The Baronet's Song

I Haven't Read Anything So Good Since, I Read Joshua!!!!!!For Children Of God Of All Ages And Those Interested In Becoming One!!!!

Discovering Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald has changed my reading habits. A wonderful story with many spiritual truths. I will be a fan of George MacDonald from now on. Yvonne Barrett

The April 22, 2000 and April 26, 2005 reviews are, I think, referring to a different edition. This edition is by Johannesen, who just reprint the original edition. They are referring to edited versions which "dumb down" or make suitable for younger folk the difficulty in some of MacDonald's writings (i.e. Scotch dialect, brief escapades away from the main story). If you are looking for the unedited version, you have found it. Buy confidently. This is one of my favorites of MacDonald's books, but then, so many are.

Like many people, I read MacDonald's 'Lilith' and 'Phantastes.'They were superb. I tried a collection of short stories, theywere ok. It seemed the rest of his work, labeled as children'sstories or novels of Scotch pastoral life, would not interestme.2 or 3 years later I read Melville's 'Moby Dick' I was castingabout desperately for something even remotely comparable toMelville's masterpiece. I read Chesterton's 'The Man who wasThursday.' Very good book. But what next?Even more desperate, I ordered an unabridged 1927 printing ofSir Gibbie. About 400 pages of small print, btw. I am amazed.I'm 3/4 thru it. This is even better than 'Lilith' or 'Phantastes.' This is MacDonald at the height of his power.His ideals and his knowledge of the human condition come thruin prose so rich and powerful that many passages have to bestudied rather than read. Like Melville in 'Moby Dick.'Yes, if any of this can be conveyed to a child, great. Yes,Christians may embrace it and seek to make it their own.MacDonald was a minister and he preaches from the soul here.But Gibbie as a literary character is a Titan of the same statureas Melville's Ahab. That comparison is of Light to Dark onlybecause I don't know of any other fictional Hero of the Lightcomparable to Gibbie. Let me underline this: if you won't likea hero who is entirely good, if you don't believe any charactercan embody the universal ideals of humanity, then you won't like'Sir Gibbie.' MacDonald is utterly uncompromising on this issue.He wanted a Power of heaven to walk on earth. Gibbie is thatPower.I believe 'Sir Gibbie' is the work which is at the root ofMacDonald's influence and friendship with other writers.But let me make clear, the book is not just an exercise incharacter development. MacDonald's prose in observing thenature of the book's many other characters is devastatinglypotent.One of the most powerful literary works I've ever read.

Sir Gibbie by George Macdonald The first time I read this book, I found it long, boring, and dull. I didn't understand why everyone else who read it thought it was so excellent. So I really thought hard about it one night, and made up my mind that I would keep reading it until I understood the message. Finally, it came to me, and it was so overpowering that I broke down and cried. Gibbie is a young, mute boy with an alcoholic father. He has a kind heart and is extremely gentle. His good friend, Sambo, is murdered, and he runs away. Gibbie is just a small boy in a large, cruel world, and he is treated badly by everyone on his journey but one woman, Janet. The variety of places he lived and the things he had to go through really taught me that not everyone has a full roof over their head, or enough clothes to cover more than a few body parts. This book gave me a lot to think about, such as the fact that some children are abused and don't show it at all to anyone. Or that most people just make assumptions about things that they know nothing about. I realize that I am guilty of these things, as everyone else is. This book was very compelling and I learned a lot about grace and mercy from it. The forgiveness that Gibbie shows his father towards the end is unbelievable, and I thought it was amazing that a tiny, mute boy could show so much more faith, wisdom, and emotion than anyone I have ever met, or read in a book. The story definitely had an impact on my view of how the world treats people and how the smallest child (who isn't even real) could change your life. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone - it is extremely good!

George MacDonald is the master when it comes to communicating the beauty and power of Nature. He has a deep appreciation for the transcendant meaning and purpose which God infuses into Nature by His very character which is ever-present Love. And because man is made in God's image, he is able to experience in the deepest way possible the all-present Love of God. A God who is always seeking to sympathize with and redeem the men and women He created.This is the story of an orhan who cannot speak who flees the city and manages to find friendship and love in the midst of a simple country family. In the end his life leads him back to the city and to places he never could have imagined.If you are interested in finding out what life is all about and where true happiness lies this story is an exellent guide-book.