Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women
One of the books that I have been wanting to read for a long time is Phantastes by George MacDonald. I have enjoyed other books by MacDonald and I know this particular book was influential on both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
This book is really a textbook fairy tale.What I mean by that is not just that it is a magical tale from long ago but that it is about a mortal entering into the realm of the fairies.
Written from the first person perspective, it tells the story of a man who discovers the means to enter into the world of fairies. It is speculated that he may have some fairy blood.
The land of the fairies is a place of wonder but also of danger. Things are never exactly what the seem. Even the trees can be a danger. MacDonald understood the way fairies were seen and the perilous nature of encountering them.
Reading this, you can see the influence on Tolkien such as the dwarves entering Mirkwood in the Hobbit and the fellowship entering Lothlorien in Lord of the Rings.
Having said all that, I did really enjoy the story all that much. I appreciated the quality of the writing but I had trouble getting into it. It may benefit from a second read. There were many times that something in the story had changed and I had to go back a page to to find out what happened.
But beyond any personal enjoyment, it was worth reading just to understand the nature of fairy stories more. I can see and appreciate how this story and other works by MacDonald helped shape Lewis and Tolkien.
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