What do you think?
Rate this book
THE GRAY WOLF AND OTHER FANTASY STORIES
Excellent Book
Paperback
First published January 1, 1871
10 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
George MacDonald
1,681 books2,490 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 6, 2011
"The Gray Wolf" is such a wonderful short story! It sparks my imagination and leaves me wanting more--badly. It leaves me with questions, and a longing for a different ending. But the bitter loneliness, the weight of the curse, and the mystery all make for a fascinatingly bittersweet read from George MacDonald.
The audiobook version of "The Gray Wolf" can be downloaded from LibriVox for free (http://librivox.org/short-story-colle...).
The audiobook version of "The Gray Wolf" can be downloaded from LibriVox for free (http://librivox.org/short-story-colle...).
November 6, 2017
Of course all the books that I wanted to read for Halloween just came in. This was one of them. This was an interesting story that was extremely short.
May 4, 2021
Loved this stories in this volume; especially the last, 'Birth, Dreaming, & Death'.
June 18, 2008
Loved the cruel Painter. The stories are very Gothic, filled with love, suffering perseverance and sacrifice.
September 6, 2021
Very short.
Strange. Ok
Strange. Ok
October 6, 2017
Creepy and mysterious in a nice, gothic way...
July 16, 2023
What a great writer!
October 18, 2024
Really good collection of stories!
December 30, 2022
There was a lot less meat to this one than The Golden Key and Other Stories (the first in the box set I read). It could be that the stories were shorter, so there was less to dig into each one. But most of the stories in this felt like they lacked the allegorical, metaphorical, or symbolic weight of the last collection. And some of the stories here felt nonsensical.
The Gray Wolf - 3 Stars
This one wasn't bad. It had an interesting concept, but there wasn't much substance. It just shows the idea of a girl who transforms into a wolf, and that's about it. There was a definite sense of sadness and desperation to the girl and the woman, without any overt moralizing about it, which made it stand out, so that could be a draw. I don't know much about early werewolf literature, so I'm not quite sure how it fits into that category, so maybe it was more unique at the time.
The Cruel Painter - 3 Stars
Oh I wanted to like this. But it seemed to be missing something to make it click, or maybe I'm missing a metaphor or social commentary.
I liked the character of the painter, who enjoyed painting people suffering, and delving into the crowd surrounding the suffering subject, with his daughter in the background who showed distress. Then, there was a definite theme of redemption, and the vampire take was interesting. I've recently read Dracula, so I have a slightly better grasp of early vampire literature than I do early werewolf literature, but I'd still be interested in reading someone's essay that refers to how this fits into that landscape.
The "vampires = corn" was a hot take, and I rolled my eyes at the idea that "her mom was dead so she was forever damaged" paragraph, but I spent the whole time wondering why the daughter's name was Lilith. That's such a weighted name, I expected it to mean something. Maybe it was less unique or less associated with the mythic Lilith then, or maybe it was to show the character of the father. Overall, this had some interesting points that didn't quite mesh.
The Broken Swords - 2 Stars
This was quite a bit preachier than the others. Part of that was in that it directly named God and Christianity, but later ones did that as well and didn't come across this way. I believe this was originally written for a Christian publication, so that may have played a role. It could also be that I buy less into the "honor" morals this represents than I do the "love and faith" morals of the other stories, so it could have rubbed me the wrong way in that sense too.
I did like the line, "Signs of mental trouble were always an attraction to him..." but I didn't understand the point of the romance. Maybe it was to show he had nothing left to live for? But what about his sisters? They just disappeared.
Also the random girl being assaulted at the end and him helping her escape to jump off a cliff wasn't great - it again tied to the whole "honor" morality that I cannot buy into. While I think the concept of honor is great and worth fighting for, I don't think being assaulted should sully that honor, and being scared to go into battle (and going anyway!) shouldn't ruin your honor either. That's very much a 21st century western way of thinking, I know, but that's one cultural aspect that I can't see myself shedding any time soon.
The ending image was powerful, I just wish it represented a different type of "honor" than this story endorsed.
The Wow O' Rivven - 3.5 Stars
Despite looking very quaint and dated from the outside, I liked this story a lot. It was about two sad, lonely people, who looked very different on the outside (one an old man, the other a young, spurned woman), are drawn by the same call - associated with the church - and finally find peace there.
