Well, our month of looking at George MacDonald is now finished, and to conclude it here is an essay I have written on MacDonald’s work. We have been focusing here through August on MacDonald’s poetry, but his work was far broader than that, so this essay considers not only his poetry but also his many works of fantasy and criticism. I hope it can give you all an interesting entry point into the richness of his work as a writer.
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The Consolations of Writing 
I just finished the essay and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m scooting over to my library website right now to see if I can find any MacDonald e-books to borrow. I also plan to visit some used bookstores to see what I can find. “Diary of an Old Soul” sounds the most appealing, but my imagination certainly could use a good baptizing as well. What fantasy/fairy tale do you recommend I crack open first?
Great! You could start with some of his shorter works, like “The Golden Key” or “The Castle”. If you were up for something a bit more intensive, “Phantastes” is perhaps his most artistically complex, and the one CSL credited with baptising his imagination.
Great essay! I loved reading your story on how you came to GM as a child and then again later as an adult. Its similar to my story but I started with The Princess and the Goblin when I was 8. Afterwards, I re-discovered GM in my early 20’s when I found Phantastes and Lillith. Later on, I met my husband through the George MacDonald society email list. I haven’t read the diary yet though we have it here at home. Your essay has inspired me to pick it up!
Thanks for stopping by! Always good to discover other GM fans. I wonder if there’s a pattern where girls come to GM through “The Princess and the Goblin” and boys through “The North Wind”. Definitely read “The Diary”. It’s well worth a look.