February 6, 2011: George MacDonald

Please read George MacDonald's novels.

MacDonald (1824-1905; contemporary of Twain and Dickens) was a Scottish preacher, poet, novelist, fantasy writer. I became aware of him through the writings of C. S. Lewis, who called MacDonald "my master," published an anthology of MacDonald quotations, and affirmed that he himself never wrote a book without quoting MacDonald. Lewis selected MacDonald as his tour guide through heaven in my favorite Lewis book, The Great Divorce.

Now that I have read five MacDonald novels, and plan to read them all, I understand why Lewis, of whom I am in awe, was so in awe of him. Never, ever, have I read a more compelling moral voice or more thrilling expositor of goodness. MacDonald's characters make a person ache for holiness. Lewis experienced that ache when reading MacDonald as a young man - though, as an atheist from the ages of 16-30, he refused for many years to admit it to himself.

You can order MacDonald novels through Amazon. His used paperbacks are very cheap, sometimes just 1 cent, with the 4 dollar shipping fee. Get the ones edited by Michael Phillips. I'm afraid - unless you're Scottish! - you won't be able to read MacDonald in the original. He wrote in Scottish brogue. If you can make sense of the following

It'll be upo' them to haud them doon, an' the haill hoose agin' the watter...I'm thinkin' we'll lowse them a'else; for the byre wa's 'till gang afore the hoose


then feel free to read MacDonald in the original. I can't. For my part, I thank God for scholar and translator Michael Phillips, who has rendered the great teacher intelligible.

Over the next few weeks, Lord willing, I would like to outline and comment upon some themes that come up regularly in Macdonald's works.

I would be delighted beyond measure if anyone reports back to me that he or she has read a MacDonald novel and stirred to rejoice over the holiness in it.