# Is "The Princess and the Goblin" by George MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (Strahan & Co., 1872) is identified by: Serialized in Good Words for the Young from November 1870 to June 1871, then issued by Strahan in book form in December 1871 with a title page dated 1872.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Serialized in Good Words for the Young from November 1870 to June 1871, then issued by Strahan in book form in December 1871 with a title page dated 1872
- The first-edition, first-issue binding carries the publisher's name at the foot of the spine and a crescent moon and flaming torch stamped in gilt outside the circular pictorial design on the front cover; the book is bound in blue cloth with an elaborate gilt design to cover and spine, all edges gilt
- It contains 30 illustrations by Arthur Hughes
- Publisher imprint reads Strahan & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George MacDonald |
| Publisher | Strahan & Co. |
| Year | 1872 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Serialized in Good Words for the Young from November 1870 to June 1871, then issued by Strahan in book form in December 1871 with a title… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Serialized in Good Words for the Young from November 1870 to June 1871, then issued by Strahan in book form in December 1871 with a title page dated 1872. The first-edition, first-issue binding carries the publisher's name at the foot of the spine and a crescent moon and flaming torch stamped in gilt outside the circular pictorial design on the front cover; the book is bound in blue cloth with an elaborate gilt design to cover and spine, all edges gilt. It contains 30 illustrations by Arthur Hughes.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Princess and the Goblin* by George MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-princess-and-the-goblin
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.