After some contemplation, I have come to the conclusion that John Crowley's Little, Big is one of the most challenging books I have ever read. Not challenging in regards to difficulty, but in that it challenged my imagination and entire thought process. I quickly realized this book was by no means just a simply page turner, but, as the saying goes, the further in you go, the bigger it gets. I could take nothing at face value - there was always something more, some deeper connection, some hidden foreshadowing or analogy. It was fascinating, but also frustrating, because I know there were so many things I missed, and yet I do not think it humanly possible to pick up on everything after one reading. For example, August senior. I had just assumed he'd walked off the face of the earth, but then after class discussion and further analysis, I learned he had indeed become Grandfather Trout - a rather important conclusion that I did not initially realize because of the complexity with which it was interwoven. In addition, being a rather left-brained individual, I struggle with such fantastical books. Hand me a straight up fantasy book and I'll survive because the entire world is "make believe," but in Little, Big, the overlap between the fairy world and reality was a challenge for me to wrap my mind around. I simply could not really grasp the whole separate spheres but overlap. So yes, I can honestly say that this novel was one of the more challenging books I have ever read.
There is one aspect of the book that I was absolutely taken with and, despite my best efforts, could not come to a concrete conclusion about. The Tale. Is there actually a drawn out plan previously composed that sets the greater world in motion, or is it just what people choose to lean on, afraid of being fully responsible for their own lives? Yes, I appreciate that there are the fairies and the tarot cards and the analogy of the Fates, but the Tale is so much more. Here lies my issue with accepting that the Tale is strictly of the inner spheres' creation and reflects on the inhabitants of Edgewood, it is initially stated that the fairies have no interest in human activities, they only care about their own. Therefore, it seems inconceivable to me that the fairies would care to the point of planning out the human lives. However, in the book "The Fairies' Parliament," when Lilac is trying to convince Auberon and George to come with her to the other world, it says, "'It won't come out right,' Lilac said softly. 'The Tale,' she said, even more softly" (Crowley 464). Coming from the fairy world, Lilac must know what is happening there, and here she lets on that the Tale is indeed their greater plan. However, there is the option of it not turning out right, signifying that humans do still have some control over their own lives. In addition, there is a section titled "Land Called the Tale" when they arrive in the fairy world. It is described as, "The Tale was behind them. And it was to there they journeyed" (Crowley 532). Under this new understanding, I believe that this meant they had escaped the impact of the Tale, because they were at it's origin, demonstrating how the fairy world is the source of the Tale. I am still not 100% sure what to make of the Tale and how concrete it really is, but in the last book I did come to appreciate it as an impact on the inner world on the outer.
So I guess in closing I would like to just give a little thanks to John Crowley. He wrote a truly captivating book that expanded my horizons and stretched my brain. If you ever happen to see this blog, Mr. Crowley, thank you for your incredible work.
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