7 h 45 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 7 h 45 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout 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
Readers who love fairy tales, dreams, old ballads and quests with a moral heart will enjoy this novel. It suits those drawn to strange landscapes where trees, flowers and shadows carry meaning.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A tiny lady opens a road into Fairy Land
- A beech tree saves him from the Ash
- A song frees the lady in the marble
- A beautiful woman with no heart leads him astray
- A shadow attaches itself to him and spoils what it touches
- A palace of marble holds a library where he lives other lives
- He loses her in the dark and finds a home on an island
- The shadow stands for self, and self is the enemy
- Love given freely is the book's deeper lesson
- The book is told like a dream and sung in poems
Who’s who
- AnodosA young man of twenty-one who follows a stream into Fairy Land, longing for beauty and learning slowly what his longing costs.
- The fairy ladyA tiny, ancient woman from his father's desk who grows tall, promises him the way into Fairy Land and sends him on.
- The woman of the beech treeA tree who feels like a woman in the rain, longs to be human, and shelters Anodos from the Ash.
- The AshA hungry, shadowy tree creature with a hole in his heart who hunts Anodos by night.
- The marble ladyA lady sleeping in alabaster whom Anodos wakes with his singing, and who becomes the object of his long pursuit.
- The Maiden of the Alder-treeA beautiful but hollow enchantress who lives only to be admired and hands Anodos over to danger.
- The knight in rusty armorA humbled knight who warns Anodos and fights on until his armor shines, a model of steady courage.
- The old woman of the cottageAn ancient woman with young eyes who lives on an island of four doors and comforts him with songs.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
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- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women
by George MacDonald · 1858
A young man named Anodos follows a stream from his bedroom floor into Fairy Land, and his own shadow follows him.
Medium level5–10 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
What would you do if the water in your washbasin began to run across the carpet, and the painted daisies bent in the current? That is how Phantastes begins.
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 35 min3 h 35 min fast, 5 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 64,900 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1858by George MacDonald
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A tiny lady opens a road into Fairy Land
On his twenty-first birthday, Anodos receives the keys to his dead father's writing desk. He opens it with a strange mix of reverence and curiosity. A hidden panel springs open and shows a small chamber with withered rose petals and a packet of papers.
Then a tiny woman stands on the threshold, shaped like a Greek statuette come to life. She calls him by name. She grows into a tall lady with blue eyes and dark hair, and tells him he will find the way into Fairy Land tomorrow. He sinks into her eyes like seas.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 15 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1858
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 5 h 0 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
MacDonald, George. Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/phantastes-a-faerie-romance-for-men-and-women.
MacDonald, G. (2026). Phantastes: A faerie romance for men and women. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/phantastes-a-faerie-romance-for-men-and-women (Original work published 1858)
MacDonald, George. Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/phantastes-a-faerie-romance-for-men-and-women.
@book{macdonald2026phantastes,
author = {MacDonald, George},
title = {Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/phantastes-a-faerie-romance-for-men-and-women},
note = {First published 1858}
}
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What is Phantastes about?
A young man named Anodos follows a stream from his bedroom into Fairy Land. He meets living trees, a marble lady and an enchantress, and gains a dark shadow that follows him as he learns about love and self.
Who is Anodos and what does his name mean?
Anodos is the narrator and hero. He is twenty-one when the story begins. The name is Greek for a way up or a path, and it suits a young man who travels upward through trials toward wisdom.
What does the shadow stand for in Phantastes?
The shadow is often read as the self that spoils what it touches, a mix of pride and self-regard. It dims wonder and makes him distrust a friend, while his journey teaches humility and loving service.
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
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