As always with George MacDonald, everything here is more than meets the eye: this in fact is MacDonald's grace-filled vision of the world. Said to be one of J.R.R. Tolkien's childhood favorites, The Princess and the Goblin is the story of the young Princess Irene, her good friend Curdie--a minor's son--and Irene's mysterious and beautiful great great grandmother, who lives in a secret room at the top of the castle stairs. Filled with images of dungeons and goblins, mysterious fires, burning roses, and a thread so fine as to be invisible and yet--like prayer--strong enough to lead the Princess back home to her grandmother's arms, this is a story of Curdie's slow realization that sometimes, as the princess tells him, "you must believe without seeing." Simple enough for reading aloud to a child (as I've done myself more than once with my daughter), it's rich enough to repay endless delighted readings for the adult. --Doug Thorpe
The Princess and the Goblin ANNOTATION
A little princess is protected by her friend Curdie from the goblin miners who live beneath the castle.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
A plot to kidnap a little princess and flood the passageways of a mine is thwarted when a mysterious silver-haired woman and a brave young miner help repel some devilish subterranean creatures.
A mysterious silver-haired woman and a brave young miner help prevent a mischievous pack of subterranean creatures from kidnapping a little princess and flooding the passageways of a mine. An unabridged classic of juvenile fiction from a master storyteller offers youngsters thrill-packed entertainment along with valuable lessons about bravery and loyalty.