The Library
of Alexandria
7 h 45 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
StandardLarge printLarge print · bigger, clearer type
Phantastes, paperbackPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soon
Phantastes, hardcoverHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soon
About this book

Step into a faerie romance whose vision inspires Tolkien and Lewis.

George MacDonald’s Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women invites you into a visionary faerie tale. First published in 1858, it brings the promise of faerie to adult readers, as its subtitle makes clear.

The book’s connection to Tolkien and Lewis offers another reason to begin. If those names draw your interest, here is a chance to encounter MacDonald’s own work: not through its influence alone, but through the tale itself.

What you’ll discover

  • A romance of faerie Meet a work that places faerie at the heart of its invitation.
  • A tale for adults Discover a faerie romance expressly addressed to men and women.
  • MacDonald’s visionary imagination Spend time with the visionary tale that bears George MacDonald’s name.
  • A connection worth exploring Read the work identified as an inspiration to Tolkien and Lewis.
  • Beyond the familiar names Let that connection lead you to Phantastes on its own terms.

Who will love it

For readers who love visionary faerie tales, and anyone drawn to the work that inspired Tolkien and Lewis.

What’s inside
Formats and delivery
eBook
On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
Large-print eBook
The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
Audiobook
7 h 45 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
15-minute summary
The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read or to hear.
Paperback
6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Hardcover
6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Large print paperback
8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Large print hardcover
8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.

eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.

How it works
  1. Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
  2. Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
  3. We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.

Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.

Start the yearly plan free · Start the monthly plan free

25 languages, side by side

Read and hear Phantastes in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.

Science Fiction

Phantastes

by George MacDonald · 1858

George MacDonald’s faerie romance invites you into the visionary tale that inspired Tolkien and Lewis.

Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages

Excellent

  • Read or listen
  • 25 languages, side by side
  • Print and large print at cost
  • 5 accounts for the price of one
Format: eBook
Type size: Standard

Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device

Read free3 months free · cancel anytime

Free for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works

We accept Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay.

In short

Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women is a work by George MacDonald. The Visionary Faerie Tale That Inspired Tolkien and Lewis.

Phantastes by George MacDonald, the cover

Free gifts

580 USD in free gifts when you start

Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.

Try 3 months freeFree for 3 months · Renews every year · Cancel anytime
  • 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side170 USDFREE
  • Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device120 USDFREE
  • 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages60 USDFREE
  • Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print60 USDFREE
  • 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home170 USDFREE
  • A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for allFREE

Questions about Phantastes

Can I read it free?

Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.

Can I buy the printed book?

Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.

How many accounts do I get?

Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.

The author

George MacDonald

1824–1905 · Scottish fantasy novelist and minister

George MacDonald (1824–1905) was a Scottish writer and Christian minister. Born in Huntly, Scotland, he later lived in England and Italy. He wrote novels, fairy tales, poetry and sermons. His books include Phantastes (1858), At the Back of the North Wind (1871), The Princess and the Goblin (1872) and Lilith (1895).

More by George MacDonald

All 8 books

More like this

Our mission

The library burned once. We are building it back.

Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.

Read our story
  • Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
  • No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
  • For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing

Popular in science fiction

See all
PhantastesFree for 3 months · nothing to pay today
Read free