Phantastes | 
"The little waves, when I moved in the boat, heaved and fell with a plash as of molten silver, breaking the image of the moon into a thousand morsels, fusing again into one, as the ripples of laughter die into the still face of joy. The sleeping woods, in undefined massiveness; the water that flowed in its sleep; and, above all, the enchantress moon, which had cast them all, with her pale eye (...) ", in Phantastes by George Macdonald
pickA wild literary journey that may not be everyone's cup of tea. A story without story but with a lot meaning: about life and death and everything in between. About dreams and fears, about hopes and ideals, about love and selflessness. About a wanderer that should really start paying more attention to warnings and stop touching damsels who don't want to be touched.
Finally finished "Phantastes", by George Macdonald during #HyggeHourReadathon! Just a quiet read cuddled up on the couch under a warm blanket.
Loved this book! Reading it was akin to a spiritual experience, but without having to spend money on magic shrooms ?
@TheBookHippie @jenniferw88 @Chrissyreadit @AllDebooks
"(...) and find their common life in those wondrous hours that flow noiselessly over moveless death-like forms of men and women and children, lying strewn and parted beneath the weight of the heavy waves of night, which flow on and beat them down, and hold them drowned and senseless, until the ebbtide comes, and the waves sink away, back into the ocean of the dark", in Phantastes, by George Macdonald.
so-soVery obscure and at times confusing, and pleasant - but I am very glad that because of this book, we have had the pleasure of C.S. Lewis's great works in this world and also his immense example within Christianity. To me, I can now see a hint of Phantastes within the Magician's Nephew. That same otherworldliness that takes you by the hand to teach you something. But I do very much prefer the way it was done by Lewis.
pickAnother imaginative challenge weaved from the mind of the great spellbinding Mr MacDonald, most thoughtful, and magical, aroused in the prominent light of an intuitive and noble innocence, only found in the “holiness of the heart‘s affections.”
so-so4 stars if you like somewhat obscure classics. 2 stars for others. MacDonald influenced Tolkien, Lewis, others.
so-soThis is the story of a man's journey through Fairy Land... full of adventure after adventure, each one like a fairy tale in itself. It was dream-like and very episodic (and quite fitting to read as a serial). I can see how others have found some great spiritual parallels in it, but overall it felt a bit disconnected to me.
Catching up on serial reader tonight... I got a little carried away with the Christmas serials! Not pictured: all the issues of Phantastes I need to catch up on as well...
I started reading Phantastes on Serial Reader this week--I got bogged down and quit when I first read this one years ago, so I'm hoping the serial format will help rather than hurt my attention span!
Off to a late start (I an NOT a morning person ) Starting the #readathon with #serialreader . I'd never heard of this and it's quite a gem! #deweysreadathon
Afterwards I learned, that the best way to manage some kinds of pain fill thoughts, is to dare them to do their worst; to let them lie and gnaw at your heart till they are tired; and you find you still have a residue of life they cannot kill.
