Citation: George MacDonald, The Princess and the Goblin (London: Strahan & Co., 1872).

Bulloch (1925):

The Princess and the goblin. By George MacDonald. London: Strahan & Co., 1872 (1871).

12mo, pp. vi + 313 + (1): with 30 (woodcut) illustrations by Arthur Hughes in the text.

G. K. Chesterton says of it (Greville MacDonald’s “George MacDonald” p. 9): “Of all the stories I have read, including even all the novels of the same novelist, it (“The Princess and the goblin”) remains the most real, the most realistic, in the exact sense of the phrase the most like life.” MacDonald himself in a letter of Feb. 25,1871 (ibid., p. 411) says that Strahan had told him that the falling off in the circulation of Good Words for the Young was due to too much of the fairy element. MacDonald declared however that this story was “as good work of the kind as I can do, and I think it will be the most complete thing I have done.”

  • 1871. Serialised with the Hughes illustrations in Good Words for ths Young (Nov., 1870-June, 1871), iii., 1-5, 65-72,129-136, 185-191,279-286, 301-305, 353-363, 409-420.
  • 1871. Published by Routledge, New York.
  • 1884. Published by Strahan (” English Cat.”).
  • 1888 (1887). Published apparently from the Strahan plates by Blackie, 8vo, pp. vi + 313 + (1) + frontispiece by H. Peterick, with the Hughes’ illustrations in the text.
  • 1889. Published by Lothrop, Boston.
  • 1899. Published in the Little Women series, by Burt, New York.
  • 1900 (1899.) Published from the Strahan plates, by Blackie ; 8vo, pp. vi + 313 + (1) + frontispiece by Laurence Housman: with the Hughes illustrations in the text.
  • 1907. Published by Lippincott, Philadelphia.
  • 1907. Published by Caldwell, Boston.
  • 1911. Published by Blackie: 8vo, pp. viii + 202 + 24, containing twelve coloured illustrations by H(elen?) S(tratton?), with the Hughes illustrations in the text.
  • 1913. “The Princess and the Goblin,” simplified by Elizabeth Lewis: with coloured illustrations by Maria L. Kirk: published in the series, George MacDonald stories for little folk, by Lippincott, Philadelphia; 12mo, pp. 124.
  • 1920. Published by David McKay, Philadelphia: with illustrations by Jessie Willcox Smith: 8vo, pp. 203.
  • N.D. Published by Lippincott, Philadelphia, before 1880.

These publication pages are a collaborative effort of members of The George MacDonald Society. We welcome comments on the individual publication pages to help improve the scope, accuracy, and utility of the descriptions.