Phantastes Audiobook By George MacDonald cover art

Phantastes

A Faerie Romance for Men and Women

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Phantastes

By: George MacDonald
Narrated by: Rebecca K. Reynolds
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The classic fantasy that influenced C. S. Lewis and Tolkien, considered one of George MacDonald's most important works, is the story of the young man, Anodos, and his adventures in fairyland which ultimately reveal the human condition. "I write, not for children," wrote George MacDonald, "but for the child-like, whether they be of five, or 50, or 75." All-at-once written with an innocent whimsy and soulful yearning, the heart of Anodos' journey through fairyland reveals a spiritual quest that requires a surrender of the self. MacDonald's fantasy novel as well as his other works have had major influence on many authors who considered him their mentor:

C. S. Lewis said, I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master; indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him.

J. R. R. Tolkien called his fairy tales stories of power and beauty.

Madeleine L'Engle said, Surely, George MacDonald is the grandfather of us all all of us who struggle to come to terms with truth through fantasy.

Public Domain (P)2021 Oasis Audio Classics Fairy Tales Fantasy Fiction Magic Heartfelt Feel-Good
Fantastical Imagery • Wonderful Allegory • Lovely Voice • Suspenseful Narrative • Dreamlike Quality • Classic Fantasy
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The reader made the insightful and well-written fairy romance more easier to understand and enjoyable. Thank you

Beautiful narratives

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Geoerge MacDonald's works have never grabbed me, but I thought I'd try this one. Not bad, but the protagonists is one of those characters who continually makes bad decisions. If he's told not to open a door or not to do something, inevitably he does it anyway. That characteristic reminds me of a B horror film.
The narrator does a good job except for two things: First, since the protagonist is male, it just seems weird to have a female narrator. Second, when she lowers her voice for dramatic purposes, it's so soft that it's hard to hear. I kept having to "rewind" dialogues and turn up the volume to hear what she was saying. That was very annoying.
I'm not sorry I read it, but neither was I sorry it was over. The end, btw, was not very satisfying in my opinion.

Strange book

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Great story for young and old. Narrated well but I was disappointed it was narrated by a woman because it was the story of a man told in his perspective. She did a fine job reading the story. I just found it confusing to have to constantly be thinking that this is a man telling the story being read by a woman. Caused a dissonance throughout the whole thing.

Top notch writing. Vivid and captivating

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I loved this tale and all the stories and songs woven together. A must listen for all those who like fantasy and adventure.

Beautiful

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Narrator took some getting used to- she was very dramatic and not what I would expect considering the main character is male. However, she grew on me and I enjoyed the performance.
This story is so full of wonderful allegory and imagery! It’s a hard book for some, so don’t be discouraged- just enjoy it.

Love George Macdonald!!

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I expected to get pulled into this book immediately. However, the reader was extremely disappointing. She overacted rather than read, and it was entirely distracting. I kept falling asleep. this book needs a male reader who simply reads.

Wonderful story but…

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I really wanted to like this story, after reading what a profound impact it had on C.S. Lewis.

I enjoyed the first couple of chapters, but other than that I found little to no enjoyment in it. I could not identify a story arch.

I read after the fact someone describe it as a “stream of consciousness” writing, meant to give a dreamlike feeling, which I would agree with.

Wanted to like it, but the writing style was grueling to me

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Love to listen at 0.8 speed when seeking stillness. It sweeps the worries out of focus and comforts the heart. A treasure all around.

Take your time and enjoy

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So well done. I enjoyed it so very much. I had never even heard of George MacDonald. I am so pleased I came across this wonderful work of his.

Superb

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Just could not get into the story. I felt very distracted and could not settle into the storyline. Maybe it is me, I don’t know. I’ll put it back on the “shelf” and see if I warm up to it later.

Wanted to like it

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