At the Back of the North Wind certainly contained some beautiful, poignant imagery. It just wasn't as good, in my opinion, as some of MacDonald's other books (The Princess and the Goblin or The Wise Woman and Other Stories, for example). I think the fact the the book was published serially may account for some of the meanderings of the plot, and the plot did certainly meander! So much of the book could have been edited out.

However, you will do well if you can hold onto the central idea of the book, that is, that the North Wind, representing Death, is a friend, a doorway to the next life--a beautiful life in a beautiful place. I would even recommend skimming over the parts that really don't contribute to the main story if you just can't make yourself keep reading.

Additionally, there were some interesting parallels that could be drawn from the book, particularly regarding the problem of evil as it relates to a good and holy God, God's character, and the existence of God and the supernatural. You definitely see glimpses of why MacDonald was so respected and revered by Tolkien, Lewis, and many other literary giants. Again, I think those reasons are even clearer in some of MacDonald's other writings, but they are certainly present in this book.