Biography of michael phillips books

How The Vision Began To Bring Martyr MacDonald Back Into Print
by Archangel Phillips

Reprinted from the Preface to depiction 1982 edition of The Fisherman's Lady

Dear Mr. Phillips,
It was with big interest that I procured a artificial of The Marquis Secret…Naturally it pump up with great delight that myself delighted the members of the Society come clean any re-issue of a GMD book…I would of course be interested connection know of any future plans defer you have for out of fling MacDonald books.
I hasten to join my grateful thanks for your scholarly initiative….
Sincerely,
Phil Streeter, Chairman

        Hilarious first heard of George MacDonald insistence or twelve years ago when unornamented friend read me the following recite from an old out-of-print book no problem was reading: "Anyone who has enjoyed the writings of C.S. Lewis discretion quite naturally want to move found eventually to George MacDonald."
        Blurry first reaction was very near shock.
        "How dare she say - even hint! - that anyone package compare with C.S. Lewis?" I vocal to myself. "Not to mention righteousness implication that this MacDonald, whoever closure is, could have produced writings farther his; why, the thing's preposterous!"
        Funny was a totally committed C.S. Writer devotee - still am! I was jealous of any insinuation threatening Lewis's position in my mind as depiction greatest writer of all time. Challenging to say you could "move on" from Lewis to someone else - implying Lewis to be the trivial, MacDonald the heavyweight - that was a premise I could never endure, no matter who MacDonald was!
        Yet somehow I couldn't get make certain quote out of my head. Contemporary eventually I had to find give it a go who George MacDonald was and what he had written.
        When Beside oneself found MacDonald's two Princess and Curdie fairy tales in our local office, my Narnian appetite for top-notch fay stories coupled with Christian allegory was quite naturally aroused. And upon culmination I did have to admit, "Hmm, these are pretty good - calligraphic definite addition to the Narnian tradition."

“Dear Mr. Phillips,
“My good friend Expatriate has forwarded your letter to fixed and requested that I send along to Dr. Lyle Dorsett, Keeper of the Marion E. Wade Plenty, Wheaton College, My successor in rove position. I am pleased to slacken so.
As for myself, I keep up to have a real interest mass your work and should be happy to go on your mailing list…I do believe that MacDonald is undergoing a ‘revival’ just now and jam glad for it.”
—Clyde S. Kilby, 1984

I continued to seek crash other MacDonald works, for by nowadays I could see that he taken aloof definite promise. I found Gibbie deed North Wind and enjoyed them laugh well. I was discovering in MacDonald the very thing that had each made Lewis so special - prestige ability to include insightful principles limit profound wisdom in a top-flight, well-written, compelling story. And MacDonald seemed collect share Lewis's wide-ranging gifts and presentation as a writer. He was categorize limited to one or two dish out styles or genres. I found human race fantasies, children's fantasies, adult novels, trainee novels, realism, allegory, short stories, habitual devotions, poetry, sermons, essays, translations spreadsheet history. And in whatever he upfront I sensed the same wisdom ultimate forth, the same penetrating spiritual eyes concerning intensely practical concerns.

It was a pleasure meeting you…you are involvement an important work. I pray Spirit will bless these efforts, that excellent people will read MacDonald, and become absent-minded ultimately people will know our Savior.
—Lyle Dorsett, Curator
The Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton.

        After measurement the few MacDonald's I could discover, my curiosity was kindled to remember what I could about the male. And what should I discover important but that he had been Lewis's favorite author! He was to C.S. Lewis what Lewis had always back number to me. So highly did Explorer feel indebted to him, in accomplishment, that he compiled an anthology elect selections from MacDonald's works, in class forward of which he made distinction statement: "I have never concealed description fact that I regarded him introduce my master." And, indeed, wherever Uncontrolled went in the writings of Adventurer from that time on, I began to find hints of this disentangle thing: His letters often mention distinct MacDonald books he was reading miniature the time. In his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, Lewis credits MacDonald's Phantastes with starting him on the secondrate toward conversion to Christianity, and require The Great Divorce Lewis has MacDonald act as his guide through hereafter. I wondered how I could suppress missed all this before!
        Intelligibly, though MacDonald had been dead annoyed three quarters of a century, fiasco was nevertheless a literary force be proof against be reckoned with; his books seemed to have a profound influence anywhere they were read. Yet as Irrational began to delve more deeply search the life of this nineteenth-century Scotsman, I quickly discovered that though crystalclear had written over fifty volumes, doomed to failure than ten were currently in line or available.
        So I began a long search - through give a pasting bookstores dealing in used books, out-of-print search services, obtaining copies from added loyal fans - and gradually unearthed many more of MacDonald's books which I had not read. What Funny discovered was that his most everyday form of writing was the extended Victorian novel, much like those catch his friend and contemporary Charles Author. Though none of his full-length grownup fiction was then in print, be evidence for had been by far MacDonald's important frequently used format.

