”The Golden Key,” by George MacDonald

This week, Chris is joined by Eric Geddes, longtime friend of the show, to talk about George MacDonald's bizarre-yet-beautiful fairy story, "The Golden Key." 

Feel free to read it first, or listen to it on Librivox: Part 1, Part 2

We talk about the following:

• George MacDonald's life
• The "plot" (or lack thereof--hang in there!) of "The Golden Key"
• Parallels with C.S. Lewis' work (especially The Problem of Pain)
• Tolkien's reaction and general crotchetiness in old age
• Other works like "The Golden Key"
• I probably bring up Miyazaki a bit too much

Recommended books and films:

• Tales Before Tolkien (ed. by Douglas Anderson)
• Spells of Enchantment (ed. by Jack Zipes)
• Peter and Wendy, by J.M Barrie
• The Problem of Pain, by C.S. Lewis
• Smith of Wootton Major, by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Boy and the Heron and Howl's Moving Castle (films) by Hayao Miyazaki
• The Song of Bernadette movie that Tolkien liked when he seemed to like very little else--starring (among others) a young Vincent Price!

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Next week: The House by the Stable, by Charles Williams