Originally published in 1897 by Hurst & Blackett, London.

MacDonald's final full-length, realistic Scottish novel is replete with dense Scottish dialect and spiritual themes. The repentance (through fire) of young minister James Blatherwick, who recognizes the sham of his pretended spirituality, is reminiscent of Thomas Wingfold’s spiritual journey. It also embodies in fictional form one of MacDonald’s signature themes from his first volume of Unspoken Sermons, “The Consuming Fire.”

Along with these themes, the return of one of MacDonald’s favorite character “types,” the humble Scottish peasant bard, in the person of cobbler John MacLear, establishes Salted With Fire as a work of lasting importance in the MacDonald corpus. It arguably offers a fitting climax to MacDonald’s life message.

(Source: The Cullen Collection)

Extensive Scots dialogue

Recommended Editions and Adaptations

The Cullen Collection Edition (abridged): paperback and kindle

Hardcover Editions (unabridged):

From WisePath Books
From Johannesen Printing & Publishing

Articles about Salted With Fire

WINGFOLD

Wingfold is a quarterly magazine that restores material by and about George MacDonald, in print since 1993. To subscribe, click here. To request any of the following articles that appear in back issues of Wingfold, contact Barbara Amell at b_amell@q.com.

Summer 2002

“1896 Review”