Resumen
Resumen de The Princess and the Goblin
Para quién es
For readers who love fairy tales, parents who enjoy a gentle bedtime story with some real fear in it, and anyone curious about the roots of modern fantasy.
De qué trata este libro
The Princess and the Goblin is a children's fantasy novel by the Scottish writer George MacDonald. It first appeared in 1872, first in a magazine for young readers and then as a book. MacDonald was a minister and a storyteller, and he wrote it for children while holding that a fairy tale should speak to grown people too. It tells of a young princess, a brave miner's boy, and a race of creatures who live under the mountain and wish the people above nothing but harm.
In this summary you will meet Princess Irene, who is eight years old and lives in a lonely house on a mountainside. You will meet Curdie, a boy who works in the mines and who is quick, kind and stubborn. You will learn what lies in the tower above Irene's nursery, and why the goblins fear a simple rhyme. Along the way the book asks a plain question that matters to children and adults alike. What do we do with things we cannot see? Let us begin with the house on the mountain and the child who is sent there to be safe.
En este resumen
- 1A princess hidden on the mountainFree
- 2Irene finds a grandmother in the tower
- 3Curdie learns what lives beneath
- 4Lost on the mountain after dark
- 5What it means to see and to believe
- 6How MacDonald tells the tale
Idea clave 1 de 6
A princess hidden on the mountain
The story opens in a kingdom among high hills. Princess Irene is eight years old, and her father the king has sent her to live in a large country house on the side of a mountain. The air there is good for her, and the house is far from the noise of the court. She is looked after by a nurse named Lootie, who loves her and obeys her a little too easily.
The narrator soon tells us that the mountain has a secret. Deep inside it live goblins, strange and twisted creatures who were once driven underground by the kings of the country. They have never forgiven that. They have hard heads and soft feet, and their faces are grotesque. They hate the people who live above them, and they spend their long nights thinking up ways to annoy them.
The danger is real, but at first Irene only half knows it. She hears odd sounds at night, like knocking and scraping in the rock. The grown people in the house treat all of this as talk for children. Yet the reader senses that the stories are true, and that the house is not as safe as the king believes.
The great house with its many stairs and empty rooms feels like a place where anything could be hidden. A child who is lonely and curious in such a house will go looking, and that is exactly what Irene does on a rainy day when there is nothing to do.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- Princess Irene
- An inquisitive eight-year-old princess, Irene lives in a mountain house under the care of her nurse, Lootie.
- Curdie
- A brave young miner and the son of Peter and Joan, Curdie befriends Princess Irene.
- Lootie
- Irene's affectionate nurse looks after the princess and worries about dangers beyond their mountain home.
- The great-great-grandmother
- Irene's mysterious ancestor spins in a secluded tower and watches over her young descendant.
- Peter
- Curdie's father is an honest miner who shares his knowledge of the mountain with his son.
- Joan
- Curdie's loving mother keeps the family cottage and offers her son warmth and encouragement.
- The King
- Irene's devoted father has placed his daughter in the mountain house for her health.
- The goblins
- These hostile underground creatures resent the people above them and threaten Irene and the miners.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 52,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 3 h 30 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary; paperback, hardcover and large print at cost
- LanguagesEnglish and 13 other languages
Questions about The Princess and the Goblin
What is The Princess and the Goblin about?
It tells of Princess Irene, who lives in a mountain house, and Curdie, a miner's boy. Together they face goblins who live under the mountain and plot against the king's household, while a secret grandmother in the tower guides Irene.
Who wrote The Princess and the Goblin and when?
George MacDonald, a Scottish author and minister, wrote it. It was first published in 1872, and it appeared in a children's magazine before coming out as a book.
What is the thread in The Princess and the Goblin?
The thread is a fine, almost invisible line spun by Irene's great-great-grandmother and tied to a ring she gives the princess. It guides Irene when she needs to find her way, and it stands for trust.
Why do the goblins hate rhymes?
In the story goblins cannot bear verses and songs, which make them angry and drive them away. Curdie discovers this and uses his own rhymes as a defence against them.
Is The Princess and the Goblin worth reading today?
Yes, if you enjoy fairy tales with a kind narrator and real danger. It is short, easy to follow, and helped shape later fantasy by Lewis and Tolkien. It suits both children and adults.