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loweryjes's review against another edition
4.0
Really cool stories as written by an author I love. The "light" in "Light Princess" is not light vs. darkness but rather light vs. heavy. It's a treatise on the dangers of being too light-hearted and shallow.
hannahseidl's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ftrebelo's review against another edition
4.0
George MacDonald writes beautiful fairy tales which are both new and feel old, both in the sense of being stories that could be told and retold and being somewhat twists on classic fairytales.
The title story was my favourite, with a twist on the "cursed at baptism" story to tell of a princess who has no gravity (both literally and metaphorically), and the consequences that had. The tale was full of small details that were both profound, particularly the dialogue between the princess's parents towards the beginning on the consequences of being "light". The second story was more straightforward, evoking Jack and the Beanstalk. The third tale, "The Golden Key" is particularly rich, as it discusses the passage of time and what it means to be a child. It reminded me of the Pools between Worlds in [b:The Magician's Nephew|65605|The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6)|C.S. Lewis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1308814770s/65605.jpg|1031537] (perhaps because C.S. Lewis cited MacDonald as one of his inspirations) as well as Gaiman's [b:Stardust|16793|Stardust|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459127484s/16793.jpg|3166179], in its journey through fairyland.
Overall a great collection of new fairy stories.
The title story was my favourite, with a twist on the "cursed at baptism" story to tell of a princess who has no gravity (both literally and metaphorically), and the consequences that had. The tale was full of small details that were both profound, particularly the dialogue between the princess's parents towards the beginning on the consequences of being "light". The second story was more straightforward, evoking Jack and the Beanstalk. The third tale, "The Golden Key" is particularly rich, as it discusses the passage of time and what it means to be a child. It reminded me of the Pools between Worlds in [b:The Magician's Nephew|65605|The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6)|C.S. Lewis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1308814770s/65605.jpg|1031537] (perhaps because C.S. Lewis cited MacDonald as one of his inspirations) as well as Gaiman's [b:Stardust|16793|Stardust|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459127484s/16793.jpg|3166179], in its journey through fairyland.
Overall a great collection of new fairy stories.
octophile's review against another edition
5.0
George MacDonald at some of his George MacDonald-est. These stories are thoughtful, imaginative, and at times pretty darn fun.
emlickliter's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
The Light Princess and Other Fairy Stories by George MacDonald – I really am having fun rereading fairy tales that I read as a child. They just hit differently now! GM is still the OG for fairy stories! Happy Reading!
peanutfor15yrs's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pizzamyheart's review against another edition
4.0
What a cute collection of stories.
The Light Princess is about a princess who is light as a feather and has no worries or troubles. If she's not held down, she will fly away. She finds solace in the lake where she swims each night.
The Giant's Heart is about two siblings who wander into giantland. Similar to Jack and the Beanstalk, the female giant is kind while the man is mean. He eats little children as snacks. The siblings devise a plan to find the giant's heart and save the other children.
The Golden Key features two children that wander into fairyland. The boy finds a golden key. Along the way they meet a variety of creatures searching for where the key belongs.
The Light Princess is about a princess who is light as a feather and has no worries or troubles. If she's not held down, she will fly away. She finds solace in the lake where she swims each night.
The Giant's Heart is about two siblings who wander into giantland. Similar to Jack and the Beanstalk, the female giant is kind while the man is mean. He eats little children as snacks. The siblings devise a plan to find the giant's heart and save the other children.
The Golden Key features two children that wander into fairyland. The boy finds a golden key. Along the way they meet a variety of creatures searching for where the key belongs.
queen_perfection's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The title story was a re-read for me, and still five stars. The other two stories were upsetting in that odd way that might be fine for children, but bothered me as an adult. There was a general darkness of tone, and also casual cannibalism references that will keep me from re-reading those stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Child death