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The Gospel in George MacDonald: Selections from His Novels, Fairy Tales, and Spiritual Writings
If you don’t have the time to read all the novels of George MacDonald, the great Scottish storyteller who inspired C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, Mark Twain, W. H. Auden, and J. R. R. Tolkien, this anthology is a great place to start.
These selections from MacDonald’s novels, fairy tales, and sermons reveal the profound and hopeful Christian vision that infuses his fantasy worlds and other fiction.
Newcomers will find in these pages a rich, accessible sampling. George MacDonald enthusiasts will be pleased to find some of the writer’s most compelling stories and wisdom in one volume. Drawn from books including Sir Gibbie, The Princess and the Goblin, Lilith, and At the Back of the North Wind, the selections are followed by reflections from G. K. Chesterton and C. S. Lewis and accompanied by classic illustrations of Maurice Sendak (print edition only).
These selections from MacDonald’s novels, fairy tales, and sermons reveal the profound and hopeful Christian vision that infuses his fantasy worlds and other fiction.
Newcomers will find in these pages a rich, accessible sampling. George MacDonald enthusiasts will be pleased to find some of the writer’s most compelling stories and wisdom in one volume. Drawn from books including Sir Gibbie, The Princess and the Goblin, Lilith, and At the Back of the North Wind, the selections are followed by reflections from G. K. Chesterton and C. S. Lewis and accompanied by classic illustrations of Maurice Sendak (print edition only).
358 pages, Paperback
Published September 12, 2016
13 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
George MacDonald
1,677 books2,484 followersGeorge MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He became a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow-writer Lewis Carroll. In addition to his fairy tales, MacDonald wrote several works of Christian theology, including several collections of sermons.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 4, 2025
I've given this five stars in spite of the fact that there are a few typically waffly bits in the extracts. But aside from that, I highlighted stuff throughout the book, and will definitely give it a second reading at some point in the new future. [Now done.]
MacDonald's not always easy to read - even C S Lewis and Chesterton, in separate essays at the back of the book, admit he wasn't actually the best literary writer, but he was definitely up with the best when it came to insights into faith and the Gospel. I'm of the opinion that because his mind was more Scottish than English, his writing tends to come out in sometimes curiously structured sentences and thought forms. Sometimes you just have to read what he says twice or three times before you can understand what he's getting at.
And then in this book, there are a few sections still in the Scottish dialect (including one where the character in the book refers to himself as 'she' all the time; odd!) and these are a bit of a stumbling block, even given the glossary at the back.
Otherwise this is a great collection, well laid out under various headings, and with a real mix of long and short extracts (in fact more of the former).
MacDonald's not always easy to read - even C S Lewis and Chesterton, in separate essays at the back of the book, admit he wasn't actually the best literary writer, but he was definitely up with the best when it came to insights into faith and the Gospel. I'm of the opinion that because his mind was more Scottish than English, his writing tends to come out in sometimes curiously structured sentences and thought forms. Sometimes you just have to read what he says twice or three times before you can understand what he's getting at.
And then in this book, there are a few sections still in the Scottish dialect (including one where the character in the book refers to himself as 'she' all the time; odd!) and these are a bit of a stumbling block, even given the glossary at the back.
Otherwise this is a great collection, well laid out under various headings, and with a real mix of long and short extracts (in fact more of the former).
July 7, 2022
Thank you to Plough for a copy of this, one in an excellent series ranging from Tolstoy to Dorothy Sayers. I asked literate friends including at least one Anglophobe had they ever heard of George MacDonald, to a response of 'no." In the throes of something of a rediscovery, MacDonald was a clergyman who penned novels including fantasy. Perhaps that explains his appeal to C.S. Lewis. Chesterton was another great admirer, and the praise of both writers us included in this volume: Lewis was an early editor of MacDonald's works and letters. "I KNOW NOTHING THAT GIVES ME SUCH A FEELING OF SPIRITUAL HEALING- OF BEING WASHED -AS TO READ G. MACDONALD, Lewis wrote. MacDonald's is a lived faith, reflecting a brief period as a clergyman, but rooted in a life of financial struggle and personal tragedy-the loss of children. It is his novels such as Donal Grant which spoke to me. These are tales of simple people challenged by life but open in child- like trust to God's revelation in the world: "AND AS HE PRAYED SOMETHING LIKE A TOUCH OF GOD SEEMED TO BEGIN AND GROW IN HIM TIL IT WAS MORE THAN HIS HEART COULD HOLD AND THE UNIVERSE AROUND HIM WAS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD IN ITS HOLLOW THE HEART THAT SWELLED WITH IT. GOD IS ENOUGH, HE SAID AND SAT IN PEACE." These novels smell of the earth and smoke filled skies and the salty tang of the sea. These works reflect the faith of workmen and simple village women, occupying simple cottages-sometimes just a room within-yet living lives in search of a discovery of God. "GOD HAS GIVEN ME THIS WORK TO DO. THAT IS YOUR JOY." The delight in the Plough series is the discovery of aspects of even well- known writers: Dorothy Sayers as a Biblical writer/researcher/scholar as well as a mystery sleuth. George MacDonald is a discovery in himself for new generations seeking the spiritual within the realms of fantasy and the traditional.
