Product Description

Set in a small town on Cape Cod in 1950, this tells of the relationship between Peggy Cort, a 28-year-old librarian, and James Carlson Sweatt, an "over-tall" 11-year-old. They are odd candidates for friendship, but they still find their lives entwined in ways that neither one could have predicted.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #112005 in Books
• Published on: 1997-09-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author
Elizabeth McCracken was born in Boston in 1966. Since the age of 15 she has been a librarian first at the Newton (Mass.) Free Library, then the University of Pennsylvania humanities and social science library. She was the Circulation Desk Chief at the Somerville (Mass.) Public Library until the fall of 1995. She has had fellowships from the University of Iowa; the Michener Foundation; and the National Endowment for the Arts; the Somerville Arts Council; and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, where she was twice a fellow. Her work has been shortlisted for the National Book Award and has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Michener Foundation, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She was also honoured as one of Granta's 20 Best American Writers Under 40.

Customer Reviews

Poignant romance
Absolutely wonderful romance tale, not all 'hearts and flowery', but an extremely poignant tale about a librarian and her love for the world's tallest man, who happens to be 13 years younger than her and who she first met when he was a young boy. A terrific book about 2 people who meet thanks to their shared love of books, I fully recommend it.

Of Small Worlds and Large People
He is twice as tall as she is; she is twice as old as he is. He is a Physical misfit; she is a social misfit. Elizabeth McCracken brings this unlikely pair of misfits together in 'The Giant's House', and weaves an unusual love story.

It is a simple tale. A gentle and touching account of the time Peggy Cort spends with James Sweatt , who grows up to be the tallest man in the world. Peggy, a librarian in a small coastal town, lives in a small world of her own: An orderly and precise world devoid of men. Into this world comes the eleven year old James, the Giant who kindles a strange love in her heart. During the course of his short life he changes her life forever.

The best moments in the book are provided by Peggy's one-line opinions on various things whether it is human relationships, history, or tourism. One of her opinions on relationships: "once you have been left you are always left; you cannot leave your leaving". On travel: "Enough fine weather, money and a few memorable meals make any place desirable" are delightful to read, even if you don't agree with them all. The author has filled 'The Giant's House' with such gems making you want to go back to those pages again and again.

It may not be visionary, and it may not change the way you live and love, but it will certainly touch your heart. The only imperfection in the masterpiece is that the author does not explain the 'strange love' that Peggy feels for James. This omission is perhaps the only thing that leaves the reader 'unrequited'

A poignant portrayal of love between two lonely people.
A beautiful piece of writing about the life of a lonely librarian and her tragic love for a "freak" of society. The way it is written brings to life the characters and expresses their emotions perfectly. Extremely vivid.