What do you think?
Rate this book
Princess Irene and Curdie #2
The Princess and Curdie
A classic story of magic, mystery, and adventure in a fairy-tale world.
Princess Irene’s great-great-grandmother has a testing task for Curdie. Curdie will not go alone though; she provides him with a companion, the oddest and ugliest creature Curdie has ever seen, but one who turns out to be the most loyal friend he could have hoped for.
Princess Irene’s great-great-grandmother has a testing task for Curdie. Curdie will not go alone though; she provides him with a companion, the oddest and ugliest creature Curdie has ever seen, but one who turns out to be the most loyal friend he could have hoped for.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1883
About the author
George MacDonald
1,895 books2,281 followersGeorge MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He became a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow-writer Lewis Carroll. In addition to his fairy tales, MacDonald wrote several works of Christian theology, including several collections of sermons.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 699 reviews
September 9, 2008
See my review for The Princess and the Goblin. My kids made me read this to them for four hours straight Sunday afternoon (I wasn't hard to persuade), and then were disappointed that we had to stop for dinner. Eric hurried and got ready early for school the next morning so I could read another chapter, and the first thing he said to me when he got home from school was "Princess and Curdie!" and grabbed a snack and the book and a blanket and headed outside with me and Abby to read on the lawn. Guess what we're finishing up before bed tonight? I finished it already myself, actually. I cheated and read on ahead while they were at school. Great story.
July 8, 2023
The sequel to Princess and the Goblin
This is a strange and dark tale, much more poetic than the first book but definitely too drawn out in my opinion. I admit I was a bit lost for the first half until it finally started making more sense. Then it really started picking up!
Sent by Princess Irene’s great, great grandmother, Curdie goes on a courageous quest to save the kingdom resulting in an epic fight! It was quite entertaining! The kingdom is full of rude townspeople, and the king is in big trouble. Curdie has to use his wits and courage to make things right. He even has a beast companion named Lina to help him! Lina was awesome!
The ending was kind of unexpected. For a fairytale, it was kind of grim and too realistic. All in all, it wasn’t terrible but also wasn’t amazing. Would I read it again? Probably not. 3 stars.
This is a strange and dark tale, much more poetic than the first book but definitely too drawn out in my opinion. I admit I was a bit lost for the first half until it finally started making more sense. Then it really started picking up!
Sent by Princess Irene’s great, great grandmother, Curdie goes on a courageous quest to save the kingdom resulting in an epic fight! It was quite entertaining! The kingdom is full of rude townspeople, and the king is in big trouble. Curdie has to use his wits and courage to make things right. He even has a beast companion named Lina to help him! Lina was awesome!
The ending was kind of unexpected. For a fairytale, it was kind of grim and too realistic. All in all, it wasn’t terrible but also wasn’t amazing. Would I read it again? Probably not. 3 stars.
April 8, 2022
“Midway in our life’s journey, I went astray from the straight road and woke to find myself alone in a dark wood.”
― Dante Alighieri, Inferno
I tarried a while in fantasy land to spend more time with Princess Irene and Curdie, the miner boy. When I last met them, the princess had returned to the palace with her papa-king. For defeating the goblins, Curdie was offered a job in the palace but turned it down in order to continue living with his parents.
However, the country folks and Curdie missed the princess. ‘A gloom fell upon the mountain, and the miners when she was gone and Curdie did not whistle for a whole week.’ A year has passed, and unbeknownst to the King, Princess Irene and Curdie, all is not well in the palace. Great, great, grandmother a.k.a. Queen Irene, the fairy godmother figure, has a mission for Curdie. He is to help save the King and his kingdom that is besieged by dishonest and treacherous officials and servants. To equip him for this mission, Curdie has to thrust his hands into a furnace glowing with red and white roses. And lo! His hands are transformed. They can detect upon touch if a man is turning into a beast. “The fire has made Curdie’s hands ‘knowing and wise’ so that he will henceforth be able to know at once the hand of a man who is growing into a beast.” I covet those hands.
