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Phantastes

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About this listen

Phantastes Audiobook by George MacDonald,

with musical interpretations of the poems and songs therein by Nick Harper

Written by George MacDonald in 1858, Phantastes is acknowledged as the first modern fantasy novel for adults, inspiring Lewis Carroll, C.S.Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and David Lindsay amongst others.

The book tells the story of a young man's quest for meaning in the forest of fairyland, who awakens a marble lady from sleep by singing to her and his adventures thereafter, as he pursues her.

I first read the book as a 17 year old, whilst living on the edge of a real ancient forest in the UK, learning to play the guitar, whilst pursuing a local beauty who lived on the other side of the forest..

Re-reading it now, I have been reminded how much of a profound effect this strange little book had on me all those years ago. The antiquarian, dense Victorian style only seems to heighten the esoteric nature of its allegories, mysteries and wonders. More surprising and moving is how much it seems to have resonated in my life and music down the years..

Love to you all. Nx

harperspace.com

Audiobook released January 1, 2021

All words written by George MacDonald Musical accompaniment to George MacDonald's poems and songs by Nick Harper ©all rights reserved

Public Domain (P)2021 Nick Harper Classics Fantasy Fiction
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McDonald's tale, long neglected, is fantastic, strange and haunting - and highly influential in 'modern' fantasy literature.
Nick Harper's reading engages the listener beautifully, and his deep love of the text shines through.
Nick is also an amazing singer, songwriter and guitarist, and the vocal and instrumental settings of McDonald's poems are amazing.

A fantastic tale, beautifully told

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I wasn’t familiar with George MacDonald’s Phantastes until Nick Harper released his album of the same name (inspired by MacDonald’s book) in 2020. This got me curious to read the book, which then led me to Harper’s Phantastes audiobook.

With Harper’s affection for the book so evident in his album, it’s no surprise how heartfelt and engaging his narration of this book is. He deftly navigates the weighty Victorian prose with passion, warmth and humour. He makes you care strongly about the protagonist of the story in his pursuit of his Marble Lady. He even puts music to the songs of Fairyland, as an added bonus both for fans and for those new to his work.

You’d never know this was Harper’s first time narrating an audio book, as he makes it seem effortless. He made Phantastes come alive for me and I can’t recommend this highly enough.

Narrator’s love for the book makes his narration come alive

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The narrator is excellent, really bringing the book to life and making it a pleasure to listen to. Would love to hear him narrate more of MacDonald’s works.

Fantastic Narrator

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