George MacDonald, Victorian Faerie Author, Pre-Dracula Vampire Classic, etc.

[Extollager]

I have a short scholarly book on Walter de la Mare that I haven't read yet, but that apparently will argue that GM was much of an influence on the poet and novelist. But who reads de la Mare now? I mean to. It'll be interesting to see if he reminds me of GM, whom I have been reading for 50 years.

 

[hitmouse]

A few of de la Mare’s poems are still standard at primary school. I am not sure anyone reads much else of his.

 

[Extollager]

Malcolm Guite reads the opening of MacDonald's Phantastes with gusto and connects the secretary-desk therein to his own.

 

[Extollager]

This picture and next... most of my George MacDonald books... The cat is Sachiko, age 18.
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Today's George MacDonald's 200th birthday:

The Bicentennial of George MacDonald

Photographed by Lewis Carroll, 1852 Two hundred years ago today, 10 December 1824, George MacDonald was born in Huntley, Aberdeenshire, Scot...

wormwoodiana.blogspot.com

He is, for sure, one of the greatest fantasy writers in English. I failed him insofar as I floated the idea of 2024 as the "year of MacDonald" for us at Chrons; if I'd followed up on my own idea, probably some others would have taken note. But his fantasy is not to be missed.

Pictured above is an internet image of an edition I loaned many years ago to a friend and never got back! If you see this, Margaret, it's OK to keep it.