In Gwyntystorm, the city where the king has his court, evil is percolating. How is one miner boy to save an ailing kingdom? I have learnt that with the all-knowing, all-seeing great, great grandmother in charge, there is nothing to fear. Curdie is bolstered by an implausible army of 49 Uglies, dog-like creatures who were once humans, and a boa constrictor with four stumpy legs and two wings. They are led by Lina, a fierce, ugly, dog-like animal that is intensely loyal to Queen Irene. I sat back and watched the ensuing battle between the king’s enemies and Curdie’s strange army.
The Princess and Curdie is a fairy tale that holds up the values of courage, loyalty, and integrity. I cannot help but think of Queen Irene’s furnace of white and red roses as a refiner’s fire that has a cleansing or humanizing effect. There is a warning we do well to heed: Beware the callous, imperceptible, slippery slope toward beastliness. Great, great grandmother tells Curdie, “… there is another thing that is of the greatest consequence-this: that all men, if they do not take care, go down the hill to the animals’ country; that many men are actually, all their lives, going to be beasts.” This observation fits well with Dante’s quote above from the Inferno.
Although this is a fantasy tale published in 1883, it still speaks truth today. Lest you anticipate that all’s well that end’s well, The Princess and Curdie has an unusual ending beyond the ‘happily ever after.’ Fabulous book.
P.S. Hardly any modern writer uses the word, ‘Lo!’ anymore. A few times, I decoded it as ‘lol’, an exclamation I do not ever use in my own writing or casual comments. Times have changed how we process language.
― Dante Alighieri, Inferno
I tarried a while in fantasy land to spend more time with Princess Irene and Curdie, the miner boy. When I last met them, the princess had returned to the palace with her papa-king. For defeating the goblins, Curdie was offered a job in the palace but turned it down in order to continue living with his parents.
However, the country folks and Curdie missed the princess. ‘A gloom fell upon the mountain, and the miners when she was gone and Curdie did not whistle for a whole week.’ A year has passed, and unbeknownst to the King, Princess Irene and Curdie, all is not well in the palace. Great, great, grandmother a.k.a. Queen Irene, the fairy godmother figure, has a mission for Curdie. He is to help save the King and his kingdom that is besieged by dishonest and treacherous officials and servants. To equip him for this mission, Curdie has to thrust his hands into a furnace glowing with red and white roses. And lo! His hands are transformed. They can detect upon touch if a man is turning into a beast. “The fire has made Curdie’s hands ‘knowing and wise’ so that he will henceforth be able to know at once the hand of a man who is growing into a beast.” I covet those hands.
In Gwyntystorm, the city where the king has his court, evil is percolating. How is one miner boy to save an ailing kingdom? I have learnt that with the all-knowing, all-seeing great, great grandmother in charge, there is nothing to fear. Curdie is bolstered by an implausible army of 49 Uglies, dog-like creatures who were once humans, and a boa constrictor with four stumpy legs and two wings. They are led by Lina, a fierce, ugly, dog-like animal that is intensely loyal to Queen Irene. I sat back and watched the ensuing battle between the king’s enemies and Curdie’s strange army.
The Princess and Curdie is a fairy tale that holds up the values of courage, loyalty, and integrity. I cannot help but think of Queen Irene’s furnace of white and red roses as a refiner’s fire that has a cleansing or humanizing effect. There is a warning we do well to heed: Beware the callous, imperceptible, slippery slope toward beastliness. Great, great grandmother tells Curdie, “… there is another thing that is of the greatest consequence-this: that all men, if they do not take care, go down the hill to the animals’ country; that many men are actually, all their lives, going to be beasts.” This observation fits well with Dante’s quote above from the Inferno.
Although this is a fantasy tale published in 1883, it still speaks truth today. Lest you anticipate that all’s well that end’s well, The Princess and Curdie has an unusual ending beyond the ‘happily ever after.’ Fabulous book.
P.S. Hardly any modern writer uses the word, ‘Lo!’ anymore. A few times, I decoded it as ‘lol’, an exclamation I do not ever use in my own writing or casual comments. Times have changed how we process language.
October 3, 2017
George MacDonald writes wonderfully and that is the only positive thing coming out of my mouth/keyboard in this review.
The book took a completely different direction than the last one, turned more baffling and boring by the second and did not answer the questions I previously had. That great, old, huge grandmother is still a mystery: where did she come from, why is she immortal, what is the DEAL? Again, Curdie and his parents are declared to be of royal blood and again, utter silence on the subject after that.