Uncle Cornelius, His Story - 3.5
This was my favorite of the collection, and read the most like an enjoyable story. It reminded me of The Christmas Carol, and the image of a ghost endlessly balancing her household books, unable to rest due to miserliness, was a compelling one.
I also found myself writing down a lot more quotes than normal from this, like this one I relate to: "The uncle... had just enough of money over to buy books that nobody seemed ever to have heard of but himself."
As a good piece of character reaction when two characters glanced at each other: "It was too surprising to pass without ocular remark."
The Butcher's Bills - 1 Star
I originally rated this 2 stars, but now that I think back to it, it just infuriates me too much. There were some (only some) interesting observations on marriage, but the end result of the story made both characters penny pinchers. It was very much a "wife and husband quarreled, wife was proven wrong, and showed how contrite she was the rest of her days" type of situation, which felt odd because the narrator had commented that the husband was unfair early on in the story.
Plus, the random baby made no sense. How was it magically born in a day?? And it played no role in the story either - it felt so pointless, and had nothing to do with the unpaid butcher's bills or the arc of financial understanding between husband and wife.
Birth, Dreaming, Death - 3.5 Stars
I did find it funny that the narrator was like "this story is too short to bother with naming the characters." The lack of names made it feel more universal, which I'm sure was the intention.
This story showed how God reveals himself throughout people's lives, and not necessarily where you'd expect it. It also shows how loving other people is an important way to both receive and show God's love for you. When the husband shows love to the random child by taking him out of the cold, it's revealed that he was showing love to Jesus, as the Bible verses about "Whatever you do to the least of these..." talks about. When the wife is shown love and favor from her husband, even when she feels plain and unlovable, she realizes that God must love her just as much, or more. The understanding between husband and wife when the baby passed away was also touching (I certainly wouldn't have wanted the dead baby in the house for several days, but apparently it's what the wife needed, and the husband respected and understood that).
I believe we were created to live in community with people. The Bible commands us to love and care for those around us. And it's so essential to have people care for you when you need it.
In the start of the story, it's said the husband had a Greek New Testament on his shelf, showing his learning and acceptance of its message. But it wasn't until he showed love to those around him that his belief in God clicked and became fruitful, helping both his wife and Jesus in disguise.
The Gray Wolf - 3 Stars
This one wasn't bad. It had an interesting concept, but there wasn't much substance. It just shows the idea of a girl who transforms into a wolf, and that's about it. There was a definite sense of sadness and desperation to the girl and the woman, without any overt moralizing about it, which made it stand out, so that could be a draw. I don't know much about early werewolf literature, so I'm not quite sure how it fits into that category, so maybe it was more unique at the time.
The Cruel Painter - 3 Stars
Oh I wanted to like this. But it seemed to be missing something to make it click, or maybe I'm missing a metaphor or social commentary.
I liked the character of the painter, who enjoyed painting people suffering, and delving into the crowd surrounding the suffering subject, with his daughter in the background who showed distress. Then, there was a definite theme of redemption, and the vampire take was interesting. I've recently read Dracula, so I have a slightly better grasp of early vampire literature than I do early werewolf literature, but I'd still be interested in reading someone's essay that refers to how this fits into that landscape.
The "vampires = corn" was a hot take, and I rolled my eyes at the idea that "her mom was dead so she was forever damaged" paragraph, but I spent the whole time wondering why the daughter's name was Lilith. That's such a weighted name, I expected it to mean something. Maybe it was less unique or less associated with the mythic Lilith then, or maybe it was to show the character of the father. Overall, this had some interesting points that didn't quite mesh.
The Broken Swords - 2 Stars
This was quite a bit preachier than the others. Part of that was in that it directly named God and Christianity, but later ones did that as well and didn't come across this way. I believe this was originally written for a Christian publication, so that may have played a role. It could also be that I buy less into the "honor" morals this represents than I do the "love and faith" morals of the other stories, so it could have rubbed me the wrong way in that sense too.
I did like the line, "Signs of mental trouble were always an attraction to him..." but I didn't understand the point of the romance. Maybe it was to show he had nothing left to live for? But what about his sisters? They just disappeared.
