Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was a gift from an unpleasant older relative and has been sitting on my bookshelf unloved for well over a decade. However, despite discoursing about the differences between princesses and regular little girls, this fairy tale did withstand the test of time and kept this jaded young adult in the grips of its story. A necessary read for any lover of fairy tales of all ages as well as for nerds about the fantasy genre - MacDonald was a huge inspiration for the Inklings.
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't have a lot to say about this one... I read it because fantasy is my favorite genre of fiction, and this is one of the first modern fantasy novels. It was highly regarded and cited as an influence by Tolkien and Lewis, so that alone meant I was going to pick it up someday.
MacDonald's descriptions are often quite beautiful. The plot is simple and fairy tale-like. The princess is charming. The goblins are grotesque. But nothing is ever explained, and the pacing drags and drags. For a short book, I felt like it took me forever to read! I'm not sure I'm going to read the other books in this series, but I'm still glad I read this - for historical context.
My Rating Breakdown
Characters: 2.5
Atmosphere: 3.5
Writing Style: 4
Plot: 3
Intrigue: 2.5
Logic: 2
Enjoyment: 3
Overall Rating: 2.92
(for full details on this rating system see: my blog post)
MacDonald's descriptions are often quite beautiful. The plot is simple and fairy tale-like. The princess is charming. The goblins are grotesque. But nothing is ever explained, and the pacing drags and drags. For a short book, I felt like it took me forever to read! I'm not sure I'm going to read the other books in this series, but I'm still glad I read this - for historical context.
My Rating Breakdown
Characters: 2.5
Atmosphere: 3.5
Writing Style: 4
Plot: 3
Intrigue: 2.5
Logic: 2
Enjoyment: 3
Overall Rating: 2.92
(for full details on this rating system see: my blog post)
Book 15/100 for 2015!
Also, a book I read for my Children's Literature class!
I thought this book was good, but definitely not my favorite. I didn't really like MacDonald's writing style, especially when he broke the 4th wall and kept refusing to describe things while also describing them (like "I COULD tell you what this looked like, but I really can't."?????). He sorta got on my nerves. Another thing that I didn't really like was that MacDonald didn't explain everything! Like, for instance, what the heck was up with Irene's great-grandmother? WAS SHE EVEN REAL? Maybe he was trying to get the reader to interpret it for themselves, but come on, I'm not down for that. Just tell me, please!
I did like that it was very fairy tale-like, though! I absolutely love fairy tales, if you didn't know.
Also, another cool fact that I learned in class today was that MacDonald inspired Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in writing Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, respectively. Isn't that cool?
So all in all, I liked some aspects of it and didn't like others. Duh.
Zoë out.
Also, a book I read for my Children's Literature class!
I thought this book was good, but definitely not my favorite. I didn't really like MacDonald's writing style, especially when he broke the 4th wall and kept refusing to describe things while also describing them (like "I COULD tell you what this looked like, but I really can't."?????). He sorta got on my nerves. Another thing that I didn't really like was that MacDonald didn't explain everything! Like, for instance, what the heck was up with Irene's great-grandmother? WAS SHE EVEN REAL? Maybe he was trying to get the reader to interpret it for themselves, but come on, I'm not down for that. Just tell me, please!
I did like that it was very fairy tale-like, though! I absolutely love fairy tales, if you didn't know.
Also, another cool fact that I learned in class today was that MacDonald inspired Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in writing Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, respectively. Isn't that cool?
So all in all, I liked some aspects of it and didn't like others. Duh.
Zoë out.
An enjoyable Victorian Fantasy that feels like a proto-Hobbit and made me nostalgic for Moldvay's Erol Otus cover edition of Basic D&D.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An odd little tale. In some ways it is a classic fairy story but in others it is more modern, resembling Goldman's Princess Bride or the films of the Disney Renaissance.
It is very much a children's book and probably appeals more to those that read it in their earlier years.
It is very much a children's book and probably appeals more to those that read it in their earlier years.
I have seen The Princess and the Goblin on countless lists of classic children's literature. I picked up a copy cheap on Book Outlet and started reading it aloud to my kindergartner. He lost interest about halfway through, but I kept going. It's definitely an old-school story - high level of vocabulary, plenty of fantastical elements, and strong morals to every story. I love that it showcases two brave young children who choose to do right even in the face of danger. Kids need literary role models like that. The storytelling itself is not my favorite style of writing, and partly that is because I don't think these tend to age well. I think a lot of modern adults wouldn't even be engaged with this. But I can see why it's a classic, and why so many people do love it- spunky heroes, adventure, fantasy, and a happy ending.
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So happy to find that this childhood favorite is still an amazing story! Curdie is the awesome, and Irene knows/learns how to be a REAL princess--noble, kind, and brave. All the feminists complaining about how girls only get sappy, wimpy princess stories are clearly reading the wrong books.