The Princess and Curdie
core novel 1883 The Princess and the Goblin
Record
| First published | 1883 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.08 (11,114 ratings, collected 2026-10-02) |
| Page count | 256 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780140367621 |
| Internal chronology | 2 |
Synopsis
A year after the goblins' defeat, Curdie has grown careless and half-forgotten the princess, until he shoots a pigeon and, ashamed, climbs to the tower where Irene's great-great-grandmother waits for him. She sets him a test and gives him a gift: hands that can feel what a person truly is beneath the skin, whether a man or a beast at heart, and a companion, Lina, the oddest and ugliest creature he has ever seen, who proves the most loyal friend he could have hoped for. Sent to the capital city of Gwyntystorm, where the king now lives with Irene, Curdie finds the royal household rotten with greed: the king lies mysteriously sick, poisoned by his doctor and courtiers, and the princess, alone, is nursing him. With Lina and a pack of monstrous but gentle creatures from the mountain, Curdie must decide whom to trust and whom to fight.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Princess and the Goblin
- Series: Princess Irene and Curdie core; position 2 of 2 in the series' recorded order
- Author: George MacDonald
Notes
- From the series record (Princess Irene and Curdie): George MacDonald's two novels of Princess Irene, the miner's son Curdie and the mysterious great-great-grandmother in the tower: a founding work of children's fantasy, acknowledged by Tolkien, Lewis and Chesterton. Serialised 1870-1871 and 1877; book publication 1872 and 1883.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Princess Irene and Curdie: position 2 of 2: previous The Princess and the Goblin (1872)
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia
- https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/259880/the-princess-and-curdie-by-george-macdonald-illustrated-by-helen-stratton/9780140367621
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