Also the random girl being assaulted at the end and him helping her escape to jump off a cliff wasn't great - it again tied to the whole "honor" morality that I cannot buy into. While I think the concept of honor is great and worth fighting for, I don't think being assaulted should sully that honor, and being scared to go into battle (and going anyway!) shouldn't ruin your honor either. That's very much a 21st century western way of thinking, I know, but that's one cultural aspect that I can't see myself shedding any time soon.
The ending image was powerful, I just wish it represented a different type of "honor" than this story endorsed.
The Wow O' Rivven - 3.5 Stars
Despite looking very quaint and dated from the outside, I liked this story a lot. It was about two sad, lonely people, who looked very different on the outside (one an old man, the other a young, spurned woman), are drawn by the same call - associated with the church - and finally find peace there.
Uncle Cornelius, His Story - 3.5
This was my favorite of the collection, and read the most like an enjoyable story. It reminded me of The Christmas Carol, and the image of a ghost endlessly balancing her household books, unable to rest due to miserliness, was a compelling one.
I also found myself writing down a lot more quotes than normal from this, like this one I relate to: "The uncle... had just enough of money over to buy books that nobody seemed ever to have heard of but himself."
As a good piece of character reaction when two characters glanced at each other: "It was too surprising to pass without ocular remark."
The Butcher's Bills - 1 Star
I originally rated this 2 stars, but now that I think back to it, it just infuriates me too much. There were some (only some) interesting observations on marriage, but the end result of the story made both characters penny pinchers. It was very much a "wife and husband quarreled, wife was proven wrong, and showed how contrite she was the rest of her days" type of situation, which felt odd because the narrator had commented that the husband was unfair early on in the story.
Plus, the random baby made no sense. How was it magically born in a day?? And it played no role in the story either - it felt so pointless, and had nothing to do with the unpaid butcher's bills or the arc of financial understanding between husband and wife.
Birth, Dreaming, Death - 3.5 Stars
I did find it funny that the narrator was like "this story is too short to bother with naming the characters." The lack of names made it feel more universal, which I'm sure was the intention.
This story showed how God reveals himself throughout people's lives, and not necessarily where you'd expect it. It also shows how loving other people is an important way to both receive and show God's love for you. When the husband shows love to the random child by taking him out of the cold, it's revealed that he was showing love to Jesus, as the Bible verses about "Whatever you do to the least of these..." talks about. When the wife is shown love and favor from her husband, even when she feels plain and unlovable, she realizes that God must love her just as much, or more. The understanding between husband and wife when the baby passed away was also touching (I certainly wouldn't have wanted the dead baby in the house for several days, but apparently it's what the wife needed, and the husband respected and understood that).
I believe we were created to live in community with people. The Bible commands us to love and care for those around us. And it's so essential to have people care for you when you need it.
In the start of the story, it's said the husband had a Greek New Testament on his shelf, showing his learning and acceptance of its message. But it wasn't until he showed love to those around him that his belief in God clicked and became fruitful, helping both his wife and Jesus in disguise.
March 11, 2015
With the exceptions of The Gray Wolf, The Cruel Painter, and Uncle Cornelius, this collection is not quite fantasy. The stories are tedious yet beautifully-written. This collection comprises preachy and descriptive stories of marriage, life and death, ghosts and phantoms, and a shapeshifter. The narration is introspective and gabby throughout, though of course what did I expect from Victorian fiction?
I'm sure I'll be reading more George McD in the months to come. I enjoyed the haunted and twilit feeling of his writing and language; I'm certain I'll enjoy the pure fantasy of the novels Lilith or Phantastes quite a bit more than I did this hit-or-miss collection.
I'm sure I'll be reading more George McD in the months to come. I enjoyed the haunted and twilit feeling of his writing and language; I'm certain I'll enjoy the pure fantasy of the novels Lilith or Phantastes quite a bit more than I did this hit-or-miss collection.
December 17, 2012
The stories in this collection show the variety of George MacDonald's writing and the elegance of Victorian fantasy. These stories cover a great range from a Gothic tale on a moor to a haunting tale of a marriage spiraling out of control. For any reader of current fantasy, MacDonald's stories create the history of fantasy and are worth reading and digger deeper into.
