Adela Cathcart

Fairy tales told around the fire on Christmas Eve—including “The Light Princess,” “The Shadows,” “The Golden Key,” and “The Giant’s Heart.”   Reminiscent of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, MacDonald’s attempt to package a collection of short stories in the guise of a novel is built around a group of snowbound travelers attempting to pass the time in a country house by sharing stories in hopes of distracting young Adela Cathcart from her illness. Early in his career, MacDonald was trying different genres and storytelling methods, and this is a prime example of his creative experimentation. First published in 1865, the included stories changed with a new edition in 1882. Some of MacDonald’s well-known short stories made their first appearance in one of the two editions. This new publication from Michael Phillips includes the best from both original editions.