Fairy tales have traditionally featured beings (fairy or otherwise) who were characterized by their wisdom and knowledge: old men with long white beards, old women, talking plants and animals, or the fairies themselves. The main character would encounter a being like this, and his future would be entirely determined on how he responded to the … Continue reading Sources of Wisdom in Fairy Tales
Tag: Phantastes
I recently came across Madame d’Aulnoy’s “Graciosa and Percinet” a few months back, when I was reading Phantastes and looking up the various fairy tales mentioned in the course of the book (it can be found in Andrew Lang’s “The Red Fairy Book” as a free download on ProjectGutenberg). I had never heard of this … Continue reading A Fairy Tale for Modern Sensibilities
The book, as a George MacDonald Fairy Tale, is delightful. It wanders quite a bit, but its descriptions have the depths of dreams, where you feel restfully awake. Initially, I had trouble understanding what the book was about until I read an article by Adrian Gunther ( "The Structure of George MacDonald's Phantastes " ). … Continue reading Review of “Phantastes” by George MacDonald
Andrea Lundgren 