[.ca] Penguin Classics Complete Fairy Tales (ISBN 0140437371)

From the first master:
George MacDonald, a 19th-century minister from Scotland, may be the earliest writer of fantasy as we know it today. He was a prolific writer and an influence on grand masters C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and here some of his less-known (but well-written) works. First of all is his essay on "The Fantastic Imagination," where he discusses fantasy, fairy tales, and the nature of childlike innocence. There are also short stories, such as the novella "Light Princess," about a girl who is a lightweight in mind AND body, excerpts from the dreamy fantasy novel "At The Back of the North Wind," the haunting "Shadows" that appear for a king, a "Wise Woman" who sweeps away an obnoxious princess, and several others. MacDonald's stories have the sort of rich, compelling prose that the best of 19th-century literature has. His stories are full of creepy creatures, magical women, golden keys and dreamy atmosphere, the sort of stuff now written by Jane Yolen and not many others. But they're also more grounded and traditionally fairy-tale-like than the stories of later writer Lord Dunsany. Rather, you can see how Lewis and Tolkien would have both enjoyed and been influenced by MacDonald. A good selection of short stories and a thought-provoking essay, definitely for fans of fantasy and fairy tales. Delightful.

Poor edition:
A poor edition of this beautiful work. Binding and paper quality are not as expected considering the high price.

Wow?:
This is an exceptional compilation from an exceptional writer. Should I say a master of myths as his writing is not what one woul call first class. MacDonald has a way of making the story,and story behind the story,one so as to not lose the plot for some greater meaning. Never does the plot become secondary or the meaning diminished. Fabulous!

The Complete Fairy Tales:
I find it such a pity that this literary genious is not more widely read! This particular book, I have read and re-read so frequently in the last 8 years that I may soon be forced to purchase it again. The cover has been rolled into a perpetual "O" and so many pages have been dog-earred and folded, that it has become rather hard to read. Needless to say, I have found this book one of the most enjoyable of the many many books I've read during my 17 years of life. The stories contained in this book are exceptionally enchanting and the symbolism superb! They have undoubtably had a strong influence on my own writing style. I would recommend George MacDonald over all other authors (with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien a close second and third). And I would recommend this book to fantasy readers over any other piece I've read.

Marred by careless proofreading.:
The stories were languid yet wry. Very enjoyable. However, I don't believe I've ever encountered such careless errors. In addition to numerous spelling errors, the chapter heading was wrong in TWO cases! The introduction was lacking as well. Read George MacDonald, but get a different edition of his works.