Rethinking George MacDonald

Ginger Stelle

ISBN 10: 190898001X / ISBN 13: 9781908980014

Published by Association for Scottish Literary Studies, GB, 2013

About this Item

George MacDonald (1824 - 1905) is the acknowledged forefather of later fantasy writers such as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien: however, his place in his own time is seldom examined. This omission does MacDonald a grave disservice. By ignoring a fundamental aspect of what made MacDonald the man he was, the critical habit of viewing MacDonald's work only in terms of his followers reinforces the long-entrenched assessment that it has a limited value - one only for religious enthusiasts and fantasy lovers. The essays in this anthology seek to correct that omission, by looking directly at MacDonald the Victorian - at his place in the Victorian literary scene, at his engagement with the works of his literary contemporaries and at his interest in the social, political, and theological movements of his age. The resulting portrait reveals a MacDonald who deserves a more prominent place in the rich literary history of the nineteenth century than he has hitherto been given.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781908980014

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Rethinking George MacDonald
• Publisher: Association for Scottish Literary Studies, GB
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 190898001X
• ISBN 13: 9781908980014
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 375 grams

About this title

Synopsis

George MacDonald (1824-1905) is the acknowledged forefather of later fantasy writers such as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien: however, his place in his own time is seldom examined. This omission does MacDonald a grave disservice. By ignoring a fundamental aspect of what made MacDonald the man he was, the critical habit of viewing MacDonald's work only in terms of his followers reinforces the long-entrenched assessment that it has a limited value - one only for religious enthusiasts and fantasy lovers. The essays in this anthology seek to correct that omission, by looking directly at MacDonald the Victorian - at his place in the Victorian literary scene, at his engagement with the works of his literary contemporaries and at his interest in the social, political, and theological movements of his age. The resulting portrait reveals a MacDonald who deserves a more prominent place in the rich literary history of the nineteenth century than he has hitherto been given.