***With English translations of all Scots dialogue side-by-side with the original text
***Introduction by Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis
***Translator’s preface by David Jack
***Illustrated by Carrie Stout
This towering 1875 novel, set in the Scottish fishing village of Cullen, is considered by many as George MacDonald’s fictional masterwork. The intricate tale is more true to place than any of MacDonald’s books. As Malcolm is drawn into the web of secrets surrounding majestic Lossie House, with the marquis of Lossie and his tempestuous daughter Florimel at the center of them, we meet some of MacDonald’s most memorable characters. Through them Malcolm must unravel many mysteries that hang over the town and its people—and himself!
583 pages
Editorial Reviews
"Malcolm is an amazing masterpiece, and it has been held back or turned away by so many people simply because of MacDonald's usage of what to many people seems to be an undecipherable and in some cases, uncanny language. In his explaining of the Scottish accents and jargons to our minds, David Jack is...making George MacDonald's works open to us that we too may benefit from them."
--Douglas Gresham, Stepson of C. S. Lewis
Series Producer, The Chronicles of Narnia
"For many readers, the use of the Doric dialect in MacDonald's Scottish writings has resulted in the misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or abandonment of these captivating novels altogether. In this edition of Malcolm, David Jack does a masterful job not only preserving the original meaning and nuance within his interpretation, but also respecting the original text by including it intact. This volume would be a welcome addition to any George MacDonald reader, scholar or layman alike."
--Dean Hardy, Teacher of Christian Philosophy and Apologetics at Charlotte Christian School and the author of Waking the Dead: George MacDonald as Philosopher, Mystic, and Apologist
"Like many, I was put off for years reading my great-great-grandfather's "Scottish" novels, many of which feature extensive dialogue by characters who speak Scots. I tried on numerous occasions, but, I am ashamed to say, gave up! So I welcome the Scots-English Editions, like this one for Malcolm, which place English translations side-by-side with the original text. Without doubt translator David Jack came along at just the right time! David has a love of George, and a love for Scotland, so does not simply popularize passages, but gives them deep thought and care to reflect aspects of character, and occasionally plot, which the author was trying to get across. I hope these newly available works will increase interest in George, and in his message for all of us."
--Christopher MacDonald, great-great-grandson of George MacDonald
"I commend this new and vigorous edition of Malcolm. You, the reader, will journey into the foothills of imaginative literature, with its pleasing panoramas of gentle valleys and calm rivers. Your undertaking will be blessed and give you the strength to carry on into the higher uplands. By following in the footsteps of the Inklings, the reader will safeguard the insight that Coleridge, that early explorer, strove so hard to bring back when he gave us his understanding of imagination as the highest human ability "as a vessel by which divinity passes down into humanity". Prepare yourself for the ongoing war against positivism, every 'good-book' read and step taken along this path is a battle won. Only you can fight it, the calling is to you."
--Owen A. Barfield, Grandson & Trustee, Owen Barfield Literary Estate