This new edition of George MacDonald's 1864 novel, later updated by MacDonald in 1882, is now updated and introduced by Michael Phillips as Volume 4 in The Cullen Collection.

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 friends and neighbors sharing stories in hopes of lifting the spirits of young Adela Cathcart who is suffering from a mysterious illness. Early in his career, MacDonald was trying different genres and storytelling methods. Adela Cathcart is a prime example of his creative experimentation.

First published in 1864, the stories included 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. For the first time ever, this new Cullen Collection edition includes all the stories from both original editions:

⏣ The Light Princess
⏣ The Bell
⏣ Birth, Dreaming, and Death
⏣ The Shadows
⏣ The Broken Swords
⏣ My Uncle Peter
⏣ The Giant’s Heart
⏣ The Lost Lamb
⏣ The Snow Fight
⏣ A Child’s Holiday
⏣ The Cruel Painter
⏣ The Castle: A Parable
⏣ The Little Boy and the Wise Man