(How can I give away what happens? I must move on.) The most powerful of these tales concerns an enchanted mirror that a student named Cosmo must free a beautiful young lady from. In a room prepared especially for him, he reads and reads fantastical tales in which he finds himself becoming the protagonist. Because of his Shadow and blighted heart, he can hardly see the gorgeous Fairies that inhabit the marvelous castle. Nevertheless, he manages to reach the Fairy Palace. Only the heroic daring of a noble knight frees him to continue on his way to the Fairy Palace.Īnodos’ curiosity leads him to the Church of Darkness, where despising the warning of a witch-like lady there, opens the door to a dark closet and finds himself beset by his Shadow. He is blinded by it and so becomes seduced by a beautiful marble woman who has the appearance of the lady he recently set free.

She runs off and he pursues her since he has fallen in love with her. He simply wanders through the woods trusting what MacDonald leaves unnamed, though we might call it Providence, to guide his ways and teach him what he needs to learn.Īlong the way Anodos, who finds he is gifted with the power of song, sings a beautiful enchanted marble woman back to life. Therefore, it never disturbs Anodos that no one gives him direction upon entering Fairy Land. In this place the inhabitants – and soon Anodos himself – begin to expect the unexpected and live in full assurance that nothing happens without reason. Phantastes is the story of a young man named Anodos, who newly inheriting an estate finds his way into Fairy Land, a place full of magic, knights and castles, giants and goblins, nymphs and fairies. Lewis wrote that MacDonald’s works “baptized his imagination” and that he “knew hardly any other writer who seems to be closer, or more continually close, to the Spirit of Christ Himself.” MacDonald, through his learning, virtue and tender love of others, seemed to apprehend the very spiritual world and the kingdom of God and, further, had the writing ability to communicate that vision to us mere mortals. How shall I compose a review of a book so penetrating and lovely? Indeed, how does one review a poetic myth? I think that the only way I might be successful is to convey to you a sense of the grandeur and inspiration to virtue MacDonald’sPhantastes imbeds in the reader.Ĭ.S.

“Thus I, who set out to find my Ideal, came back rejoicing that I had lost my Shadow.” – Anodos, Phantastes

Phantastes macdonald