Phantastes

By: George MacDonald

Narrated by: Brad Powers

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

A young man named Anodos experiences dream like adventures in Fairy Land, where he meets tree spirits, endures the presence of the overwhelming shadow, journeys to the palace of the fairy queen, and searches for the spirit of the earth. The story conveys a profound sadness and a poignant longing for death.

©2017 SAGA Egmont (P)2017 SAGA Egmont

THIS IS LIBRIVOX'S FREE RECORDING

This exact recording is available free on librivox and belongs to librivox. I'm agog that audible is charging folks for this. It's not their intellectual property. Audible has chopped out the "this is a librivox recording" part of each chapter. I wonder how often this has happened.

The reading is poor because the reader is merely a volunteer.

Same audio as free on librivox

The narrator seems like a volunteer; he mispronounces some words and is somewhat monotone, but otherwise good. You can download the very same audio free from librivox though, so I’m not sure why I paid for it here...

Caveat Emptor

Poor performance and apparently appropriated from Librivox. I'm confused, Audible usually does rather well. Oh well.

An adult experience in fairyland

Beauty read, listened to, experienced. George McDonald's beauty is not always as we expect beauty. Even dark things that appear dreadful can be beautiful. This book brings life to life and death to life. There is no wonder that CS Lewis said that when he read Phantastes he crossed a great frontier. It was JRR Tolkien who suggested it to Lewis for reading.
Phantastes cannot be explained. MacDonald incorporates myth and fairy lore, yet is never bound by either. It is full of feeling, and it is all feeling, and it is more than feeling. It is texture and reality, and it is equally mystic clouds.
Yes, there is a story here, but more than a story, there is experience. The experience is not just of one to be held in the heart of the reader, but of every human, corporate and singular experience.
Reader, choose wisely. This book is your entrance into the fairyland you left in your childhood or sadly, possibly you never before knew. It is adulthood's fairyland, and it's worth every minute you give it.

Terrible narrator

The story was intriguing but the narrator was unbearable to listen to. Couldn't get past second the chapter. I was really excited to get through this book too.

Nothing but the Best!

So impressed, George MacDonald is the Grandfather of us All! Such a Beautiful reading absolutely Captivating and Riveting! Classic Poetry
Beautiful Literature, Rare Comfort. I highly recommend this book!

POWERFUL If you love fairy you will love this

I have searched for a very long time and this is the best and most powerful reading of George MacDonalds fairy fantasy. I won't go into the story substance but will say there are beautiful descriptions and passages in this presentation and the narrator's voice carries it through without interruption of what might be your personal flight of fantasy in your own imagining of what you interpret from the story. It is a full and complete work of art.
I just can't listen to it enough and find it great to listen to any time of day or night. So have delved into many other works by MacDonald.
If C.S. Lewis and Tolkein found inspiration in his work, well, even 150 years later I believe I will too!

Beautiful

I finished it and promptly started over. so beautiful. the narrator's voice is just right. it's like a slow, sleepy tour of faery and it WILL make you cry. let George take you to Tir Na Nog.

A first-person, transforming adventure in fairyland

This is a wonderful fantasy story told in the first person, dramatically illustrating the development of character, something developed beyond, and yet embodied in, our life in the material world. CS Lewis was greatly impacted by this book, a book that transcends materialistic thought.

Rich, sad, hopeful fairy tale

One of the most moving tales I have ever known of. George Macdonald gives a tremendous sense of melancholy and redemption through this book.