April 21, 2021
This was my first taste of MacDonald and I am certain it won't be my last. The eponymous Gray Wolf story, the Cruel Painter and Uncle Cornelius are clearly the standouts here, which is no real surprise, despite the quality of the other tales, it is harder to commit oneself quite as enthusiastically to a didactic tale of marital humility when one has picked up this volume under the promise of "fantasy" in the vein of Lewis and Tolkien. These three shine all the brighter for it however, in their Gothic fireside tale charm, and manage to create an interesting contrast with the collections other stories. These other stories certainly show the range of MacDonald concerns. For the most part, the lessons are best found in the style of his densely packed prose, rather than in the stories themselves. The stories are almost absurdly simple, hardly worthy of a tale at all, in some cases, but MacDonald brings a definition, a gravity to each, that if not always convinces the reader, at least stirs the soul. The lessons themselves may throw readers off who are not overly familiar some amount of Christian doctrine, however, most readers should be ablebto appreciate the familiar refrain throughout each story that frames the world in the characteristic contrasts between the freedom of divine inspiration and rumination, and the limitations of human avarice, power, and fear. MacDonald delivers a message of hope as well as displaying the dire need for a grim world to know the light of connection with its God and its fellow man, rather than its frequent self-destructive opposition and self-service. Overall an enjoyable afternoons read, but leaves me excited for the more fantastical entries in this authors retinue.
March 22, 2025
Interesting choice of title, as The Gray Wolf was the shortest of the tales in this book and also the most open to interpretation. It sets the stage well for what is to come though, as the stories in this book are, on the whole, darker, heavier, and more enigmatic than any other MacDonald works I’ve read. I feel like most of MacDonald’s writings (fiction and sermons) intricately build up to a definitive thesis (or wow statement) that is unexpected before it is uttered but immediately strikes the heart as true as soon as it is heard. While one or two of the stories in this book follow that general flow, most end unexpectedly, seemingly half finished/unresolved, and without an immediately clear intended interpretation. So why am I still giving it five stars then? Because these stories contain powerful theses, even if they aren’t always explicitly stated/require much pondering to arrive at and understand.
Each story in this book contains its own unique message, but there do seem to be a couple common threads running through most of them:
- This world - this life - is not what it appears to be and is full of mystery deeper than we are presently capable of understanding.
- The veil between this life and the next, the visible world and the invisible one, is thinner and more permeable than it seems.
- Death is inevitable - all who seek their true home must surrender all they hold dear in this life, including life itself.
Despite the gloom pervading much of this book, it ultimately ends in a moment of triumph found in the midst of tragedy, reminding us that there is always hope, even on our darkest days.
Each story in this book contains its own unique message, but there do seem to be a couple common threads running through most of them:
- This world - this life - is not what it appears to be and is full of mystery deeper than we are presently capable of understanding.
- The veil between this life and the next, the visible world and the invisible one, is thinner and more permeable than it seems.
- Death is inevitable - all who seek their true home must surrender all they hold dear in this life, including life itself.
Despite the gloom pervading much of this book, it ultimately ends in a moment of triumph found in the midst of tragedy, reminding us that there is always hope, even on our darkest days.
August 1, 2019
MacDonald is a master of fantasy. His writing is tight, the content is rich and creative. He stands second to none in this genre. He pulls from local Scotch legends, the richness of the Bible, his own imagination to create powerful short stories.
The Portent explores the cosmic connections between families, sinners, and lovers, and the need to sometimes make right what ancestors got wrong.
The Castle is a chilling allegory of the Old and New testaments and Christ’s intervention through His life. Amazing spiritual truths, exciting setting.
The Broken Sword is less fantasy than an ultimately ironic tale of courage, honor, and redemption—and the need for personal action and suffering in all.
The Gray Wolf was a little weird, but I think is a reflection on the outside of one’s inner nature.
Uncle Cornelius’ Story was part ghost story, part moral tale, excellently executed.
The Portent explores the cosmic connections between families, sinners, and lovers, and the need to sometimes make right what ancestors got wrong.
The Castle is a chilling allegory of the Old and New testaments and Christ’s intervention through His life. Amazing spiritual truths, exciting setting.
The Broken Sword is less fantasy than an ultimately ironic tale of courage, honor, and redemption—and the need for personal action and suffering in all.
The Gray Wolf was a little weird, but I think is a reflection on the outside of one’s inner nature.
