George MacDonald (1824-1905) is one of the great Victorians, friend to John Ruskin, Lewis Carroll, and Arthur Hughes, among others. He wrote in virtually all the genres--fiction, drama, sermons, poetry, criticism, fantasy--but is perhaps best remembered as one of the greatest and most enduringly influential of the Victorian writers for children. Sixteen essays--five reprints and eleven original--analyze MacDonald's work for children. All the full-length fantasies--At the Back of the North Wind, The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie, The Lost Princess--and the major short pieces--"The Light Princess," "The Golden Key," "Cross Purposes," "The Giant's Heart" receive extended commentary. Contributors: Celia Anderson, Melba Battin, A. Waller Hastings, Cynthia Marshall, Rod McGillis, Michael Mendelson, Nancy-Lou Patterson, Stephen Prickett, William Raeper, Frank Riga, Cordelia Sherman, Joseph Sigman, Lesley Smith, and Nancy Willard.
