Books

London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1858. First edition, second state [ads dating July 1859]. Half red crushed morocco over marbled boards, plain endpapers, teg. Very faint rubbing to spine, still fine.. Octavo. 323, [1], 24 ads [d. July 1859]. 8" x 5.25". [Shaberman, 8]. From the family of George MacDonald! The bookplate on the front paste down belonged to Christopher Peter Macdonald, great great grandson of George Macdonald. The bookplate is the same William Blake image ("Death's Door") that George Macdonald used. The image was produced in 1813 for Robert Blaire's Poem "The Grave." This image was the adopted bookplate of his eldest son Greville, who added the latin phrase "Per Mare per Terras Domum tu erras" (through the sea, through the land, you wander homeward). MacDonald's influence on literary giants such as Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis, among others, cannot be understated. In many ways, the worlds of Narnia and Wonderland owe their existence to Phantastes.

Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women is a fantasy novel by Scottish writer George MacDonald, first published in London in 1858. The story revolves around the character Anodos and his dream-like adventures in fairyland which serve as an allegory to the inner spiritual journey of self-discovery. This work had a profound influence on later authors, including C.S. Lewis.

First editions of 'Phantastes' published by Smith, Elder & Co. in 1858 would likely be bound in the original publisher's cloth, feature the date on the title page, and have no mention of later print runs or editions.