Little, Big

John Crowley's "Little, Big" is a particularly challenging work of fantasy to read and describe because it is not so much a story as it is about storytelling. Although written by an American in 1981, it often looks like a novel that came from an Englishman in 1881, immersed as it is in a Victorian mode, as though Lewis Carroll had lived into the automotive age and decided to incorporate elements from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" into an epic of magic and madness. Shakespeare's play is clearly an inspiration, as the essence of "Little, Big" is founded on fairies, pixies, brownies, sprites, sylphs, dryads--i.e., mythological personifications of nature--although most of the characters are (apparently) human. The genesis of the story (or the Tale, as it is referred to throughout the novel) is the marriage of Smoky Barnable, an average, unassuming young man from the mundane world, to a fantastically beautiful and tall girl named Daily Alice Drinkwater, whose family is somehow (or should I say Somehow) connected to the supernatural. The Drinkwaters live in a large, bizarrely constructed house called Edgewood which, not unlike a smaller version of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast, is a gothic manor of labyrinthine and spatially illogical architecture surrounded by a demesne of ornate gardens and wooded landscapes and seems almost to exist in an alternate realm of its own, separated from the real world. The novel does acknowledge the "real" world, but only obliquely, like a surrealistic painting. Smoky and Daily Alice's son Auberon, perplexed by the secrets of the Drinkwater dynasty and desiring to make a living on his own as a writer, comes to the City (transparently New York) to live with his cousin George Mouse, who actually has a farm. It is here that Auberon will eventually meet his Titania, and here also that a distant relation, an old woman mystic named Ariel Hawksquill, will contend with Russell Eigenblick, a tyrant with an ancient past and a future that poses danger for the Tale. If none of this sounds like the constitution of a cohesive novel, be aware that "Little, Big" has little interest in the conventions of literary genre and instead seeks to achieve a phantasmagorical effect. To this end, Crowley weaves an intricate tapestry of concepts from history, mythology, and his own imagination, employing tarot cards, talking animals, the Holy Roman Empire, a contraption called the Cosmo-Opticon, an orrery (keep a dictionary handy) powered by a perpetual-motion machine, while Auberon's three sisters spin, measure, and cut thread like the Fates. This is heavy, complex, philosophical material to be read with patience and an open mind, not for the common fantasy reader who is hoping for an easy, banal plot. Crowley's rich, colorful prose pays lavish attention to detail, contrasting the tranquil idyll of Edgewood with the faceless modernity of the City, but even more notably it maintains the narrative in a certain nebulous state, as though th

Wow. That's all I can really say about this. I'm not sure what more I can say that would make you go out and seek this book down at all costs (the other reviewers here already having done a fine job of kindling that desire hopefully) but every little bit helps and maybe some publisher will read all these and realize that this book deserves to be in print. So . . . deep breath, where to start? I could say that this easily ranks among the best books I've ever read but that tells you nothing. So why do I love it so? The story in essence is a tale (or Tale) of one family's (one large family) association with fairies. But this isn't a typical fantasy novel. For one thing the focus is entirely on the family, the story lunges backwards and forwards in time and the family tree in the beginning is given there for a reason . . . pay attention to it. There's isn't much action but frankly you don't miss it, the action that is there is implied, Crowley shows us the mold and lets our imagination fill the spaces in, the way the best writers do. And ah, the language. If only every fantasy novel could capture the elegance and sheer range of his words. Whether he's being funny or serious or sensual or touching or whatever, there are passages you just want to read outloud. And you will be moved, he'll make you feel joy, despair and everything in between. George Mouse's retelling of his encounter with Sophie's baby has to be one of the most riveting pieces of literature I've ever read. But the overall tone is gentle, images of spring and winter with spring not far ahead (or behind) fill every corner. The fairies' influence is everywhere but they're rarely seen, which is absolutely great. One of the few perfect books in existence, I never wanted it to end and when it did, I felt perfectly satisified. Do whatever you can to find this book, the only bad thing about finishing it is that you know that it'll take a long time before you find a book nearly as excellent. But you can always read it again. One of the forgotten classics of all time, it deserves wider recognition.

It took me a few attempts to get rolling with "Little, Big". There is no real action to speak of and not a lot of dialogue - the story just sort of meanders along. Still, my perseverance was well-rewarded...and how! John Crowley's writing has an elegance and beauty that is simply incomparable. I could throw out any number of adjectives - lyrical, sensual, dense, profound, heartbreaking, haunting...in short, an amazing achievement. I have re-read it many times since, and each time I notice new details and depths. As the key concept of the book states, "the further in you go the bigger it gets". It is by no means a light, casual read, and will not appeal to all readers. The complex story is hard to describe or explain very well (I've tried a number of times to do so). The book opens with a young man named Smokey Barnable making his way on foot from the City to a place called Edgewood, where he is going to marry Daily Alice Drinkwater. From this charming beginning, "Little, Big" goes on to trace the history of the Drinkwater family, whose story is quite literally a Fairy Tale that they only vaguely understand themselves (although they know that they are in it) and of Edgewood, an amazing house "of four floors, seven chimneys, three hundred and sixty-five stairs, (and) fifty-two doors", which is a doorway to the Fairies. "Little, Big" jumps back and forth across five Drinkwater generations as the meaning of the Tale and their place and purpose in it becomes clearer, while Smoky (and later his son Auberon) struggle with their disbelief. It may not sound like much (and there really is a lot more to it than my extremely brief synopsis), but John Crowley's superb and gorgeous writing just sweeps you along. There are all kinds of odd digressions and even odder characters (including the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and Grandfather Trout). Many times I found myself paging back through the book looking for small references that I half-remembered which came up again with greater significance many pages later. The last 50 pages or so (as the Tale reaches its conclusion) are simply heart-wrenching as the Tale (and the novel) reaches its conclusion. Like other reviewers, I always pick up extra copies to loan to my friends. I just tell them to read it (and hopefully return it, which they seldom do). Don't get discouraged if you have problems getting through "Little, Big" at first. As I mentioned, it took me a few tries to really get rolling with it, but once I was "over the hump" I had no problems getting to the end, and even wondered why I had problems in the first place. I really don't know what else I can say about this magnificent book. As it has remained my favorite novel for some years now, I cannot recommend "Little, Big" more highly.

It took me a few attempts to get rolling with "Little, Big". There is no real action to speak of and not a lot of dialogue - the story just sort of meanders along. Still, my perseverance was well-rewarded...and how! John Crowley's writing has an elegance and beauty that is simply incomparable. I could throw out any number of adjectives - lyrical, sensual, dense, profound, heartbreaking...in short, an amazing achievement. I have re-read it many times since, and each time I notice new details and depths. It is by no means a light, casual read, however. The complex story is hard to describe or explain very well (I've tried a number of times to do so). The book opens with a young man named Smokey Barnable hitchhiking his way from the City to a place called Edgewood, where he is going to marry Daily Alice Drinkwater. From this charming beginning, "Little, Big" goes on to trace the history of the Drinkwater family, whose story is quite literally a Fairy Tale that they don't quite understand themselves (although they know that they are in it) and of Edgewood, an amazing house "of four floors, seven chimneys, three hundred and sixty-five stairs, (and) fifty-two doors", which is a doorway to the Fairies. "Little, Big" jumps back and forth across five Drinkwater generations as the meaning of the Tale and their place and purpose in it becomes clearer, while Smoky (and later his son Auberon) struggle with their disbelief. It may not sound like much (and there really is a lot more to it than my extremely brief synopsis), but John Crowley's superb and gorgeous writing just sweeps you along. There are all kinds of odd digressions and even odder characters (including the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa). Many times I found myself paging back through the book looking for small references that I half-remembered which came up again with greater significance many pages later. The last 50 pages or so (as the Tale reaches its conclusion) are simply heart-wrenching. Like other reviewers, I always pick up extra copies to loan to my friends. I just tell them to read it (and return it, which they seldom do). I really don't know what else I can say about this magnificent book. As it has remained my favorite novel for some years now, I cannot recommend "Little, Big" more highly.

Because of several mediocre earlier works, author John Crowley was unfortunately typecast as a sci-fi/fantasy fiction writer. Little, Big is however a novel in the truest sense of the word, and established Crowley as one of the better wordsmiths of our time. This is a story to be savored; the delicious phrasings turn in upon themselves with hallucinatory effect, leading the entranced reader into a world just next door ("the further in you go, the bigger it gets") which holds humanity's only promise for salvation from the dreary, deadly eco-mess we've fashioned for ourselves. The characters in Little, Big are lovable, quirky, and unforgettable, but the book's real power lies in its author's ability to evoke a timeless place in a placeless time through amazing use of language. This book must be read to be seen, and then the reader cannot help but believe. The original Bantam edition's cover art is a keeper-- it captures so well the ephemeral luminosity of the Tale told-- but do not hesitate to devour any copy you can get your hands on. Crowley himself acknowledges, in the preface to a later edition, that this story may well prove to be his pinnacle as an artist of the written word... and he is comfortable with that notion. It is easy to understand his willingness to rest his literary reputation on this piece of work. An underground, largely-undiscovered classic, I predict that Little, Big will someday attain its rightful place in great literature of the 20th century.