Lilith by George MacDonald

Lilith by George MacDonald was first published in 1895. Going into this book, I really wasn't sure what to expect. I knew that MacDonald was a major influence on C.S. Lewis and his Narnia series but that's about all I knew. What I found was a vivid imagination and a mythology that intertwines Christianity and dark fantasy.
The influence MacDonald had on C.S. Lewis is very obvious while reading this story (especially when you consider that the White Witch of Narnia is descended from Lilith, the first wife of Adam). Lilith takes place in our world but also in a parallel universe. This universe is entered through a mirror. However, it's not as simple as looking at the mirror and walking through. First the traveler must go through a secret door up into a tower, pull a chain to open a hole in the tower and adjust a few mirrors so that the light hits the portal mirror just right. At that point, the parallel universe can be entered. Mr. Vane (the main character) was showed this secret by Mr. Raven, a mysterious librarian that appears at times in Vane's home library.
Once in the world, Vane discovers many fantastic things. For one, each day goes through all four seasons, beginning with spring in the morning and ending with winter at night. He also discovers that Mr. Raven is none other than Adam and meets his wife Eve.
Throughout the story we meet many strange and fantastic beings. We meet the Little Ones, children who have never grown up. We meet the Giants, predators of the Little Ones. There are animated skeletons, two leopardesses, and various other creatures. We also meet Lilith and discover she was the first wife of Adam. Lilith is pure evil. At one point she picks up her daughter Lona (who is attempting to hug her), throws her down, and kills her. Lilith is awful but even she is saved in the end.
This was a long but very enjoyable story. I really liked how MacDonald extended the Christian mythos and added dark fantasy. It's definitely worth a read.