The Princess and the Goblin - Illustrated
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The Puffin Classics series is a perfect marriage of the old and the new. Enjoy some of the best books from the past and find out why and how they inspired some of the best writers of the present (Julia Eccleshare Lovereading4kids )
Product Description
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 - and a further stairway. What lies at the top? Can the ring the princess is given protect her against the lurking menace of the boglins from under the mountain?
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had to go into the stacks in one place I lived to find this wonderful tale but every time I read it I relive the wonder and thrill of the first time I found this warm and wonderful story. It is full of magic which never fades. I keep young reading good books like this to my grandchildren and soon a great-grandchild. I am over 70 now but this is a story that never loses its wonder for me and for those I read it to. Read it and love it; no matter your age!
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
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.
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.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Such a wonderful story - I love the characters, and agree with the other reviewer about the scene with the bath in the deep pool. Absolutely magical and beautifully written. I recommend this book very highly indeed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Well presented classic
Delighted to have such a nice paperback presentation of a book which no child should miss. Very pleasing to find all the pictures from the original edition which was read to me 70... Read more
Published 22 months ago by N. Wilson
An imaginative original
I just found this book for the first time. It has clearly been very influential on many important people - not just Tolkien, CS Lewis and probably JK Rowling but the voice of the... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Silver Moon Sailor
Beautiful and magic
I read this book at seven years of age and absolutely loved it! It is one of very few books which still holds the fascination it had for me back then. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2006 by Mrs. A. J. Shingler
A good healthy read
My Daughter aged 9 loved this book and will read it again. My 10 year old son thought it was ok, but not quite his cup of tea. Perhaps a good book for girls. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2006
Stays in your memory....
There's a magical scene where the princess is bathed in a tub that's so deep, and so cool -- when she looks down, it has no bottom and she sees black sky and stars! Read more
Published on 26 July 1997
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