Phantastes

When, on his twenty-first birthday, Anodos goes into his father's study and opens a drawer, a little ancient fairy lady grants his wish to go to Fairy Land. But is it all just a fantasy? A forerunner of the modern fantasy genre, "Phantastes" is a poignant, whimsical fairy tale. George MacDonald’s classic from 1858 was a favourite of C.S. Lewis’.
George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian minister. A pioneer of fantasy literature, he was the mentor of Lewis Carroll. Among his notable works are "Phantastes" (1858), "David Elginbrod" (1863), "At the Back of the North Wind" (1871), "The Princess and the Goblin" (1872), and "Lilith" (1895).