From: "Alice K. Turner" 
Subject: Re: (urth) Crowley, then ...
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 18:51:11 -0400

Blattid,

It is partly a sort of mood thing. a state of mind that people who read
Victorian children's literature, or loved the fairy paintings of the period,
when they were young can slip into easily, picking up on the many allusions
that come along and the light literary parodies. It is partly a kind of 60s
thing, especially among New Yorkers. I suppose, but catching a rural
nostalgia as well. Some of us get caught by the romance aspects, the love
affair between Sylvie and Auberon and how it comes out in the end with equal
sadness and Shakespearian gaiety. Some of us, back when at least, may have
been struck by the kinkier aspects of the Tale, of which there are a fair
number. And some just like the writing, which can be hypnotic.

But he certainly is not for everyone. Our Nutria feels even more negatively
than you do. And when I tried the book when it first came out, decades ago,
I'm not sure I got through it.Our mantis persuaded me to try again--and I
found that my feelings had changed a lot, and that I was seduced by the
book. And then he and I started writing about Crowley and asking other
people to do so, and the rest is history. Of a sort.

It would be interesting if you told us what you did not like. I can tell you
that I did not like the Russell Eigenblick subplot, though I admit that he
managed to fit it into the conclusion better than I expected.

-alga

> Okay. So, after years of seeing people on this list rave about John
Crowley.
> I've read
> _Little, Big_ over the last few weeks.
>
> And I just.
>
> Don't.
>
> Get it.
>
> I don't mean the story: I was able to follow that well enough, and more or
> less
> glom onto what it's about, but ... what's the _point_?
>
> Can someone tell me what I've missed here?
>
> --Blattid
>
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