The Little Country [Paperback]

Charles de Lint (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2001

When folk musician Janey Little finds a mysterious manuscript in an old trunk in her grandfather's cottage, she is swept into a dangerous realm both strange and familiar. But true magic lurks within the pages of The Little Country, drawing genuine danger from across the oceans into Janey's life, impelling her--armed only with her music--toward a terrifying confrontation.

Come walk the mist-draped hills of Cornwall, come walk the ancient standing stones. Listen to the fiddles, and the wind, and the sea. Come step with Janey Little into the pages of...The Little Country.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Morrow. Feb. 1991. c.544p. ISBN 0-688-10366-9. $22.95. fantasy When musician Janey Little discovers a hidden book in her grandfather's Cornwall home, the magic within its pages unleashes a chain of events that stretches across the sea to America, where a self-styled magician senses and covets its power, and to Madrid, where a sailor responds to a deeper, more lasting call. The author of Moonheart (Ace, 1984) and other fantasy novels asserts his unique ability to weave together a seamless pattern of magic and realism as this story within a story unfolds with elusive grace. Highly recommended.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A keeper, intricate and entertaining...I read it straight through in one sitting!" --Robert Jordan

"What a great, galloping wonder of a book--deep and wide and witty and wise. And absolutely impossible to put down." --Jane Yolen

"A must for all connoisseurs of high imagination." --Greg Bear

"A masterful blend of the sinister and the fantastic." --Julian May

"An intricately structured novel, full of a wealth of detail about music, Cornwall, and things magical and arcane. I think it is one of de Lint's best." --Patricia McKillip

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Orb Books (April 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312876491
• ISBN-13: 978-0312876494
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,071,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles de Lint and his wife, the artist MaryAnn Harris, live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His evocative novels, including Moonheart, Forests of the Heart, and The Onion Girl, have earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim as a master of contemporary magical fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Urban Fantasy at its Best, March 25, 2002

By 

dreadful light (Nicholasville, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Country (Paperback)

The Little Country is my first foray into Charles de Lint country, and needless to say, it was a wonderful trip. Janey Little is a successful musician who nevertheless feels a growing sense of inertia. When she finds a mysterious manuscript written by her favorite author, Janey's world simultaneously gets better and worse. Old friends and lovers drift into her life, secret societies threaten members of her small town, and startling revelations are made.

Intertwined with Janey's story is the saga of young Jodi, a girl who finds herself face to face with curiouser and curiouser situations. Do Smalls really exist? Can music really mend whole worlds?

The Little Country is a tale of urban fantasy with epic proportions. What really makes this rather long novel (500 plus pages) work is the beautiful development of secondary characters. Janey's friends Clare and Felix, for example, are indispensable pieces of the puzzle. Even the most minor of characters are realistically rendered as three-dimensional people with their own unique outlooks and problems.

Music IS magic, as The Little Country so beautifully conveys. Mysterious, charming works of fiction are also rather magical, themselves.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, life-view changing, November 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Little Country (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this book because of the cover illustration, and the first sentance, thinking these things to be enough for me to actually buy it. Upon delving into the book I realized I was reading something very, very different and interesting. This author has altered the way I view things. I have appreciation for things that I never thought of before. I have read 3/4ths of his books, and I will complete them all soon. Anyone seeking mystery in life should read this book.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books ever, June 12, 1999

By 

Eric Picard (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Little Country (Mass Market Paperback)

This book changed me. It will change you too. It is one of the most 'complete' books I've ever read. The characters are so real that I have contemplated writing them letters.

de Lint is a better storyteller than most - I've described his writing to friends as "as clear and inventive as Steven King, but with actually well-written prose and resolved characters - not just good storytelling." But don't let any mention of Steven King push you away if it's likely to. My main point is that his writing is going to appeal to a broader market than the typical SF/Fantasy crowd that it's aimed at.