot of time in the palace, recounting his various adventures and readings. On one of those wanderings, he comes across hallways filled with motionless statues. Hearing the last vestiges of the song from the hallways and considering the newly frozen statues in immobility as he approaches, Anodos moves further and further into the hallways. He dreams of the marble lady, that only she has an empty pedestal among the statues. He later finds this pedestal and, imagining a way to trick the statues into continuing to dance as he enters the room, he finally sings on the pedestal. The marble lady materializes, but Anodos tries to grab her. She runs away and disappears. Anodos follows him, descending into a strange underworld with gnome-like creatures (such as the German Kobolds) taunting him.