Little, Big by John Crowley Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Little, Big
Book Review: magicalism without magic
Summary: 5 Stars
A note to fellow fans of this book: If you aren't already aware of it, a special 25th Anniversary Edition of this novel is being planned. You can read about it here: www.littlebig25.com/.
As for a review of the book, there are excellent reviews already here. For my own part, I'll simply say that I don't read fantasy fiction, yet _Little, Big_ is one of the 5 best novels I've ever read (see my "Favorite Fictions" list). It doesn't read like fantasy fiction. It's literary fiction that happens to have fantastical elements, not unlike the extraordinary novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
The only complaint I can register about the book is that I really have no idea what the Barbarossa section is doing there. But that is at least as likely a failing on my part as on the author's. What's more, I don't even object much to its being in the book, it's so beautifully written. I just don't know what it's for. It's like one of the lovely but supernumerary facades of Edgewood: I'd be pleased as punch if someone could tell me why it's there, but in the meantime I'm happy to just look at it.
With the recent publication of Susanna Clarke's _Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell_, we now have 2 wonderful and completely different novels about the fact that we live, as a previous reviewer put it, in "a 'magical' world in which magic in fact rarely happens." If you want a stronger sense of plot and character resolution, Clarke has it in spades. If you want more magic in the prose itself, Crowley is definitely your man. The 2 might very usefully be read back-to-back. In fact, I might re-read them just for that experience.
Book Review: my favorite book
Summary: 5 Stars
If you love reading atmospheric, somewhat dark books, you might try Little, Big. I first read it in my teens soon after it was published in paperback (I think) and I reread it every several years.
I once compared John Crowley to Ray Bradbury as far as the atmosphere of his books. This isn't escapist fiction. It isn't throwaway. It is not your typical fantasy.
You have to put effort into reading this book. But the rewards are great.
Little, Big is dream-like, trippy, dark, twisting and epic mythology. No matter how often I've read it (and I'm probably at 10+ readings at this point), I always think 'oh, yeah, I totally forgot about *that*. There is so much to this book, it amazes me at each re-read.
I am not an overly analytical reader. I can relatively patiently accept things and move on, not getting too worried if things don't wrap up neatly (or much at all) by the end of a book. These traits are helpful or necessary for enjoying Little, Big.
Yeah, you might not be able to stand it, but if you do like it, if it grows on you, it just might blow your mind.