Citation: George MacDonald, Robert Falconer (London: Hurst & Blackett, 1868).

Bulloch (1925):

Robert Falconer. By George MacDonald, LL.D. (Motto from a speech by Brutus in “Julius Caesar”). London: Hurst & Blackett, 1868.

8vo

  • vol. I., pp. vi + 326 + (2)
  • vol. II., pp. vi + 803 + (1)
  • vol. III., pp. vi + 306 + (2)

Dedicated: “To the memory of the man who stands highest in the oratory of my memory, Alexander John Scott, I, daring, presume to dedicate this book.” Scott (1805-1866), who was the first principal of Owens College, Manchester, had a great influence on MacDonald and gets a whole chapter in Greville MacDonald’s “George MacDonald” (pp. 191-195). The first and third of the “Organ Songs” were written to Scott.

The story was reviewed in the Athenaeum (July 4, 1868: pp. 12-13) and in the Fortnightly Review (July, 1868, iv., ns., 115-116) by Joseph Knight, who, very characteristically protested against its didacticism.

MacDonald wrote a letter to the Athenaeum (Aug. 1, 1868, p. 146) complaining that “one of the principal libraries was supplying as ‘Robert Falconer” the monthly part, cut out of the Argosy and bound by themselves. As a fourth of the story, as published in book form, was entirely new, while the amount of alterations in the rest of the book would almost justify the statement that the story had been rewritten, he refused to have the work judged on its magazine form.

The novel is largely autobiographical, the name Falconer having been the surname of MacDonald’s maternal grandmother. Mrs. Falconer in the story is a wonderful portrait of his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Charles Edward MacDonald, a Huntly woman by birth, born 1756 (whose portrait appears in Dr. Greville MacDonald’s life, p. 25).

The poems in the book were all written by MacDonald’s brother John (died 1858).

MacDonald’s uncle James wrote sternly to him when the story began to appear in the Argosy on the ground that so many of the characters were portraits and would give offence. ” He even drove his gig post-chaise to Banff to warn the editor of the Banffshire Journal against reviewing it” (Greville MacDonald’s ” George MacDonald,” p. 242).

Robert Falconer himself, whom Dr. Greville MacDonald considers the ” most typical character ” in all his father’s novels, reappears in the novel ” Seekers and Finders,” which has never been published.

  • 1866. The story was first serialised with 14 illustrations (by William Small?) in the Argosy (Dec., 1866-Nov. 1867), iii., 1-29,81-110, 161-187, 241-264, 321-337, 401423; iv., 1-29, 81-108,161-192, 241-264, 321-354, 401-420. On the last page appeared the note: “This history will be published with fuller details, rendered impossible here for want of space, in the coming spring”: it really appeared in June, 1868.
  • (1869.) Published by Hurst & Blackett: 8vo, pp. vi + 417 4- (1) + steel engraved frontispiece of “ the angel unawares ”
  • (187 ?) Published by Loring, Boston; 12mo, pp. 524 + portrait (New York Pub. Lib.).
  • 1881. Published in Munro’s Seaside Library, New York.
  • 1900. Published by Hurst & Blackett, pp. 484.
  • 1907. Published by Hurst & Blackett: price 6d.
  • 1921. Published by Hurst & Blackett: pp. 484.
  • N.D. Published by McKay, Philadelphia.

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