Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Dial Press Trade Paperback (2007), Edition: 0, Paperback, 272 pages
Description
"McCracken mixes the proper amount of lunacy with exactly the right amount of sorrow. The blend is reminiscent of such late-20th-century treasures as The Accidental Tourist, The World According to Garp, or A Confederacy of Dunces."--Denver Post The year is 1950, and in a small town on Cape Cod twenty-six-year-old librarian Peggy Cort feels like love and life have stood her up. Until the day James Carlson Sweatt- the "over-tall" eleven-year-old boy who's the talk of the town-walks into her library and changes her life forever. Two misfits whose lonely paths cross at the circulation desk, Peggy and James are odd candidates for friendship, but nevertheless they soon find their lives entwined in ways that neither one could have predicted. In James, Peggy discovers the one person who's ever really understood her, and as he grows- six foot five at age twelve, then seven feet, then eight-so does her heart and their most singular romance. Praise for The Giant's House "Remarkable . . . McCracken has wit and subtlety to burn, as well as an uncanny ability to tap into the sadness that runs through the center of her characters' worlds. This book is so lovely that, when you're reading, you'll want to sleep with it under your pillow."--Salon A true marvel . . . thoroughly enjoyable from its unlikely beginning to its bittersweet end. . . McCracken knows all kinds of subtle, enticing secrets of the heart and conveys them in silky, transparent language."--San Francisco Chronicle "Lovely . . . a tribute to the quiet passion of people trapped in isolation."--Los Angeles Times "Fascinating . . . The reader finds herself entangled, body and soul, in this tender and endlessly strange novel, which is in all senses a hymn to human growth gone haywire and to a love so big it can't hold its own magnificent limbs upright."--Elle "Such is the incantatory power of McCracken's eccentric tale that by its close we are completely in the grip of its strangely conceived ardor. . . . McCracken is as original a writer as they come. . . . I fell in love."--Daphne Merkin, The New Yorker… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member kambrogi
This contemporary novel tells the story of a spinster librarian and her love for a giant – a boy who grows to be a man over eight feet tall. It is charming and entertaining, perfect ladies’ book club fare, but definitely a cut or two above the usual. McCracken gives a terrific description of
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what drives librarians to be who they are and do what they do, and for me this was the golden nugget in the book. The story of the romance is rather complicated and not always clear, but compelling nonetheless. Here is a gentle story about loneliness that is not entirely happy, but neither is it hopeless. Well worth reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member msf59
“My memories are not books. They are only stories...”
Cape Cod, 1950. Peggy Cort is a librarian and she is already destined to be a spinster, at the tender age of twenty-six. One day, a boy walks into her library and a friendship develops that will alter both of their lives. James Sweatt is
This is a misfit love story, which manages to avoid being overly sentimental. The writing is both strong and fluid. It is also one of the most quotable books, I've read this year:
“Library books were, I suddenly realized, promiscuous, ready to lie down in the arms of anyone who asked.”
I also think fans of Anne Tyler will enjoy this book. Highly recommended.
Cape Cod, 1950. Peggy Cort is a librarian and she is already destined to be a spinster, at the tender age of twenty-six. One day, a boy walks into her library and a friendship develops that will alter both of their lives. James Sweatt is
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very tall for his age. Six-five at eleven years old and he will grow into an eight foot giant. Peggy falls in love with this special boy and becomes a surrogate parent/guardian. Their love of books, is their bond.This is a misfit love story, which manages to avoid being overly sentimental. The writing is both strong and fluid. It is also one of the most quotable books, I've read this year:
“Library books were, I suddenly realized, promiscuous, ready to lie down in the arms of anyone who asked.”
I also think fans of Anne Tyler will enjoy this book. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member TheAmpersand
A quiet, achingly sad novel that describes the bonds of affection that develop between a lonely small-town librarian and her town's oddity, an extraordinarily tall young man. You can see the novel's sad final act approaching from a mile off, but McCracken's most notable achievement here is Peggy
This novel is subtitled "a Romance," but I think that that might be a misnomer. While James and Peggy do grow fond of each other, McCracken's novel is more interested in asking how intractably odd characters like Peggy and her would-be paramour can fit into a society not designed to satisfy their needs. I particularly liked Peggy's attempts to describe James without drawing our attention to his prodigious height, the single attribute that makes him noteworthy to others and complicates his day-to-day existence. As the novel draws to a close, it becomes clear that Peggy and James have learned to deal with their own unhappiness by living in, and for, each other. Perhaps "The Giant's House" is a romance, after all.