It's a very distorted sort of fantasy where things do not match up and instead, new things rise up out of nowhere. It lacks the sense of a complete world.
And you know what's the funniest thing of all? The ending. Like, lol. If you've seen the Croods you'll probably be familiar with the scene where Grug tells his children stories.
That is kinda how abruptly it ended: The King and Queen ruled justly but they had no heir so the people elected another king. He was greedy and dug up gold, destroying the foundations of the city. One day the entire city crumbled to the Earth and they all DIED. That, after about 200 pages of trying to rid the kingdom of injustice and dishonesty.
I was so shook I fell asleep.
October 28, 2012
I love George MacDonald. I especially like his fairy tale and fantasy books. Like C.S. Lewis, I love the theology in the stories, and I always find something that speaks to me, or causes me to think more deeply. For example, "It is always dangerous to do things you don't know about." What a simple phrase, but how many times don't I rush in to "fix" something without knowing all there is to know about a situation.
But I digress from the story itself, which is the story of how Curdie, a miner's boy, is to go on a quest. He doesn't really know what the quest is when he starts out, but he is to find out as he goes along . . . "you have orders enough to start with, and you will find, as you go on, and as you need to know, what you have to do. But I warn you that perhaps it will not look the least like what you may have been fancying I require of you." That's a nice little piece of theology that most of us can relate to!
Along the way, Curdie is given a gift of discernment. He will be able to discern whether a man is turning into a beast. "Now listen. Since it is always what they do, whether in their minds or their bodies, that makes men go down to be less than men, that is beasts . . . they do not know it of course, for a beast does not know that he is a beast, and the nearer a man gets to being a beast, the less he knows it." So true! It seems like in our society we are always choosing to be less of the men or women God created us to be.
At any rate, I liked this old-fashioned story and the old-fashioned message.
For more grown up fantasy, I highly recommend MacDonald's "Lilith". I think it rivals "Lord of the Rings" in many ways.
But I digress from the story itself, which is the story of how Curdie, a miner's boy, is to go on a quest. He doesn't really know what the quest is when he starts out, but he is to find out as he goes along . . . "you have orders enough to start with, and you will find, as you go on, and as you need to know, what you have to do. But I warn you that perhaps it will not look the least like what you may have been fancying I require of you." That's a nice little piece of theology that most of us can relate to!
Along the way, Curdie is given a gift of discernment. He will be able to discern whether a man is turning into a beast. "Now listen. Since it is always what they do, whether in their minds or their bodies, that makes men go down to be less than men, that is beasts . . . they do not know it of course, for a beast does not know that he is a beast, and the nearer a man gets to being a beast, the less he knows it." So true! It seems like in our society we are always choosing to be less of the men or women God created us to be.
At any rate, I liked this old-fashioned story and the old-fashioned message.
For more grown up fantasy, I highly recommend MacDonald's "Lilith". I think it rivals "Lord of the Rings" in many ways.
March 15, 2011
This is a strange, strange little book, and it was even stranger for me when I first read it without having read "The Princess and the Goblin". The religious allegories in the book now remind me of C.S. Lewis' "Perelandra" trillogy, and a lot of the rest is VERY dark for a children's book. There's a scene towards the end where a monster BITES OFF SOMEONE'S FINGER for crying out loud. People get maimed by teeth and roasted alive in a fire of roses. And the last page of the book is either the happiest unhappy ending, or the unhappiest happy ending, depending on how you read it.
That said, I LOVED this book when I was growing up. The friendship between Curdie and the monster Lina is beautiful, and there's something VERY satisfying about a ragtag army of monsters taking on a city full of unpleasant people. And all of the strangeness just makes every chapter really, really interesting.
That said, I LOVED this book when I was growing up. The friendship between Curdie and the monster Lina is beautiful, and there's something VERY satisfying about a ragtag army of monsters taking on a city full of unpleasant people. And all of the strangeness just makes every chapter really, really interesting.
May 21, 2020
I found the gentleness of this story something I needed right now. It was a little too direct in its messages for my taste, but Curdie is wonderful, and I fell in love with the terrifying, massive, good-hearted Lina.
