Memoirs of a Midget [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Walter De LA Mare (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1997

“One of the strangest and most enchanting works of fiction ever written.”—Alison Lurie

Miss M., a pretty young woman with a passion for shells, fossils, flints, butterflies, and stuffed animals, remains isolated from the rest of society due to her diminutive size. Forced to make her own way in the world after the death of her father, she finds herself treated as little more than an entertaining curiosity.

Walter de la Mare (1873–1956) was one of the leading poets and novelists of the twentieth century. First published in 1921, Memoirs of a Midget won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Here is a great book.' New York Times' It sticks like a splinter in the mind.' Angela Carter' For centuries to come this book will inspire imaginative people.' Rebecca West 'One of the strangest and most enchanting works of fiction ever written.' Alison Lurie Small things do come in big packages. Originally published in 1922 and just released in this new edition, Memoirs of a Midget is a faux memoir that details the life of the tiny Miss M., who ingratiates herself into high society only to find they view her merely as a curio. Resolving to claim her peculiarity as her own, she joins a traveling circus. In a mannered but limpid style, Walter de la Mare unravels his bizarre story with heart, finding a winning voice for his miniature creation. The book won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize upon publication, which put the author in the company of E.M. Forster and D.H. Lawrence, but in the literary world his stature has undeservedly remained, like that of his protagonist, diminutive. Keith Staskiewicz Entertainment Weekly 24th November 2009 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) was one of the leading poets and novelists of the twentieth century.. He was an anthologist of genius and an outstanding literary critic, reviewing for the TLS for over a decade. First published in 1921, Memoirs of a Midget won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 579 pages
• Publisher: North Books (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939495112
• ISBN-13: 978-0939495115
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,937,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars short peoples unite!, February 29, 2004

By 

"irishman8778" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of a Midget (Paperback)

I thought that this book was excellent! As a fellow short person, I could relate to the story wonderfully! I have felt the same feelings that she felt, it was almost like a mirror was held up to my life. Well except for the when the book took place I can't believe how awesome this book was! Now perhaps people will look at the midgets and think that they are real people too, not just disformed humans. you should read this book. It was the best book I ever read. I hope that everyone reads this book so that people everywhere can get to know the hardships that we face in our day to day lives. This book really educated my friends on how hard life can be. I can only hope that others will do the same thing.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well, I'll take my time to do this..., January 30, 2009

By 

moviegoer "Jumbo" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Memoirs of a Midget (Paperback)

...though few enough people will ever read it, because this book languishes in undeserved obscurity. This novel is a fascinating look into a life which is unimaginable to most of us--this life of a tiny, delicate midget,
whose heart and soul are as large as she is small. This is not a book to be picked up for an idle afternoon's
reading (though it is not difficult to read), because it is truly like entering...well, a fairyland. If you are a
reader of high fiction, you will love it.

And, though I'm evidently the only person in the world who knows this, it would make a world-beating
animated film.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An engagingly told, wry yet witty read, February 6, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of a Midget (Paperback)

Memoirs Of A Midget by Walter de la Mare is a fictional memoir of Miss M, a diminutive young woman (exactly how diminutive is left up to the reader's interpretation!), who grows up in an orphanage and eventually falls in love with a full-sized woman even as she is courted by a male dwarf. The daily travails of Miss M, with the unique obstacles presented by her size difference, lead to her resolve to claim independence by offering herself as a spectacle in a circus. An engagingly told, wry yet witty read, Memoirs Of A Midget is a unique and inherently fascinating novel from beginning to end.