the princess and the goblin and phantastes

Overall, this was a charming adventure story. Although the book spends a lot of time telling us about how the goblins have changed after so long underground, they aren’t that different from humans after all. They so obviously despise the humans above but they also mimic some fashions – such as the queen insisting that only she can wear shoes. Curdie has the opportunity to listen in on their conversations and I found myself very intrigued by goblin society. I must be fair – for if I’m not fair to other people, I’m not worth being understood myself.” But there is one thing much more necessary.” “We are all very anxious to be understood, and it is very hard not to be. There’s a nice passage about belief after Irene brings Curdie to see her Grandmother (and sparking their one and only quarrel): There are the goblins, who, having been forced to live underground for so long, grown grotesque, and there is the mysterious great grandmother, who appears only to those who can see her. The world building, on the other hand, was great! I thought this was an enchanting world, with the right amount of danger in it. In comparison, The Lost Princess had two bratty kids and their character arc was so much stronger because there was room for improvement. Sure, they had one quarrel, but overall the both of them are nice kids who strive to do what is right.

My one and only quibble with The Princess and the Goblin is that both Irene and Curdie are too good.

When the two children meet one day after being chased by some frightening creatures, their lives are intertwined. Princess Irene discovers a magical staircase to her great grandmother, while deep in the mines, Curdie finds out about an evil plot by the goblins. The Princess and the Goblin stars two good children: Princess Irene and Curdie, the miner’s boy. While I didn’t love The Princess and the Goblin as much as I did The Lost Princess, I found this to be a fun read and I liked it immensely. I managed to find a copy of The Princess and the Goblin and happily settled down to read it. I was trying to find something that I knew I would enjoy when I realised that I have not read anything by George MacDonald ever since I finished The Lost Princess in 2018! That’s a pretty long time so I thought that it was high time I remedied the situation.

The princess and the goblin and phantastes