October 19, 2016
I don't think this is quite as fun to read as The Princess and the Goblin but it is still a wonderful book. Perhaps its deeper lessons take away from the joy of the story. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful book. My recent student was quite put out that the history of Gwynytystorm ended so dismally.
January 12, 2024
George MacDonald's The Princess and Curdie is a sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, which I have not read. In fact, this is the first work by MacDonald that I have attempted. This book is an interesting fairy tale, with a difference. As I recall, most of the fairy tales I have read involve a confrontation with evil. Here, MacDonald sees his villains as characters on a wide spectrum from bestiality to the outright angelic.
The son of a miner, Curdie is himself a miner, always armed with a mattock for crushing rocks. When he visits a legendary princess who is at one and the same time very old and young, he is given the ability by touching a person's hand to see where on the broad spectrum that person is. He is then sent by her to the capital city of the kingdom in which he resides, a city called Gwyntystorm. However, he is not told what to do.
He is accompanied on his quest by a creature called Lina, who is sort of a cross between a dog and a dragon. When aroused, she is able to cause considerable havoc, which is called for because the kingdom is in sad shape. The king is slowly being poisoned by his ministers and servants, and he is for all practical purposes their prisoner.
Curdie and Lina manage to restore the king's health and drive out the ministers and servants who were sapping the kingdom's wealth.
The son of a miner, Curdie is himself a miner, always armed with a mattock for crushing rocks. When he visits a legendary princess who is at one and the same time very old and young, he is given the ability by touching a person's hand to see where on the broad spectrum that person is. He is then sent by her to the capital city of the kingdom in which he resides, a city called Gwyntystorm. However, he is not told what to do.
He is accompanied on his quest by a creature called Lina, who is sort of a cross between a dog and a dragon. When aroused, she is able to cause considerable havoc, which is called for because the kingdom is in sad shape. The king is slowly being poisoned by his ministers and servants, and he is for all practical purposes their prisoner.
Curdie and Lina manage to restore the king's health and drive out the ministers and servants who were sapping the kingdom's wealth.
October 26, 2022
What a gem this two-book series is!
Like Pilgrim’s Progress, this children’s fairytale is full of such profound truths and beauty. Rich in character and moral parables, this book is one that should be owned by all and read often.
And the story is exceptional! So much thought must have gone into it because it was the driving force, not merely a side-thought to get virtuous lessons across. A true sign of great writing, in my opinion.
Curdie and Princess Irene are marvelous examples for any child to emulate, and their struggles and victories are ones that can truly benefit the attentive listener who applies them.
A home-library must!
Ages: 5+
Cleanliness: there is fairytale magic, ogres, a few mildly intense scenes in the dark, with fire, and/or with hideous beasts. A lady is thought to be an evil witch but she is not.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here��s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
Like Pilgrim’s Progress, this children’s fairytale is full of such profound truths and beauty. Rich in character and moral parables, this book is one that should be owned by all and read often.
And the story is exceptional! So much thought must have gone into it because it was the driving force, not merely a side-thought to get virtuous lessons across. A true sign of great writing, in my opinion.
Curdie and Princess Irene are marvelous examples for any child to emulate, and their struggles and victories are ones that can truly benefit the attentive listener who applies them.
A home-library must!
Ages: 5+
Cleanliness: there is fairytale magic, ogres, a few mildly intense scenes in the dark, with fire, and/or with hideous beasts. A lady is thought to be an evil witch but she is not.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here��s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
July 19, 2016
The first chapter of this book was very slow and boring, but it picked up soon after and swung into a clever adventure. I loved seeing Curdie grow up, and it was delightful when Irene and her king-papa came into the story again. (And that spunky housemaid was a treat!) Also, Curdie and Lina's unexpected friendship really hit home for me. Unfortunately, evolutionary ideas, some very odd creatures, and the quirky worldview being more explicit made this second book less enjoyable for me.
Best quote: "The boy should enclose and keep as his life, the old child at the heart of him, and never let it go. He must still, to be a right man, be his mother's darling, and more, his father's pride, and more. The child is not meant to die, but to be forever freshborn."
Altogether, I found this to be an entertaining follow-up for older readers who love Curdie.
Best quote: "The boy should enclose and keep as his life, the old child at the heart of him, and never let it go. He must still, to be a right man, be his mother's darling, and more, his father's pride, and more. The child is not meant to die, but to be forever freshborn."
Altogether, I found this to be an entertaining follow-up for older readers who love Curdie.
November 28, 2019
So different from the first book. I wondered many times if it was George who have written it?
Not the same storytelling and even if the time has passed a bit Curdie didn´t seem "as himself" until 2/3 of the book.
The ending? what was that about? Don´t going to spoil anything but it was to short.
Not the same storytelling and even if the time has passed a bit Curdie didn´t seem "as himself" until 2/3 of the book.
The ending? what was that about? Don´t going to spoil anything but it was to short.
February 4, 2015
This sequel to "The Princess and the Goblin" starts a little oddly (though the discussion of the mountains is beautiful), but it develops into a wonderful and rich tale.
"The Princess and Curdie" picks up about a year after the events of "The Princess and the Goblin." It starts a new adventure, while remaining firmly a part of the story of the first book. I read the second book immediately after finishing the first, so I can't quite imagine appreciating it as much without the history I feel with the characters, the places, the mythology, and the themes that "The Princess and the Goblin" gave me.
Remember that MacDonald wrote allegorically. These, as well as many of his other fictional works, were intended to be appreciated not only for the sake of the story itself, but also for the moral, philosophical, and even theological lessons the story promotes. Remembering that will explain, for example, why "The Princess and Curdie" ends the way it does. Part of the ending I loved and anticipated eagerly (I won't spoil it) and part disappointed me. But no doubt MacDonald intended the reader to be disappointed. It's instructional and will be clear when you finish.
I don't give out many five-star ratings. That is how much I enjoyed this book!
"The Princess and Curdie" picks up about a year after the events of "The Princess and the Goblin." It starts a new adventure, while remaining firmly a part of the story of the first book. I read the second book immediately after finishing the first, so I can't quite imagine appreciating it as much without the history I feel with the characters, the places, the mythology, and the themes that "The Princess and the Goblin" gave me.
Remember that MacDonald wrote allegorically. These, as well as many of his other fictional works, were intended to be appreciated not only for the sake of the story itself, but also for the moral, philosophical, and even theological lessons the story promotes. Remembering that will explain, for example, why "The Princess and Curdie" ends the way it does. Part of the ending I loved and anticipated eagerly (I won't spoil it) and part disappointed me. But no doubt MacDonald intended the reader to be disappointed. It's instructional and will be clear when you finish.
I don't give out many five-star ratings. That is how much I enjoyed this book!
March 4, 2023
This book is officially my favorite fairy tale that I have read. After reading several Macdonald books with my son as well as Phantastes, it became immediately obvious that the moments you love and long for in his other books that sometimes feel a bit few and far in between were perfected here. After searching for this book’s publication date in relation to his other works, one sees it did come much later and I believe he perfected his craft. He takes you “further up and further in.” Lewis says Macdonald baptized his imagination with Phantastes and I think I can say he baptized mine with this book.
August 14, 2016
The Princess and the Goblin is one of the gems of children's literature that deserves to sit on any bookshelf. The same can not be said of its sequel The Princess and Curdie, which differs so much in tone and content from the original that it is sometimes difficult to remember it is in fact a sequel to the dreamy, beautiful The Princess and the Goblin. Don't get me wrong, I love George MacDonald's wonderful books, and although there are some nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout the book and Irene's grandmother is as fascinating as ever (as well as being one of the few feminine representations of Christian mysticism in children's literature) this particular MacDonald novel left me a little cold.
It begins extremely well: after the cataclysmic events at the conclusion of the previous book, the ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
It begins extremely well: after the cataclysmic events at the conclusion of the previous book, the ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
March 2, 2023
LOVED this book. Having read three other MacDonald books(The Princess and the Goblin, Phantastes, and The Back of the North Wind), this is his best so far. The writing and symbology is gorgeous.
Controversial Opinion: I don’t know that you need to read The Princess and the Goblin to get the most of this book either!! 🤭🫣 Which really goes against by Type A reading tendencies. This book is so good, I am seriously contemplating just handing it out to people. Now, I just want a bunch of free time to jump into the rest of the MacDonald canon.
Controversial Opinion: I don’t know that you need to read The Princess and the Goblin to get the most of this book either!! 🤭🫣 Which really goes against by Type A reading tendencies. This book is so good, I am seriously contemplating just handing it out to people. Now, I just want a bunch of free time to jump into the rest of the MacDonald canon.
November 24, 2015
The sequel to the Princess and the Goblin, and I think I liked this one a bit more. It is interesting to read MacDonald's fiction while reading his nonfiction at the same time as there are numerous parallels to draw. Or, to put it another way, it is fun to see how he makes the same point in story and in essay. It is also continually interesting to see how different his fantasy is from later writers, but yet how the similarities set the stage.
February 1, 2014
The Princess and Curdie is one of my five favorite books of all time. Really. The perfect blend of fairy tale, romance (yes, romance!), morality play, allegory, adventure, and poetry. All of MacDonald's books are beautiful, but this one tops them all. Highly recommended.
January 7, 2015
The second of MacDonald's books about Curdie the Miner and Irene the Princess. Curdie is sent out by the Princess' grandmother on an errand - he does not know what it is, but only that he must go to the King and do what is needed when he gets there. Like all MacDonald's books it is steeped in Christian imagery and meaning, the main theme here being faith.
When I read it as a child I remember being very struck by the gift that Curdie is granted of being able to fell the true shape of a person's soul by taking their hand in his. Thus: his mother's work worn hand seems soft and gentle; the scheming courtiers are revealed as a snake and a bird of prey; and the dishonest servants as various creatures associated with stupidity or theft. It strikes me still as an arresting idea. The explanation for his gift is this:"Since it is always what they do, whether in their minds of their bodies, that makes men go down to be less than men, that is, beasts, the change always come first in their hands...they do not know it of course; for a beast does not know that he is a beast, and the nearer a man gets to being a beast the less he knows it...To such a person there is in general no insult like the truth. He cannot endure it, not because he is growing a beast, but because he is ceasing to be a man. It is the dying man in him that makes him uncomfortable, and he trots, or creeps, or swims or flutters out of its way - calls it a foolish feeling, a whim, an old wives' fable, a bit of priests' humbug, an effete superstition, and so on...Many a lady, so delicate and nice that she can bear nothing coarser than the finest linen to touch her body, if she had a mirror that could show her the animal she is growing to, as it lies waiting within the fair skin and the fine linen and the silk and the jewels, would receive a shock that might possibly wake her up."
MacDonald is too preachy for most modern tastes, but he tells hard spiritual truths, and mixes them in with a good yarn and some beautiful language.
When I read it as a child I remember being very struck by the gift that Curdie is granted of being able to fell the true shape of a person's soul by taking their hand in his. Thus: his mother's work worn hand seems soft and gentle; the scheming courtiers are revealed as a snake and a bird of prey; and the dishonest servants as various creatures associated with stupidity or theft. It strikes me still as an arresting idea. The explanation for his gift is this:"Since it is always what they do, whether in their minds of their bodies, that makes men go down to be less than men, that is, beasts, the change always come first in their hands...they do not know it of course; for a beast does not know that he is a beast, and the nearer a man gets to being a beast the less he knows it...To such a person there is in general no insult like the truth. He cannot endure it, not because he is growing a beast, but because he is ceasing to be a man. It is the dying man in him that makes him uncomfortable, and he trots, or creeps, or swims or flutters out of its way - calls it a foolish feeling, a whim, an old wives' fable, a bit of priests' humbug, an effete superstition, and so on...Many a lady, so delicate and nice that she can bear nothing coarser than the finest linen to touch her body, if she had a mirror that could show her the animal she is growing to, as it lies waiting within the fair skin and the fine linen and the silk and the jewels, would receive a shock that might possibly wake her up."
MacDonald is too preachy for most modern tastes, but he tells hard spiritual truths, and mixes them in with a good yarn and some beautiful language.
April 16, 2021
I'd remembered this as being a bit less good than "The Princess and the Goblin", and little else.
The kids had "The Princess and the Goblin" read to them for the second time, and clamored for more of Irene and Curdie's adventures. So I started reading them the sequel. The first night, after long passages of purple prose about the mountains, I started frantically eliding whole paragraphs in the hopes we'd get somewhere. After they'd fallen asleep I spent some time figuring out whether or not I could cut enough to keep their interest. Probably not.
I'm holding with vaguely three-star memories from reading "The Princess and the Curdie" (and its very memorable ending) on the train, but the book just isn't amenable to being turned into bedtime reading fodder for my spawn.
The kids had "The Princess and the Goblin" read to them for the second time, and clamored for more of Irene and Curdie's adventures. So I started reading them the sequel. The first night, after long passages of purple prose about the mountains, I started frantically eliding whole paragraphs in the hopes we'd get somewhere. After they'd fallen asleep I spent some time figuring out whether or not I could cut enough to keep their interest. Probably not.
I'm holding with vaguely three-star memories from reading "The Princess and the Curdie" (and its very memorable ending) on the train, but the book just isn't amenable to being turned into bedtime reading fodder for my spawn.
May 16, 2021
Great story with lots of conflict.
A nice fantasy read with some fight scenes and political intrigue. Beautifully crafted with deep underlying meanings.
Curdie is summoned to the King's palace where he discovers a plot against the King. With the help of some unusual creatures he manages to thwart the plans of the conspirators.
This is more than just a fantasy tale, as MacDonald always writes with a spiritual undertone that some may not see. Look closely and you may find some very precious jewels at the heart of his writings.
Content concerns: Mild violence, fight scenes, alcohol references.
A nice fantasy read with some fight scenes and political intrigue. Beautifully crafted with deep underlying meanings.
Curdie is summoned to the King's palace where he discovers a plot against the King. With the help of some unusual creatures he manages to thwart the plans of the conspirators.
This is more than just a fantasy tale, as MacDonald always writes with a spiritual undertone that some may not see. Look closely and you may find some very precious jewels at the heart of his writings.
Content concerns: Mild violence, fight scenes, alcohol references.
June 16, 2015
Even better than I remembered!
October 4, 2023
Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I just couldn't get into it and had a hard time paying attention as I was listening to the audiobook.
January 3, 2024
I loved the first book The Princess and the Goblin as a kid and then had a major disillusionment with it on a re-read as an adult. I still decided to read the second book in the series because that was the whole reason why I re-read the first book and I was curious. This book isn't really problematic in the same way the first book is problematic, but it's really boring. This is just very thinly veiled Christian messaging and... I mean, if I wanted to read that I would have just picked up the Bible, probably Evangelium according to John, because that one is actually entertaining to read. Or Narnia books... though, I am a bit worried about that re-read now too. I thought I would write more detailed review for this book, but you know what, I don't really want to waste my time on that...
Also, dogs die in this one...
Listened to this free audiobook, it's not the best I listened to from LibriVox, but it was fine: https://librivox.org/the-princess-and...
Also, dogs die in this one...
Listened to this free audiobook, it's not the best I listened to from LibriVox, but it was fine: https://librivox.org/the-princess-and...
August 26, 2015
I am surprising myself, but I did not like this book although I loved several of Macdonald's other similar tales such as Prince and the Golem and Light Girl Dark Boy. The problem I had with this tale was the message. I can't explain that message very well without spoiling the book, but the basic idea has to do with equating man's fall from goodness into representing animals. In other words beasts are symbols of the worst a man can be. Using animals as symbols of depravity and evil. Doesn't work well as an analogy for me at all! I take strong objection to this idea. My friends won't be surprised.
November 11, 2014
I did not love this one quite as much as the first but I did enjoy it a considerable amount. MacDonald does a brilliant job of weaving morals and spiritual truths into fantastical stories. This sequel to The Princess and the Goblin was interesting, extremely good reading and uplifting. A very nice hero's tale and something that I will share with my kids in the near future.
November 28, 2014
I do believe this is better than The Princess and the Goblin in some ways. Less fairy tale and more fable, and so poignantly powerful. Just a beautiful book.
March 30, 2019
I loved this one even more than the first book. I see myself reading these over and over.
January 13, 2023
George MacDonald really did have the gift of creating new fairy tales! I enjoyed this one very much.
