The Wow o'Riven by George MacDonald
The Wow o'Riven is a novel by George MacDonald that tells the story of a young man named Ranald Bannerman who lives in a small Scottish village called Riven. The book follows his journey as he navigates through life, facing various challenges and obstacles along the way. Throughout the story, Ranald learns valuable lessons about love, friendship, and faith that help him grow into a better person.
By George MacDonald · First published 1874 · Genre: Fantasy, Gothic, Romance · 6,723 words
First lines
Elsie Scott had let her work fall on her knees, and her hands on her work, and was looking out of the wide, low window of her room, which was on one of the ground floors of the village street. Through a gap in the household shrubbery of fuchsias and myrtles filling the window-sill, one passing on the foot pavement might get a momentary glimpse of her pale face, lighted up with two blue eyes, over which some inward trouble had spread a faint, gauze-like haziness. But almost before her thoughts had had time to wander back to this trouble, a shout of children's voices, at the other end of the street, reached her ear. She listened a moment. A shadow of displeasure and pain crossed her countenance; and rising hastily, she betook herself to an inner apartment, and closed the door behind her.
What this Textopian page supports
The Wow o'Riven is listed on Textopian as a novel by George MacDonald, dated 1874 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: George MacDonald
- Date: 1874 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Gothic, Romance, Psychological Fiction, Social Commentary
- Length: 6,723 words
- Structure: 1 section, 48 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Wow o'Riven by George MacDonald
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Wow o'Riven?
- How does this novel by George MacDonald fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fantasy first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Fantasy — The narrative includes elements of the supernatural and mystical, such as prophetic visions and symbolic interpretations of reality.
- Gothic — The story features dark and mysterious settings, emotional distress, and themes of madness and death.
- Romance — Central to the plot is the emotional and romantic connection between characters, exploring themes of love and loss.
- Psychological Fiction — The narrative delves deeply into the inner thoughts and emotional struggles of the protagonist, exploring themes of mental health and personal identity.
Tags
fantasy · adventure · mythical · imagination · childhood · moral lessons · friendship · self-discovery · whimsy · magic · nature · spirituality