---
product_id: 62943846
title: "At the Back of the North Wind (Everyman's Library Children's Classics Series) Hardcover – Illustrated, October 16, 2001"
brand: "george macdonald"
price: "R162"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/62943846-at-the-back-of-the-north-wind-everymans-library-childrens
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# At the Back of the North Wind (Everyman's Library Children's Classics Series) Hardcover – Illustrated, October 16, 2001

**Brand:** george macdonald
**Price:** R162
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** At the Back of the North Wind (Everyman's Library Children's Classics Series) Hardcover – Illustrated, October 16, 2001 by george macdonald
- **How much does it cost?** R162 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/62943846-at-the-back-of-the-north-wind-everymans-library-childrens)

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- george macdonald enthusiasts

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## Description

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Social Pathos and Fairy Tale
  

*by M***T on Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2015*

George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet and preacher; a mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll, and some of his works of fantasy have become classics in the genre, and inspired other authors, like C.S. Lewis. At the Back of the North Wind was first serialized in the children's magazine Good Words for the Young in 1868, and published in book form in 1871.At the centre of the story is a small boy named Diamond, son of a poor coachman – who also has a horse with the same name. The boy Diamond sleeps in the loft over the stable (right over the stall of Diamond the horse); and in the wall by his bed there is a knothole, through which the North Wind blows. In Diamond’s dreams (or is it more than just dreams?), the North Wind takes the shape of a beautiful woman with long hair – sometimes small like a fairy, sometimes huge and awe-inspiring like a mighty storm – sweeping Diamond away on nightly adventures, both in his own town and to a distant land, “at the back of the north wind”.Diamond is at the same time a mystery and a joy to the people around him. Kind and helpful and trusting, and making friends whereever he goes - but also going his own ways, showing both practical initiative, and surprising people by fanciful ideas, rhymes and dreams.  He’s naive in some ways, and yet also wise and philosphical far beyond his age. Some think he’s not quite right in his head; but he never takes offense.It is not a book easy to categorize. Take the basic setting (including poor little boy) from a novel by Charles Dickens; put it down a rabbit hole (as in Alice in Wonderland - 1865); add a good portion of classic fairy tale and fable; mix in some serious theodicy questions and answers; and serve with a sprinkle of nursery rhymes on top. It’s very much up to the reader’s taste to decide what to make of it!I read it the first time about 25 years ago in Swedish translation, and reread it now because I found had forgotten most of it, and also wanted to read it in the original language. The story also makes a lot of deviations like long nursery rhymes and whole fairy tales told within the story. Some of the details deserve more attention than one might think at first, as there are plenty of parallells between the ‘reality’ vs. stories and dreams within the book (much like the roots of our dreams can often be found in our daytime life).It’s not a book I’d recommend as a must-read for everyone. My guess is that some will stll love it while other modern readers may find it strange and too old-fashioned in style. But if you are interested in classic children’s literature and fantasy, I think you will probably recognise themes and ideas also used by many other authors within those genres.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A spell-binding, original fairy tale, which is not just for children
  

*by E***S on Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2016*

Another exquisite tapestry of a fairy tale by the renowned 19th century Scottish minister and theologian, George MacDonald, who, according to his biography, lost several of his own children to early death, due to the appalling childhood mortality which was just a fact of existence during  MacDonald's lifetime. This highly intelligent and educated author's child-like, unquestioning faith in a traditional Christian God, despite his own many losses and suffering, resulted in a faith in a God, who, though mysterious in His ways, nevertheless, must have a purpose for His often times ill-seeming behavior and eventually (in Heaven?) reveal a deep meaning, behind the superfiicial appearance of tragedy, illness, sickness, lack of fairness, etc., for the down-trodden and afflicted members of humankind, as well as for animals and all sentient beings, e.g, elves in cottages and fairies who dwell among the petals of roses. MacDonald portrays the powerful, yet apparently whimsical or sometimes even nonsensical behavior of the mysterious, omniscient  God in whom he believes through the character, North Wind, who must do her work, because it "feels" right to her, despite the violence and tragedy she sometimes wreaks. such as, for example, her "work" is to sink a ship, in which scene, where she grows from a lovely lady to a giantress, she sets the innocent little Curdie, who has "come along for the ride" with her, as it were, down from where he is hiding amid the wild, wavy tresses of her hair, as she flies through the air, so that Curdie will be spared hearing the cries and screams of the drowning passengers of the ship. Believe it or not, MacDonald manages to pull off this literary feat in a way that is not only entertaining,, but downright humorous, in the course of the "argument" between Curdie and the North Wind as to the wisdom of this gratuitous act of violence..

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A story worth finishing!
  

*by K***N on Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2012*

"At the Back of the North Wind" is a book I nearly gave up on, but I'm glad I pushed through and finished the story.  I think it helps if you understand this is a christian fairy tale published in 1871, and you determine what the North Wind represents.  One reason I chose to forge on is because C.S. Lewis highly regarded George MacDonald, and this work supposedly influenced Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series.The main narrative follows the life of a young boy named Diamond and his family as they experience, misery, poverty, joy, and good fortune.  The story also includes a super natural element where the North Wind appears to be a beautiful lady that speaks to Diamond teaching him things about her nature and purpose and ushering him to the land that lies at the back of the north wind.Two days after finishing the book, I'm still reflecting on the meaning and the indirect lessons the author wove into the narrative.  I really enjoyed the simple nature of the story, the good-natured Diamond, and the overall moral about not fearing the North Wind if you are a good person.  I felt the author got his point across in a way that wasn't overly preachy, and I think this would be a good story for families to read together.

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-03-21*