MacDonald's two epic fantasy novels come from near the beginning and end of his career (1858 for Phantastes, when the writer was 34, and 1895 for Lilith, fully a lifetime later). The former novel famously began C.S. Lewis on his journey from youthful atheism, yet it leaves even some MacDonald fans confused or cold. 

Where do you stand on the novel and why? What scenes and characters from both Lilith and Phantastes have had the greatest impact on you? How shocked were you by the revelation of the Raven's identity? What are the most perplexing aspects of either work?