Little, Big Issues

Cafe Society
1

I’ve been re-reading John Crowley’s “Little, Big” and I’ve come to the conclusion that the book would be MUCH better without the subplot that involves August and Old Law Farm, in fact, that it would be much better without August, period. It just feels unnatural, wrong, GRAFTED onto what is otherwise a marvelously well composed and flowing story. In fact, Crowley’s prose is so good that I am haunted with the feeling that anyone who can write THAT well can do no wrong, that I must be missing some essential element that the August/Old Law Farm plotline provides to the story, but that’s a sort of appeal to authority … my every instinct says that subplot is a mistake, a wrong note in an otherwise masterful symphony.

I know other fans of the book are on the Dope, what do you think?

Also, what do you think about its prospects of being made into a book or TV miniseries?

Finally, I think the book begs for a sequel, actually any number of them, as it’s made clear that Edgewood survives in its role as

The gateway to that Other Realm

What say you?

2

You mean Auberon, right? I have a hard time seeing how the book would work without his part, given that it’s about 30-40% of the whole thing.

3

I haven’t read it for years and am waiting for my copy of Little Big 25th anniversary edition to arrive before I re-read it.
Eventually!

4

You’re right, I mean Auberon Drinkwater, Smokey’s son, who goes to the city and lives in Old Law Farm. I do not think his story constitutes more than 10 percent of the book, and even if it was 33 percent, I think it is a 33 percent the book could easily do without and would be better off without. A pointless side trip.