Chesterton cited The Princess and the Goblin as a book that had 'made a difference to my whole existence.'Įlizabeth Yates wrote of Sir Gibbie, 'It moved me the way books did when, as a child, the great gates of literature began to open and first encounters with noble thoughts and utterances were unspeakably thrilling.'Įven Mark Twain, who initially disliked MacDonald, became friends with him, and there is some evidence that Twain was influenced by MacDonald.Ĭharming story fantasy for children written in 1872 by George MacDonald, the pioneer of the fantasy genre that influenced the new generation of most iconic writers such as Lewis Carroll, J.R.R.

A few hours later,' said Lewis, 'I knew that I had crossed a great frontier.' G. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his 'master': 'Picking up a copy of Phantastes one day at a train-station bookstall, I began to read.

Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, MacDonald inspired many authors, such as G.K. He was educated at Aberdeen University and after a short and stormy career as a minister at Arundel, where his unorthodox views led to his dismissal, he turned to fiction as a means of earning a living. Chesterton cited The Princess and the Goblin as a book that had 'made a difference to my whole existence.'Įlizabeth Yates wrote of Sir Gibbie, 'It moved me the way books did when, as a child, the great gates of literature began to open and first encounters with noble thoughts and utterances were unspeakably thrilling.'Įven Mark Twain, who initially disliked MacDonald, became friends with him, and there is some evidence that Twain was influenced by MacDonald.George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.

The princess and the goblin