What is left for the cold grey soul
That moans like a wounded dove?
One wine is left in the broken bowl
'Tis, to love, and love, and love.
G. MacDonald, Phantastes
I recorded some lectures on George MacDonald's Phantastes. I lightly edited them into about an hour's worth of content. Many people first learn about the book as one of C.S. Lewis's favorites, the book he read as a teenager which, he said, "baptized his imagination." But many who go on to read it are disappointed. There's not much of a plot, and it's difficult to follow. I've read the book many times and treasure it. These lectures might help you appreciate the book better. Here's the audio.