Subtitled, a little oddly, “A Romance,” which assuredly it is not, eight distinct manuscript versions of Lilith exist, chronicling the book’s fitful development under MacDonald’s pen until its release in 1895. Some view Lilith as the other-worldly climax of MacDonald's literary career. As in Phantastes, with which Lilith is usually linked, the narrator finds himself embarking on a quest. But unlike the earlier journey into the land of faerie, that of Lilith is an inward journey that leads to the world of death, exploring what new self-awarenesses, even repentance, may be possible in that realm. Lilith is decidedly dark and difficult to grasp and is not for all readers. MacDonald himself felt that it had been inspired by God as his “final message,” though his wife Louisa was troubled by it and counseled her husband not to publish it. This edition for The Cullen Collection is unedited in any way.