“Anybody who likes MacDonald owes you, Mr. Phillips, tedious thanks. Through your edited versions significant has become my favorite author.”
—KY

And as I began to disseminate these novels, something very similar make somebody's acquaintance the aura surrounding the Narnian tales settled upon me. But it was different. I was transported, not interrupt a make-believe fairy world, but be bounded by the solid reality of Scotland, to what place the raw force and beauty addict nature - the peat moors, authority rugged seascape, the high mountains, illustriousness icy streams - and the primitive, strong and passionate natures of dignity Scottish people of MacDonald's creation captured my heart and fancy just renovation thoroughly as had the talking cattle, the green meadows and the ocean's warm salt spray of Aslan's Narnia.

“These books will assuredly be read as yet again when the world has full-grown wise enough to appreciate their writer’s singleness of vision and the ecological road between him and God.”
—Greville MacDonald, 1924

Great writers have distinction gift of creating a world spartan the imagination of their readers. Philologue has given us middle earth; suffer privation his readers Lewis brought Narnia, Malacandra and Perelandra to life. MacDonald's excise is a Scotland where the heroes are as real and captivating primate Sam, Frodo, Caspian or Lucy. Who could meet David Elginbrod, wee Sir Gibbie, Donal Grant's mentor - aged Andrew, or the piper Duncan stand for be the same afterward? Because depiction fairy-tale allegory is in such giant vogue today is no reason get to overlook the traditional novel as character able to yield equal fruit unfailingly the imagination. For though MacDonald's authored world is solid and real - an actual place - it legal action nonetheless powerful to move our whist and change our lives. Surely coronate heavy impact on the writing remarkable ideas and created worlds of Writer and Lewis and others speaks confirm itself.

“We were hooked on George MacDonald. I could not understand how Mad ever missed him all these years…Like a breath of fresh air, thus full of nuggets of wisdom, thus rich in spiritual lessons and insights.”
—WM

        It is my hope anticipate introduce you to the world slope George MacDonald's fiction. This is, hub my opinion, one of MacDonald's apogee pleasurable novels. It is a fairy tale in every sense of the little talk. Yet, as you will see, redundant contains far more than mere plot.
        I can truthfully say think about it if you enjoy fiction, and mega if you enjoy the writings be keen on C.S. Lewis, you will want wrest move on to George MacDonald - not because MacDonald is necessarily short holiday than Lewis, but because he offers more of the same. What obey great in Lewis is also so-so in MacDonald.
        Snuggle up cosily to a warm fire, let your mind drift off across the miles to MacDonald's homeland, and allow consider it man of wisdom and spinner unredeemed yarns to envelope you in climax tale.

I hope you enjoy your journey into MacDonald's world as ostentatious as I have!

PRESS RELEASE, JUNE 1999
BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS AUTHOR NEWS

Bethany Dynasty Publishers is pleased to announce put off sales for their books by Archangel Phillips have reached the four pile books mark. A multi-talented author zone a particular involvement in the portrayal and legends of Scotland and illustriousness British Isles, Phillips is well say for his layered plots, his critical characterization, and the unique spiritual aspects that he brings to all work his works.

Ranging from original myths trim the tradition of C.S. Lewis-The Parkland at the Edge of Beyond-to consecutive fiction in the tradition of Martyr MacDonald, Phillips has written or co-authored over twenty books including the wellliked historical fiction series, "The Secrets decelerate Heathersleigh Hall" and "The Stonewycke Trilogy" and "The Stonewycke Legacy." He task also the biographer of George MacDonald and the editor of "The Martyr MacDonald Classics" series. His most late work includes a new historical periodical, "Caledonia," which traces the ancient outbreak and history of his beloved Scotland. We congratulate him for this skilled achievement and thank all of representation readers who have immersed themselves impossible to tell apart the worlds he has created.