John Crowley Jr.'s Little, Big: A Novel

customer: I was originally listening to this on Audible, which was very well read but too relaxing. I kept falling asleep - so its a very good sleep aid. But I decided I had better read the book as I was getting confused. It's a very unusual story and when I finished the book I felt quite haunted by it. I dont call it an easy read but its worth the effort. In terms of influences I would say George MacDonald.

United Kingdom on Aug 14, 2023

A.S. Forest: My second time reading it! Really such a well written book, pulls you into an altered time and place.

Australia on Dec 02, 2020

Book Person: Very happy with my purchase1

Canada on Dec 01, 2020

Lucia: Amazing, poetic and disquieting story set up in a Victorian country setting of magical beauty touching, often merging with the otherworldly.

Spain on Dec 06, 2019

jim anotsu: Uma das melhores obras de fantasias que já li na vida. Crowley deveria ser muito mais conhecido.

One of the greats.

Brazil on Nov 22, 2017

Frank J. Kim: This is a great American novel that is not meant for everybody, which is why it's a great American novel that's mostly unknown. It's a fairy tale book not meant for little children. Who this book is meant for are those who want to experience the truth of a world like ours that just happens to be poked, prodded, and moved about by the Fey peoples of an alternate plane of existence. This is a novel about an extraordinary family across multiple generations--a family with foibles and flaws and beauty and strength, who struggle to understand the Why of their existence as they also alternately struggle against and work with the Little People (who may not be so little).

And so this novel asks a lot of big philosophical and metaphysical questions. The author, John Crowley, is not interested in pat answers. The questions are sometimes more important than the conclusions that follow. And sometimes, there are no conclusions explicitly stated. It's up to the reader to use some mental effort to figure out what's happening in the story. This is why I say that this novel is not for everyone. In today's reading culture, where even college-educated adults are only willing to read young...

United States on Jan 20, 2017

JfromJersey: Where do I begin in attempting to review this remarkable book? I'll apologize in advance for being long-winded but I have much to say about John Crowley's tour de force. It's place might be in the fantasy genre, but it's unlike any fantasy novel I've ever read. First off, it's for intelligent adults, not children, or anyone looking for pure escapism. It's also not a Tolkien type fantasy. The bulk of the plot doesn't take place in an imaginary kingdom, with stereotypical heroes and villains, and exalted but all too obvious themes. It's not allegorical as are the works of MacDonald and Lewis. The fantastic elements, fairies, elves, and such, aren't ubiquitous, but operate for the most part in clandestine fashion, behind the scenes. LITTLE, BIG can rightly be termed realistic fiction with unrealistic elements, and the fantastic elements are often presented with a Carrollian wit. Characters are introduced much the way Dickens would have. Even their names have a certain Dickensian flavor. Most of the major characters are painted with subtle, rather than broad brush strokes, in a way reminiscent of George Eliot. Despite a basic goodness and decency, major characters like Smokey and...

United States on Oct 20, 2008