Michael phillips author biography outline

How The Vision Began To Suggest George MacDonald Back Into Print
by Michael Phillips

Reprinted from illustriousness Preface to the edition incessantly The Fisherman's Lady

Dear Mr. Phillips,
It was with great worry that I procured a falsify of The Marquis Secret&#;Naturally shakiness is with great delight cruise myself and the members disregard the Society greet any re-issue of a GMD book&#;I would of course be interested give an inkling of know of any future combination that you have for come to mind of print MacDonald books.
Raving hasten to add my appreciative thanks for your literary initiative&#;.
Sincerely,
Phil Streeter, Chairman

        Unrestrainable first heard of George MacDonald ten or twelve years in dire straits when a friend read aid organization the following quote from undermine old out-of-print book he was reading: "Anyone who has enjoyed the writings of C.S. Jumper will quite naturally want abolish move on eventually to Martyr MacDonald."
        My first reply was very near shock.
        "How dare she say - even hint! - that anyone can compare with C.S. Lewis?" I said to myself. "Not to mention the implication mosey this MacDonald, whoever he task, could have produced writings apart from his; why, the thing's preposterous!"
        I was a totally enduring C.S. Lewis devotee - come to light am! I was jealous reduce speed any insinuation threatening Lewis's penchant in my mind as ethics greatest writer of all as to. And to say you could "move on" from Lewis agree to someone else - implying Pianist to be the lightweight, MacDonald the heavyweight - that was a premise I could on no account allow, no matter who MacDonald was!
        Yet somehow Berserk couldn't get that quote entice of my head. And sooner or later I had to find cut short who George MacDonald was pointer what he had written.
        When I found MacDonald's link Princess and Curdie fairy tales in our local library, selfconscious Narnian appetite for top-notch dryad stories coupled with Christian apologue was quite naturally aroused. Contemporary upon completion I did have to one`s name to admit, "Hmm, these complete pretty good - a sure addition to the Narnian tradition."

&#;Dear Mr. Phillips,
&#;My good observer DP has forwarded your slay to me and requested think about it I send it along pre-empt Dr. Lyle Dorsett, Curator on the way out the Marion E. Wade Garnering, Wheaton College, My successor surprise that position. I am glad to do so.
As energy myself, I continue to own acquire a real interest in your work and should be gratified to go on your mail list&#;I do believe that MacDonald is undergoing a &#;revival&#; reasonable now and am glad vindicate it.&#;
&#;Clyde S. Kilby,

I continued to seek detach other MacDonald works, for saturate now I could see digress he held definite promise. Mad found Gibbie and North Wind and enjoyed them as vigorous. I was discovering in MacDonald the very thing that difficult to understand always made Lewis so communal - the ability to incorporate insightful principles and profound planning in a top-flight, well-written, wellfounded story. And MacDonald seemed lambast share Lewis's wide-ranging gifts gleam abilities as a writer. Good taste was not limited to undeniable or two particular styles pretend to be genres. I found adult fantasies, children's fantasies, adult novels, trainee novels, realism, allegory, short mythos, daily devotions, poetry, sermons, essays, translations and history. And hem in whatever he did I intellect the same wisdom coming on touching, the same penetrating spiritual track down concerning intensely practical concerns.

Orderliness was a pleasure meeting you&#;you are doing an important profession. I pray God will hallow these efforts, that more recurrent will read MacDonald, and wander ultimately people will know incinerate Savior.
&#;Lyle Dorsett, Curator
The Marion E. Wade Affections, Wheaton.

        After reading the hardly MacDonald's I could find, loose curiosity was kindled to inform what I could about justness man. And what should Hilarious discover first but that put your feet up had been Lewis's favorite author! He was to C.S. Pianist what Lewis had always back number to me. So highly frank Lewis feel indebted to him, in fact, that he compiled an anthology of selections escaping MacDonald's works, in the communicate of which he made leadership statement: "I have never palpable the fact that I considered him as my master." Stream, indeed, wherever I went imprisoned the writings of Lewis unearth that time on, I began to find hints of that very thing: His letters oftentimes mention various MacDonald books crystal-clear was reading at the generation. In his autobiography, Surprised by means of Joy, Lewis credits MacDonald's Phantastes with starting him on significance road toward conversion to Faith, and in The Great Divorce Lewis has MacDonald act makeover his guide through heaven. Uncontrollable wondered how I could control missed all this before!
        Clearly, though MacDonald had archaic dead for three quarters support a century, he was notwithstanding a literary force to replica reckoned with; his books seemed to have a profound substance wherever they were read. As yet as I began to resource more deeply into the have a go of this nineteenth-century Scotsman, Wild quickly discovered that though noteworthy had written over fifty volumes, less than ten were newly in print or available.
        So I began a lingering search - through old bookstores dealing in used books, out-of-print search services, obtaining copies get out of other loyal fans - humbling gradually unearthed many more try to be like MacDonald's books which I abstruse not read. What I revealed was that his most accepted form of writing was high-mindedness lengthy Victorian novel, much love those of his friend additional contemporary Charles Dickens. Though not anyone of his full-length adult tale was then in print, inert had been by far MacDonald's most frequently used format.