Uncle Cornelius’ Story was part ghost story, part moral tale, excellently executed.
March 8, 2021
Wow, I really did try to slog through this. the Gray Wolf is a fun story, but the next three stories, which I actually made it through were soporific. Obviously this writer is not for me.
C/D edition.
The Gray Wolf, 3 stars. Be careful when out on the lonely moors.
The Cruel Painter, 1 star. I can't believe I finished it.
The Broken Swords, 1 star. What a bore.
The Wow O'Rivven, 1 star. Pointless and boring, and not a fantasy story.
C/D edition.
The Gray Wolf, 3 stars. Be careful when out on the lonely moors.
The Cruel Painter, 1 star. I can't believe I finished it.
The Broken Swords, 1 star. What a bore.
The Wow O'Rivven, 1 star. Pointless and boring, and not a fantasy story.
April 23, 2022
I expected these stories to spirit me away to a magical place but it felt like a slog.
The title story 'The Gray Wolf' was mysterious and fun, and I enjoyed the Gothic atmosphere of The Cruel Painter but the others fell flat.
Most of the stories weren't fantasy but stories of real life with curious or spiritual elements peppered in. I might've enjoyed it if George MacDonald didn't take forever to GET TO THE POINT!!
The title story 'The Gray Wolf' was mysterious and fun, and I enjoyed the Gothic atmosphere of The Cruel Painter but the others fell flat.
Most of the stories weren't fantasy but stories of real life with curious or spiritual elements peppered in. I might've enjoyed it if George MacDonald didn't take forever to GET TO THE POINT!!
May 18, 2020
My least favorite of George MacDonald's collections of short stories. Though labeled a collection of fantasy, most of these were realistic fiction, dealing with death, war, loss, depression--generally a collection of misery and suffering. Some end with sweet moments of redemption, but that wasn't enough to make this collection as lovely as the rest have been.
April 10, 2020
3.5/5. A few stories were quite good. Some of the others didn’t really connect with me.
June 25, 2020
This book was a collection of short stories. "The Cruel Painter" and "The Butcher's Bills" were fantastic and well worth the read.
January 17, 2021
The cruel painter was my favorite book when I was about sixteen. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve reread it. I’m not really fond of any of the other stories except for Uncle Cornelius
January 26, 2021
"The Cruel Painter" was my favorite story, though most fell a little flat for me.
August 11, 2021
2.5 stars. Wonderfully atmospheric prose. Terribly drawn out plots.
December 4, 2022
Perfect for the traditional Christmas ghost stories.
January 22, 2023
Rating/review for Birth, Dreaming, Death only: Flawed but still brilliant, like an ersatz diamond.
January 28, 2023
Only read The Gray Wolf
August 21, 2023
A collection of tedious, somewhat pointless short stories. "The Gray Wolf" was the best of the lot.
(Razor got bored and let in the middle of reading.)
(Razor got bored and let in the middle of reading.)
September 30, 2024
Surprisingly gothic. Loved this.
October 30, 2024
good stories, a fable feel, they worked for halloween as something light and a bit moralistic from the author who is said to have influenced the likes of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.
March 19, 2017
When I was a child, "The Princess and the Goblin" was one of my favorite fantasy stories (second to Narnia, of course). So for some reason I picked this up assuming that it was for children, but it's not.
It's okay. Not great, not terrible. Sometimes overly wordy/dramatic, occasionally interesting and poignant or creepy. But of course, it's George MacDonald, and there are times when I really like the way he phrases things and looks at the world. I don't know that I would have finished all of the stories except that I counted this toward my reading challenge ("A book with an ugly cover"), so...
It's okay. Not great, not terrible. Sometimes overly wordy/dramatic, occasionally interesting and poignant or creepy. But of course, it's George MacDonald, and there are times when I really like the way he phrases things and looks at the world. I don't know that I would have finished all of the stories except that I counted this toward my reading challenge ("A book with an ugly cover"), so...
July 12, 2016
I found this book in a used bookstore, years ago. There are seven short stories in this book, and I love two of them: The Gray Wolf, and The Cruel Painter. There is a strange clarity in these stories, an usual way of describing events... similar to looking at photographs. After I read these stories, I found myself daydreaming about the images. There is a hint of romance, a hint of fear, and something much deeper in his stories because he was introspective.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews