PHANTASTES: A FAERIE ROMANCE

First edition, first printing of a cornerstone of nineteenth century fantastic literature. Publisher's original green pebble grained cloth, decorated in blind to the upper and lower panels, titles and small foliage illustration in gilt to the spine. An excellent near fine copy, the binding square and firm with a bumping and a little softening to the spine tips. The cloth, faded at the spine is otherwise bright and fresh. The contents are entirely complete, clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. The inner front hinge is cracked but holding. Binder's ticket (Westley's, London) to the lower rear pastedown. Publisher's 16 page catalogue to the rear [in the first state], dated September 1858. A very attractive, entirely unsophisticated example, scarce thus.

The Scottish author's first book of prose and a cornerstone of nineteenth century fantastic literature. MacDonald's use of fantasy as a literary medium for exploring the human condition greatly influenced a generation of notable authors, including Lewis Carroll, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis (who featured him as a character in his 'The Great Divorce'). Lewis, in his introduction to 'George MacDonald: An Anthology' (Geoffrey Bles, 1946) wrote "I have never concealed the fact that I regard George Macdonald as my master; indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him. It must be almost thirty years ago that I bought - almost unwillingly, the Everyman edition of Phantastes. A few hours later I knew I had crossed a great frontier". (Bleiler; Locke: A Spectrum of Fantasy)