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Fantasy · Fiction

Phantastes

by George MacDonald

A young man’s wandering through fairy country becomes a dream journey of desire and change.

6 hr estimatedB1–B2 Linden levelRead now availability23 chapters
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Overview

About this book

On his twenty-first birthday, Anodos enters a fairy country where beauty, danger, doubles and stories within stories reshape his sense of desire and self. MacDonald’s dreamlike romance became a major source for later literary fantasy.

First published
1858
Language
English
Copyright status
Public domain

English level

B1–B2 · Steady progress

Phantastes is calibrated from 40,820 sampled words across 23 chapters: sentences average 22.6 words, 37.4% exceed 24 words and 5.4% of words are nine letters or longer.

Explore the B1–B2 level →

Sentence rhythm

What the prose asks

Extended sentences averaging 22.6 words, with 14.7% reaching 40 words or more

Vocabulary

What may slow you down

5.4% of sampled words contain nine or more letters and about 2.89 marked archaic terms per thousand words; names and period vocabulary still vary by chapter

Reading rhythm

Medium commitment

Regular chapter-sized stopping points support a steady plan. About 13 calm 30-minute sessions.

Suggested approach

Read with momentum

Pause at paragraph breaks, restate long sentences in your own words and use the guide for historical context

Best starting point

Begin with chapter one

The full text is ready with speech, lookup and saved progress.

CEFR-aligned Linden estimate · high confidence · sampled full text · Calibrated 2026-09-08 · Provisional, not an exam certification.

Table of contents

23 chapters

  1. 01Phantastes · Part I15 min
  2. 02Phantastes · Part II13 min
  3. 03Phantastes · Part III14 min
  4. 04Phantastes · Part IV14 min
  5. 05Phantastes · Part V13 min
  6. 06Phantastes · Part VI13 min
  7. 07Phantastes · Part VII13 min
  8. 08Phantastes · Part VIII14 min
  9. 09Phantastes · Part IX14 min
  10. 10Phantastes · Part X14 min
  11. 11Phantastes · Part XI13 min
  12. 12Phantastes · Part XII14 min
  13. 13Phantastes · Part XIII13 min
  14. 14Phantastes · Part XIV13 min
  15. 15Phantastes · Part XV14 min
  16. 16Phantastes · Part XVI13 min
  17. 17Phantastes · Part XVII14 min
  18. 18Phantastes · Part XVIII15 min
  19. 19Phantastes · Part XIX13 min
  20. 20Phantastes · Part XX14 min
  21. 21Phantastes · Part XXI14 min
  22. 22Phantastes · Part XXII13 min
  23. 23Phantastes · Part XXIII15 min
Portrait of George MacDonald

Related author

George MacDonald

A Scottish novelist, poet and minister whose fairy tales join moral imagination with strange landscapes and independent young protagonists.

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