Princess and the Goblin - A Book That Inspired Tolkien: With Original Illustrations : Quillpen Pty Ltd T/A Leaves of Gold Press : 9781925110098 : 1925110095 : 01 Jul 2018 : THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN - A BOOK THAT INSPIRED TOLKIEN. With original illustrations. THE PROFESSOR'S BOOKSHELF #5: Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, was a great admirer of George MacDonald's fairy-stories. When his children were young, he used to read The Princess and the Goblin to them in the evenings, before they went to bed. 'Tolkien knew well MacDonald's children's books "The Princess and the Goblin" and "The Princess and Curdie", both of which influenced Tolkien's depiction of goblins in The Hobbit, ' writes Douglas A. Anderson in 'Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy'. Dart-Thornton's introduction notes similarities between this story and Tolkien's works, for example: 'The wise, magical, prescient grandmother of the Princess Irene, seems to be a liter