The Princess and the Goblin

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (1872)

Princess Irene discovers a mysterious great-great-grandmother spinning in a tower, while miner boy Curdie uncovers a goblin plot to invade the castle from below. The fairy tale that inspired Tolkien, Lewis, and modern fantasy.

Historical Significance:
George MacDonald, a Scottish minister and author, published The Princess and the Goblin in 1872. C.S. Lewis wrote that reading MacDonald's Phantastes at age 16 "baptized my imagination" and called MacDonald "my master." Tolkien acknowledged MacDonald's influence on The Hobbit — the goblins tunneling beneath mountains are directly descended from MacDonald's goblins. G.K. Chesterton called The Princess and the Goblin "a book that has made a difference to my whole existence." Without MacDonald, there would likely be no Narnia, no Middle-earth, and no modern fantasy genre as we know it.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1872. Free to read and share.