January 3, 2019
I’ve read and enjoyed some of MacDonald’s fantasy fiction (especially Phantastes). This book was a helpful and inspirational introduction to passages from his realistic fiction and sermons (as well as passages from the fantasies).
Some of it was emotionally moving at a high level and I am now interested to read more by the man who was a huge influence on 3 of my literary heroes: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and G.K.Chesterton. No wonder - how could I not enjoy and admire the writing of such a man?!
Some of it was emotionally moving at a high level and I am now interested to read more by the man who was a huge influence on 3 of my literary heroes: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and G.K.Chesterton. No wonder - how could I not enjoy and admire the writing of such a man?!
June 2, 2020
This was an excellent introduction to MacDonald. Like it said about him, there are so many maxims and wisdom within his writing. I could imagine, in reading one of his books, when I'd stumble upon one of his lessons, it would be like stumbling upon gold. I hope to get to (at least) one of his books!
March 15, 2017
This was a good read, I enjoyed reading the topical sections of his books and sermons. Now I am going to see if I can find some of his original novels to read. Also enjoyed reading what c.s. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton wrote about him. Very sound spiritually.
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September 12, 2019I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.
July 19, 2025
Excerpts, for me, were not the best way to reveal the depth of McDonald's wisdom and devotion. I couldn't get a feel for the total situation in which the point was made.
February 23, 2017
Need to read more George MacDonald!
December 12, 2016
The Gospel In George MacDonald, perfectly titled, is a wonderful collection of stories by a man in whose life you could see the Gospel.
Divided into 5 sections and 23 topical sections, each contains a variety of sources, including a section from a sermon, a letter, or favorite writings of other authors. This book can be used as a devotional, or to find a special section when your heart is in need of encouragement concerning one of the topics covered. It is a hopeful, Christ centered life in words filled with hope and enthusiasm.
Just as an example, I spent considerable time reading and rereading a short paragraph at the beginning of the chapter on Prayer. It was a simple passage from a novel by Wilfred Cumbermede: “I looked up to the blue sky, wept, and for the first time fell on my knees. “O God!” I cried, and that was all. But what are the prayers of the whole universe more than expansions of that one cry? It is not what God can give us, but God that we want.”
From the back of the book about George MacDonald: George MacDonald (1824-1905) was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. After sparking controversy as a preacher, he left the ministry to pursue a literary career, writing over fifty books to support his family of eleven children. To this day, MacDonald’s novels, fantasies, and children's stories are cherished for their literary quality and spiritual insight; C. S. Lewis has said that MacDonald’s influence can be found in every book he wrote.
Divided into 5 sections and 23 topical sections, each contains a variety of sources, including a section from a sermon, a letter, or favorite writings of other authors. This book can be used as a devotional, or to find a special section when your heart is in need of encouragement concerning one of the topics covered. It is a hopeful, Christ centered life in words filled with hope and enthusiasm.
Just as an example, I spent considerable time reading and rereading a short paragraph at the beginning of the chapter on Prayer. It was a simple passage from a novel by Wilfred Cumbermede: “I looked up to the blue sky, wept, and for the first time fell on my knees. “O God!” I cried, and that was all. But what are the prayers of the whole universe more than expansions of that one cry? It is not what God can give us, but God that we want.”
From the back of the book about George MacDonald: George MacDonald (1824-1905) was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. After sparking controversy as a preacher, he left the ministry to pursue a literary career, writing over fifty books to support his family of eleven children. To this day, MacDonald’s novels, fantasies, and children's stories are cherished for their literary quality and spiritual insight; C. S. Lewis has said that MacDonald’s influence can be found in every book he wrote.
April 30, 2024
The Gospel in George MacDonald: Selections from His Novels, Fairy Tales, and Spiritual Writings is exactly as advertised. Selections from his major works are arranged by topic and interspersed with illustrations from some of the original publications. I found it to be a wonderful introduction to George MacDonald. The format also allows his writings to serve their intended purpose of inspiring spiritual reflection and contemplation. If The Gospel in George MacDonald: Selections from His Novels, Fairy Tales, and Spiritual Writings is representative, I am encouraged to seek out other titles in The Gospel in Great Writers Series. I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
March 27, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews