Rating: 
Summary: A Perfect Dream Come True
Review: You don't have to like science fiction or fantasy to love Little, Big. Anyone who appreciates beautifully crafted writing and books that touch the deepest part of soul should find what their looking for here. John Crowley is one of the most wonderful writers in existence and Little, Big is certainly his best effort to date. His wonderful (and wondrous) books do unfold without a lot of John Grisham action, so if that's your idea of great literature, Little, Big probably wouldn't be for you.About half of this gorgeous story takes place in New York City, although Crowley never actually calls it that, he just writes, "the City," while the other half takes place at Edgewood (you will find as you read that none of the names in this book are chosen at random, each has a special significance that eventually becomes crystal clear). Edgewood is an unsurpassingly complicated house, built around the turn of the century, by an architect whose wife could see...faeries. Although we never meet the faeries directly in this novel, their presence is felt through almost all of the book. They are the faeries of A Midsummer Night's Dream, embodying the qualities of mischievousness, whimsy, capriciousness and untrustworthiness. The faeries are also an odd mix of power and vulnerability, but their spirit is in decline. Much of what happens in Little, Big happens because the faeries must rejuvenate the old with the new. Far from being a simple tale of magic or fantasy, this a highly complex one; Little, Big is a mammoth work of more than 600 pages in length. The story begins with Smoky Barnable, an ordinary man who marries into an extraordinary family (the architect's great-granddaughter). It is Smoky who introduces us to Edgewood and to the subtle, but fantastic presence that his wife's family seems to take for granted. Smoky has a difficult time adjusting and sometimes he feels as though he's the only sane person in an otherwise insane world. The other residents of Edgewood see it differently; they somehow realize that a grand scheme is being played out and that once it is, their lives, as well as the lives of the faeries, will take on a luminous new meaning. As we near the end of the century, Smoky's son Auberon leaves Edgewood for the City. It is, however, not quite the magical city that Smoky knew. There is a depression, nothing runs quite like it should and a feeling of dread looms over all. Against this background of dread, Auberon meets and falls in love with Sylvie. It is her disappearance that provides the catalyst for the final act of the faeries' scheme. Despite Little, Big's length, not a word in the book is wasted. Everything is essential, everything is perfect and everything is perfectly placed. There are digressions and detours, but they all have their purpose. And, even if they didn't, they are a joy to read, in and of themselves. This is a book that unfolds slowly, like new Spring leaves or roses on a perfect summer's day, but slowly is just right for Little, Big. Crowley conveys so many emotions in this book: joy, sorrow, loss, lust but most of all, love. By the time you reach the end, you come to a slow but perfect understanding of why the faeries' rejuvenation is so crucial. This is a beautiful and beautifully-told tale and one that lingers...like a lover's kiss or the end of that perfect summer's day.
Rating:
Summary: A Portrait Of Our Lost Spiritual Legacy
Review: Forget the usual trappings of fantasy, this is a modern masterpiece centering on two of the greatest themes in world literature: faith and remembrance. It is a story of one family's messy struggle to retain wonder, fidelity and a type of ancient, earthy consciousness as the shadow of a cold, sterile modernity creeps over their world. The Drinkwaters' resistance is both resoundingly heroic and deeply tragic. The passage of time eventually disorients the younger generations of the family, whose members must find a way to believe in something they each knew instinctively as children but that becomes less vivid and more difficult to remember as they (and the family's history) grow. In a very real sense, it is the story of all our lives and Crowley is a master Sorcerer to have conjured up a Tale that serves us so well. This book is a wonder.
Rating:
Summary: A Portrait Of Our Lost Spiritual Legacy
Review: Forget the usual trappings of fantasy, this is a modern masterpiece centering on two of the greatest themes in world literature: faith and remembrance. It is the story of one family's messy struggle to retain wonder, fidelity and a type of ancient, earthy consciousness as the shadow of a cold, sterile modernity creeps over their world. The Drinkwaters' resistance is both resoundingly heroic and deeply tragic. The passage of time eventually disorients the younger generations of the family, whose members must find a way to believe in something they each knew instinctively as children but that becomes less vivid and more difficult to remember as they (and the family's history) grow. In a very real sense, it is the story of all our lives and Crowley is a master Sorcerer to have conjured up a Tale that serves us so well. An amazing book.
Rating:
Summary: Eceptionally Real and Beautiful
Review: I am usually not the type to like fantasy books, because they usually follow such stereotypical patterns, similar characters and similar storylines, like the same story all over again. But this book is nothing like that. It is a fantasy, but the characters are simultaneously so human and fantastical, that it makes the whole story seem real to me. Their thoughts are explained, as well as their feelings, and the way the world interacts with them and visa versa is behind everything...it is huge and small, it defies ideas about size and restriction. I also love the portrayal of "fairies" in this book, it is unlike i have read anywhere else, and yet it still uses some of the old ideas and myths (changelings, shapeshifting). Most of all, i love the feeling of fate it gives to the world, and how much sense it makes, even if the story line changes and surprises you (which it does alot). This is a brilliant book, and although for me i could not read it in one sitting, i read bits of it at a time, and it became like part of my life, slipping into my dreams. I think this book is something that will never leave me. It is like a house sailing off into the dark silent ocean of night, in all directions at once (or however that goes, a wonderful line from the book)....read it...if you are a creative person i do think you will love it.
Rating:
Summary: Deserves 25 Stars
Review: I read a lot of fantasy & sci-fi and this is w/o question my favorite book ever. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: Some Crowley Background
Review: "A reader in Denver" asked some questions about John Crowley. His output is relatively low because he is a painstakingly careful writer who mostly supports himself by writing documentary film scripts. Because years do pass between novels, they tend to go out of print despite his coterie of passionate readers. As for _Little, Big_, several critics have called it "the best fantasy novel ever written"; if they're wrong, they're not wrong by much. Crowley describes it as "a novel about a family that believes in fairies." At one and the same time it's an exquisite family chronicle; a science-fiction novel of sorts (since the chronicle extends into the near future as well as going back into the past); and a fairy-tale. If you can imagine the beauty and wonder of the best fairy-tales sustained for five or six *hundred* pages rather than five or six, you get some of the flavor of this remarkable book.
Rating:
Summary: Simply beautiful, wonderfully literate, a fantasy classic
Review: If you are a fan of well written fantasy you absolutely must read this book. It is one of a handful of books (To Kill a Mockingbird being another) that I reread as soon as I was finished. Not to mention the many paragraphs that I read once, sighed, and read again for the pure pleasure of it. I tend to be very free with my books but because Crowley's books are so hard to get a hold of, he's the ONLY author whose books I don't lend out. I would love to know the inside story of this author. Why does he publish so rarely? Why are such stunning books, that obviously have a big cult following, never promoted and so often out of print?
Rating:
Summary: Beyond good
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Crowley brings applies his unique viewpoint to Fairyland.
Review: If you like "Great Work of Time" and "Engine Summer", this work deserves your attention. It's an intricate story of several people in the Northeast gradually finding their way into a fairy tale. The book is rich with details, the kind that mystery fans like to catch--"Wait a minute, if that's true, that means that back in Chapter 3 . . ." Watch for subtle references to various characters from traditional fairy-lore, classical Greek myth, and some of Lewis Carroll's lesser-known works.
Rating:
Summary: Trash and Treasure
Review: My favorite book. I paid 20 cents for an unread paperback in a charity store. After a few chapters I realised that I had scored the bargain of a lifetime. Readers who loved this novel may enjoy Canadian author, Robinson Davies's "Salterton" and "Deptford" trilogies. Both are big books.
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