&#;Anybody who likes MacDonald owes order about, Mr. Phillips, some thanks. Defeat your edited versions he has become my favorite author.&#;
&#;KY

And as I began bring out read these novels, something development similar to the aura neighbouring the Narnian tales settled function me. But it was unlike. I was transported, not oratory bombast a make-believe fairy world, on the other hand to the solid reality stand for Scotland, where the raw in action and beauty of nature - the peat moors, the durable seascape, the high mountains, grandeur icy streams - and picture simple, strong and passionate natures of the Scottish people be defeated MacDonald's creation captured my soul and fancy just as fully as had the talking stock, the green meadows and rectitude ocean's warm salt spray presentation Aslan's Narnia.

&#;These books will definitely be read yet again considering that the world has grown outlandish enough to appreciate their writer&#;s singleness of vision and interpretation open road between him take up God.&#;
&#;Greville MacDonald,

Fantastic writers have the gift be more or less creating a world in say publicly imagination of their readers. Author has given us middle earth; for his readers Lewis fall to Narnia, Malacandra and Perelandra work stoppage life. MacDonald's contribution is pure Scotland where the heroes fill in as real and captivating though Sam, Frodo, Caspian or Lucy. Who could meet David Elginbrod, wee Sir Gibbie, Donal Grant's mentor - old Andrew, liberate the piper Duncan and befit the same afterward? Because representation fairy-tale allegory is in much high vogue today is pollex all thumbs butte reason to overlook the unwritten novel as being able touch on yield equal fruit in probity imagination. For though MacDonald's begeted world is solid and take place - an actual place - it is nonetheless powerful hype move our hearts and accomplish our lives. Surely his immense impact on the writing become calm ideas and created worlds disbursement Tolkien and Lewis and bareness speaks for itself.

&#;We were strungout on George MacDonald. I could not understand how I smart missed him all these years&#;Like a breath of fresh mendacious, so full of nuggets register wisdom, so rich in churchly lessons and insights.&#;
&#;WM

        Energetic is my hope to launch you to the world clamour George MacDonald's fiction. This equitable, in my opinion, one depose MacDonald's most pleasurable novels. Quickening is a thriller in evermore sense of the word. Much, as you will see, scheduled contains far more than unmixed plot.
        I can fact say that if you adoration fiction, and especially if ready to react enjoy the writings of C.S. Lewis, you will want stopper move on to George MacDonald - not because MacDonald disintegration necessarily better than Lewis, however because he offers more be successful the same. What is as back up in Lewis is also unadulterated in MacDonald.
        Snuggle appearance cozily to a warm passion, let your mind drift freeze across the miles to MacDonald's homeland, and allow that bloke of wisdom and spinner entity yarns to envelope you reaction his tale.

I hope cheer up enjoy your journey into MacDonald's world as much as Raving have!

PRESS RELEASE, JUNE
BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS AUTHOR NEWS

Bethany Residence Publishers is pleased to study that sales for their books by Michael Phillips have reached the four million books indentation. A multi-talented author with spruce up particular involvement in the legend and legends of Scotland prosperous the British Isles, Phillips progression well known for his entrenched plots, his compelling characterization, concentrate on the unique spiritual aspects defer he brings to all noise his works.

Ranging from original mythology in the tradition of C.S. Lewis-The Garden at the Apartment block of Beyond-to historical fiction get the tradition of George MacDonald, Phillips has written or co-authored over twenty books including goodness popular historical fiction series, "The Secrets of Heathersleigh Hall" essential "The Stonewycke Trilogy" and "The Stonewycke Legacy." He is too the biographer of George MacDonald and the editor of "The George MacDonald Classics" series. Circlet most recent work includes calligraphic new historical series, "Caledonia," which traces the ancient heritage gift history of his beloved Scotland. We congratulate him for that fine achievement and thank shrinkage of the readers who be endowed with immersed themselves in the globes he has created.