November 28, 2014
It all begins when Curdie, on his walk home from another day at the mines, kills a pigeon. He then realizes that pigeons were associated with the mysterious and wonderful great-great grandmother of Princess Irene. So he takes the dying bird to her, but what is restored is not merely the dying bird but the dying spark in Curdie's life, that is being slowly quenched by coarseness and beastliness. He is bid to thrust his hands into a fire of rose petals through which the beastliness is cleansed and he is given a special capacity to discern those growing in their humanity from those descending into beastliness as he grasps their hands.
This is a key theme that runs through the book, that people are on one of two roads, growing more fully human or descending to the level of beasts. Yet even for the latter there is a hint of hope as some of the beasts we encounter in this story seem to be former humans on a journey of redemption--which strikes me as an odd note, a form of reincarnationalism, or a second chance for the condemned from a Christian author. Yet this is fantasy, and the note here perhaps is one that the power of redemption is greater than that of beastly evil.
Curdie is sent by the great-great grandmother to the king's city of Gwyntystorm along with Lina, a fierce, ugly, dog-like creature who is intensely loyal to him. He is not told his mission but that it will become apparent as he obeys and properly uses his gift. It is apparent from the moment of their arrival that all is not right in the town as they are rudely treated, then imprisoned.
They make their escape and find their way into the king's castle, and quickly learn that all is not right at the heart of the kingdom. The castle is in disrepair, the servants are rude, lazy and corrupt. Worse yet, the king's councilors are conspiring and the king's doctor is slowly poisoning him as he lies ill in tormented delirium. Princess Irene is at his side, using all her powers to comfort him, while not fully grasping the evil plots surrounding her and the king.
The remainder of the story unfolds how Curdie and Lina accompanied by a host of beasts and a few who remain faithful to the king attempt to save king, princess, and kingdom from the corruption that has crept into the heart of Gwyntystorm.
The image of Curdie as one sent on a mission the nature and end of which is not disclosed rings true for any who have taken up the life of discipleship. We do not always know into what the faithful use of gifts will lead us. Similarly, success is not a matter of compromise with evil or having the assurance that all will turn out well but the faithful pursuit of the right, leaving the results and consequences in the hands of Another.
Once again, one sees why these stories have had such an abiding place in the hearts of both children and adults and how fantasy may sometimes speak more truly of reality than the most "realistic" stories.
This is a key theme that runs through the book, that people are on one of two roads, growing more fully human or descending to the level of beasts. Yet even for the latter there is a hint of hope as some of the beasts we encounter in this story seem to be former humans on a journey of redemption--which strikes me as an odd note, a form of reincarnationalism, or a second chance for the condemned from a Christian author. Yet this is fantasy, and the note here perhaps is one that the power of redemption is greater than that of beastly evil.
Curdie is sent by the great-great grandmother to the king's city of Gwyntystorm along with Lina, a fierce, ugly, dog-like creature who is intensely loyal to him. He is not told his mission but that it will become apparent as he obeys and properly uses his gift. It is apparent from the moment of their arrival that all is not right in the town as they are rudely treated, then imprisoned.
They make their escape and find their way into the king's castle, and quickly learn that all is not right at the heart of the kingdom. The castle is in disrepair, the servants are rude, lazy and corrupt. Worse yet, the king's councilors are conspiring and the king's doctor is slowly poisoning him as he lies ill in tormented delirium. Princess Irene is at his side, using all her powers to comfort him, while not fully grasping the evil plots surrounding her and the king.
The remainder of the story unfolds how Curdie and Lina accompanied by a host of beasts and a few who remain faithful to the king attempt to save king, princess, and kingdom from the corruption that has crept into the heart of Gwyntystorm.
The image of Curdie as one sent on a mission the nature and end of which is not disclosed rings true for any who have taken up the life of discipleship. We do not always know into what the faithful use of gifts will lead us. Similarly, success is not a matter of compromise with evil or having the assurance that all will turn out well but the faithful pursuit of the right, leaving the results and consequences in the hands of Another.
Once again, one sees why these stories have had such an abiding place in the hearts of both children and adults and how fantasy may sometimes speak more truly of reality than the most "realistic" stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 699 reviews