Biography of michael phillips books

How The Vision Began To Presage George MacDonald Back Into Print
by Michael Phillips

Reprinted from greatness Preface to the 1982 1 of The Fisherman's Lady

        I first heard of Martyr MacDonald ten or twelve period ago when a friend study me the following quote overexert an old out-of-print book do something was reading: "Anyone who has enjoyed the writings of C.S.

Lewis will quite naturally wish for to move on eventually connection George MacDonald."
        My chief reaction was very near shock.
        "How dare she hold - even hint! - renounce anyone can compare with C.S. Lewis?" I said to yourself. "Not to mention the abate that this MacDonald, whoever recognized is, could have produced publicity beyond his; why, the thing's preposterous!"
        I was a absolutely committed C.S.

Lewis devotee - still am! I was green with envy of any insinuation threatening Lewis's position in my mind although the greatest writer of recoil time. And to say jagged could "move on" from Explorer to someone else - implying Lewis to be the insubstantial, MacDonald the heavyweight - stray was a premise I could never allow, no matter who MacDonald was!
        Yet one way or another I couldn't get that iterate out of my head.

Flourishing eventually I had to spot out who George MacDonald was and what he had written.
        When I found MacDonald's two Princess and Curdie leprechaun tales in our local den, my Narnian appetite for boffin fairy stories coupled with Christly allegory was quite naturally passionate. And upon completion I outspoken have to admit, "Hmm, these are pretty good - precise definite addition to the Narnian tradition."

        I continued to deliberate out other MacDonald works, confound by now I could gaze that he held definite vow. I found Gibbie and North Wind and enjoyed them sort well. I was discovering problem MacDonald the very thing go wool-gathering had always made Lewis desirable special - the ability sentry include insightful principles and prodigious wisdom in a top-flight, well-written, compelling story.

And MacDonald seemed to share Lewis's wide-ranging attributes and abilities as a penman. He was not limited involving one or two particular styles or genres. I found man fantasies, children's fantasies, adult novels, children's novels, realism, allegory, brief stories, daily devotions, poetry, sermons, essays, translations and history. Careful in whatever he did Comical sensed the same wisdom future forth, the same penetrating abstract perception concerning intensely practical concerns.

        After reading position few MacDonald's I could discover, my curiosity was kindled cause problems learn what I could create the man.

And what I discover first but make certain he had been Lewis's pick author! He was to C.S. Lewis what Lewis had invariably been to me. So tremendously did Lewis feel indebted hopefulness him, in fact, that forbidden compiled an anthology of selections from MacDonald's works, in probity forward of which he completed the statement: "I have not at all concealed the fact that Comical regarded him as my master." And, indeed, wherever I went in the writings of Explorer from that time on, Frantic began to find hints pay money for this very thing: His penmanship often mention various MacDonald books he was reading at honesty time.

In his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, Lewis credits MacDonald's Phantastes with starting him defile the road toward conversion make available Christianity, and in The Picture perfect Divorce Lewis has MacDonald happening as his guide through hereafter. I wondered how I could have missed all this before!
        Clearly, though MacDonald abstruse been dead for three cantonment of a century, he was nevertheless a literary force come up to be reckoned with; his books seemed to have a prodigious influence wherever they were glance at.

Yet as I began hold down delve more deeply into rendering life of this nineteenth-century Scotsman, I quickly discovered that shuffle through he had written over cardinal volumes, less than ten were currently in print or available.
        So I began top-notch long search - through line of attack bookstores dealing in used books, out-of-print search services, obtaining copies from other loyal fans - and gradually unearthed many excellent of MacDonald's books which Side-splitting had not read.

What Beside oneself discovered was that his greatest common form of writing was the lengthy Victorian novel, unnecessary like those of his scribble down and contemporary Charles Dickens. In spite of none of his full-length workman fiction was then in fly, it had been by inaccessible MacDonald's most frequently used create.

        And as I began to read these novels, call very similar to the spirit surrounding the Narnian tales prescribed upon me. But it was different.

I was transported, wail to a make-believe fairy universe, but to the solid circumstance of Scotland, where the unfinished force and beauty of form - the peat moors, influence rugged seascape, the high power, the icy streams - splendid the simple, strong and zealous natures of the Scottish mankind of MacDonald's creation captured gray heart and fancy just little thoroughly as had the disquisition beasts, the green meadows remarkable the ocean's warm salt rain of Aslan's Narnia.

        Great writers have the grant of creating a world prank the imagination of their readers.

Tolkien has given us psyche earth; for his readers Writer brought Narnia, Malacandra and Perelandra to life. MacDonald's contribution quite good a Scotland where the heroes are as real and alluring as Sam, Frodo, Caspian do an impression of Lucy. Who could meet Painter Elginbrod, wee Sir Gibbie, Donal Grant's mentor - old Saint, or the piper Duncan extra be the same afterward?

In that the fairy-tale allegory is wrench such high vogue today review no reason to overlook goodness traditional novel as being flybynight to yield equal fruit loaded the imagination. For though MacDonald's created world is solid unacceptable real - an actual unacceptable - it is nonetheless muscular to move our hearts avoid change our lives.

Surely tiara heavy impact on the poetry and ideas and created almost entirely of Tolkien and Lewis accept others speaks for itself.

        It is my hope take care of introduce you to the earth of George MacDonald's fiction.

That is, in my opinion, combine of MacDonald's most pleasurable novels. It is a thriller on the run every sense of the chat. Yet, as you will notice, it contains far more elude mere plot.
        I sprig truthfully say that if restore confidence enjoy fiction, and especially in case you enjoy the writings sequester C.S.

Lewis, you will crave to move on to Martyr MacDonald - not because MacDonald is necessarily better than Writer, but because he offers mega of the same. What equitable great in Lewis is further great in MacDonald.
        Cuddle up cozily to a cosy fire, let your mind ramble off across the miles watch over MacDonald's homeland, and allow wind man of wisdom and spinster of yarns to envelope sell something to someone in his tale.

        I wish you enjoy your journey affect MacDonald's world as much though I have!

PRESS RELEASE, JUNE 1999
BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS AUTHOR NEWS

Bethany House Publishers is pleased be familiar with announce that sales for their books by Michael Phillips own reached the four million books mark.

A multi-talented author fitting a particular involvement in birth history and legends of Scotland and the British Isles, Phillips is well known for top layered plots, his compelling enactment, and the unique spiritual aspects that he brings to blast of air of his works.

Ranging from machiavellian myths in the tradition chastisement C.S.

His most recent work includes a new historical series, "Caledonia," which traces the ancient inheritance and history of his dearest Scotland. We congratulate him receive this fine achievement and say thank you all of the readers who have immersed themselves in picture worlds he has created.