Rating: 
Summary: This is an excellent book.
Review: "Little, Big" is the best book I have read since discovering "The Velveteen Rabbit" when I was six years old, and like that childrens story of so long ago, I keep reading this one over and over as well. It is wonderfull...as in wonder-filled, a novel whose prose is so rich and striking that I find myself stopping and rereading aloud. The writing is clever and rich with meaning in a incredibly subtle way that cannot be adequately described only experienced. Similar in some ways to the anabolic Umberto Eco, but far less presumptuous and academic. Why is this book out of print? This is a classic that deserves to be taught in Writing and American Literature classes.
Rating: 
Summary: Worlds Within Worlds
Review: Little,Big is a beautifully written, lyrical novel of a family whose destiny is linked with magic and faeries.It begins with Smokey Barnable,the book's most "normal" character, as he prepares to marry Alice of the mysterious Drinkwater family. The novel explores the fascinating possiblity that there is not merely one world, but many worlds, one within another. While I enjoyed the book, I often felt like Smokey myself (which I'm sure Mr. Crowley intends), confused and wishing things would make a bit more sense --for example, one of the biggest events of the novel is a "war," but I was never sure exactly who was fighting the war or what it was about. On the other hand, the whole point of the book is that we never know exactly what is going on in life, but must trust in magic and intuition. I was also a little uncomfortable with (what seemed to me) the fatalistic tone of the story. The faeries in Little,Big often act as the gods of ancient tales, determining the outcome of events, while the humans by contrast seem basically helpless. Still,the settings and characters are highly memorable and atmospheric and I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy or who is fascinated by Otherworlds and faeries.
Rating:
Summary: Why doesn't a publisher re-issue this?
Review: "Little, Big" is a one-in-a-million jewel. I'm a voracious reader but had never heard of this wonderful book until about 5 years ago, when the Washington Post ran a story titled "Books I reread every year." They asked a bunch of literary people what books they read over and over, and someone (I can't remember who!), said, "Little, Big." It was the only book on the list that I'd never heard of, so I went to the library to get a copy, and the librarian surprised me by saying rapturously, "Oh! This is my favorite book!! You're going to love it!!" She was right. And now I (like the person in that Washington Post story) re-read it every year! And it's such a rich, deep story that it just gets better with each re-reading. All I can say is: Why on earth doesn't a publisher re-issue this? (Especially with all the "fairy fever" going on now!)
Rating:
Summary: "The Persistence of Memory"
Review: I've read two paperback copies of this book to pieces and my third was carried off by my daughter-in-law, never to be returned. What makes it hard is having to haunt the used bookstores for each copy... Well, maybe not hard, but certainly time-consuming. I want a hardcover copy for my own hoard. Is there any such thing?So often, perhaps weekly, phrases and scenes come back to me; Smokey's walk to the home of his betrothed, with the description of the semi-urban desolation as he leaves the City shading into countryside and the neighbors with names like Wind,Stone, Leaf... Alice bathing in a room whose great, stained-glass windows exuded the Comfort that was their Creator's middle name... A Puerto Rican girl's sequinned dress glittering in the icy light of early morning, and a great shaggy indigent's rantings on the subway; A fox tail fluttering from an old jalopy, and a Victorian orrery; Dame Kind, the lady of summer, waiting on the porch- and much, much more.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best novels
Review: This book is truly one of the best novels ever written. Beautiful and intriguing at every page.
Rating:
Summary: A perfect work...
Review: I cannot say enough about this book. The writing is lovely. The mood is mysterious and light. The story's construction is perfect, beginning with a man winding his way into a hidden world and ending with that world's gentle disappearance into "...once upon a time." We watch this place of magic grow real and then fade and finally be forgotten. John Crowley's stories are all wonderful, in particular Engine Summer and The Great Work of Time, both of which address the themes of lost memories and misplaced worlds. But in Little, Big, everything comes together. It is a great shame that so many of Crowley's works are out of print.
Rating:
Summary: my favorite book
Review: Little, Big is my favorite book of all time, and I am the pickiest reader I know. Crowley's writing is simply beautiful - lyrical and vivid and sometimes slyly funny. The story itself is worthy of the telling; part fairy tale in the truest sense, part family saga, and part pure escapist fantasy, it leads you deeper and deeper into a mystery until you finally realize where you are and who you have been following. If you can find the edition with Thomas Canty's wonderful cover art, do yourself a favor and grab it!
Rating:
Summary: One of Crowley's Two Best
Review: In contrast with his stunning "Engine Summer", which was stark and slim by comparison, "Little, Big" is a lush and opulent fairy tale, full of the wonder and terror that all true fairy tales contain. Following the intricate history of Smoky Barnable and his wife Alice, Crowley weaves literary, religious, and historical details into his tapestry, and brocades the fabric with a generous amount of humor and inside jokes. Most of the humor will only be apparent to those who are widely read and highly educated, however, which may put some people off. All I can say is, very few books can be read over and over again with relish. This is definitely one of those books. I get something new out of it every time I read it!
Rating:
Summary: truly a masterpiece
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read. I am a devout Crowley fan. He can do no wrong by me. Though hard to find, it is worth every effort, even if it means combing every used book store in the area (what I did) to track down Crowley's works. He writes beautifully, and has something to say. I think they should reprint all of his books and spend some money advertising them. The guy deserves much more recognition than he has (or maybe he doesn't want that much...) look for a new Crowley by the end of the year... He is continuing the story of Pierce Moffett (started with AEGYPT and continued with LOVE AND SLEEP) with the third of a projected four-volume series...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but not the best
Review: I agree with everything everyone else here has written about Little, Big. However, I think that this book pales beside the evocative glory of Engine Summer, and I hope that everyone who enjoys Little, Big makes the effort to find this other absolute gem of a book!
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