Reviews

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

hawaiian_hedgehog's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

wanderingstories's review against another edition

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4.0

"People must believe what they can, and those who believe more must not be hard upon those who believe less."

3.75 stars - I almost really liked this story. At over half way the story got better and better. There were even a few occasions were I laughed out loud because the scenes got more and more dramatic.

I liked Irene as the princess, Curdie the gentlemen and miner, and the wise and clever Grandmother of Irene. The setting of the place I felt was a bit limited, there could have been more told. Although as I read from the Introduction George grew up in Scotland and so his mountains felt as dramatic as Scotland's landscapes.

I especially liked the description of the Goblin Queen:
'Her nose was certainly broader at the end than its extreme length, and her eyes, instead of being horizontal, were set up like two perpendicular eggs, one on the broad, the other on the small end. Her mouth was no bigger than a small buttonhole until she laughed, when it stretched from ear to ear - only, to be sure, her ears were very nearly in the middle of her cheeks.'

And here are the quotes were I laughed out loud:

"He jumped up, as he thought, and began to dress, but, to his dismay, found that he was still lying in bed... But yet again he found himself snug in bed. Twenty times he tried, and twenty times he failed; for in fact he was not awake, only dreaming that he was."

"She was sitting wrapped in blankets on the bed, his mother trying for the hundredth time to light the fire which had been drowned by the rain that came down the chimney. The clay floor was one mass of mud, and the whole place looked wretched. But the faces of the mother and the princess shone as if their troubles only made them the merrier. Curdie burst out laughing at the sight of them."

I definitely want to read the next adventure in [b: The Princess and Curdie|444380|The Princess and Curdie|George MacDonald|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348714214s/444380.jpg|978413]

habiba_r's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

lorynholmes's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

joshuaray's review against another edition

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4.0

A delightful fairy tale that teaches valuable lessons and is simply a lot of fun. Also notable for its influence on writers such as Tolkien, Lewis, Carroll, and more!

justanaveragejo's review against another edition

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slow-paced

charlottesometimes's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

brendalovesbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

Being someone who loves fairy tales of all kinds, I have to say this was just wonderful. There was nothing earth shattering about the story, nothing big happens, but it was just lovely and fun to listen to (I listened on audio). I would love to read this to my kids someday.

mystiquemac's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

dansiger's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

An imaginative adventure story for kids that served as inspiration for Tolkien.