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Cort, her narrator, whose punctilious, slightly repressed voice perfectly mirrors both her professional obsessions and the staid atmosphere of fifties-era America. While too many narrators these days are merely stand-ins for readers or the writers who created them, Peggy is indubitably her own woman. She's restless, prickly, analytical, and yearns for real companionship, but she isn't a fool or a dreamer. She seems resigned to the knowledge that she owes her carefully modulated voice and unambitious worldview to her limited social circle and the relative paucity of professional choices available to her. In this circumscribed literary environment, the losses she suffers and the small triumphs she wins seem both meaningful and significant. She's not always pleasant to be around, mind you, and there's something prim, coy quality to her narration that might frustrate some readers, but it's hard to deny that McCracken has fully explored the inner workings of a unique and believable character. Isn't that, after all, one of the most important, and one of the most difficult, things a novelist can do?This novel is subtitled "a Romance," but I think that that might be a misnomer. While James and Peggy do grow fond of each other, McCracken's novel is more interested in asking how intractably odd characters like Peggy and her would-be paramour can fit into a society not designed to satisfy their needs. I particularly liked Peggy's attempts to describe James without drawing our attention to his prodigious height, the single attribute that makes him noteworthy to others and complicates his day-to-day existence. As the novel draws to a close, it becomes clear that Peggy and James have learned to deal with their own unhappiness by living in, and for, each other. Perhaps "The Giant's House" is a romance, after all.
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LibraryThing member jennyo
Elizabeth McCracken is my new favorite author. Okay, well, she shares the title with John Irving and Michael Chabon. The Giant's House was actually McCracken's first novel, but I read it after I read Niagara Falls All Over Again. Both books are beautiful.
McCracken is so young she's only written a
In this novel, McCracken tells the story of Peggy Cort, librarian, and James Carlson Sweatt, giant. It's an unusual and unusually moving love story. Yes, it's heartbreakingly sad, but never maudlin. It's filled with extraordinarily moving passages and vivid metaphors. One of my favorites is:
She had the voice of a dancer, I mean like Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, someone who has such grace at another art that the grace suffuses their voice, which does not quite match the tune but instead strolls up to a note and stands right next to it, that slight difference so beautiful and heartbreaking that you never want to hear a professional sing again. Professionals remember all the words. Caroline's song was patched together with something something something.
McCracken is so young she's only written a
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couple of novels and a collection of short stories. Let me rephrase that...she's only published a couple of novels and a collection of short stories. Anyone this accomplished must've written a ton of stuff that never saw the light of day. She, like Michael Chabon, stops me short with perfect sentences. Normally, I fly through a book, but with hers (and his), once in awhile there's a sentence or passage that I have to read over and over again just because it's so marvelous.In this novel, McCracken tells the story of Peggy Cort, librarian, and James Carlson Sweatt, giant. It's an unusual and unusually moving love story. Yes, it's heartbreakingly sad, but never maudlin. It's filled with extraordinarily moving passages and vivid metaphors. One of my favorites is:
She had the voice of a dancer, I mean like Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, someone who has such grace at another art that the grace suffuses their voice, which does not quite match the tune but instead strolls up to a note and stands right next to it, that slight difference so beautiful and heartbreaking that you never want to hear a professional sing again. Professionals remember all the words. Caroline's song was patched together with something something something.
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LibraryThing member tryingtogetsomesleep
This, by far, is my favorite book. It follows a librarian who falls in love with an eleven year old giant. This book also describes feelings from the life of a lonely librarian. It really is unique.
LibraryThing member bookCelt
Though I can't remember all the detail, since I read it a number of years ago, this was a good read with a quirky relationship between a younger man and a librarian. Pushes the boundaries of what society is willing to accept.
LibraryThing member theresak1975
If you are looking for an odd, intellectual, slightly disturbing romance, this is the book for you. "The Giant's House" chronicles the relationship between an introverted librarian and an "overly tall" teenager. The two misfits are drawn together despite of/because of their outcast natures. The
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book manages to be both eccentric and poignant at the same time. Great writing. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dnorthup
I really enjoyed both the first 1/3 and the last 1/3, but I had problems getting through the middle 1/3. I had suggested this title about the "romance" between a giant and a librarian to my book club last month and it didn't receive many votes, but I still thought it was worth reading so went ahead
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and tackled it myself. It was an overall satisfying read and was worth it to reach the bit of a twist at the end. There definitely was more to it than just a giant and a librarian. Well written and compelling. I recommends this title. Show Less
LibraryThing member allthesedarnbooks
This is a moving, bittersweet story about the unlikely "romance" between a spinster librarian and a young man/boy affected by gigantism. The writing is great; McCracken describes characters, scenes, and situations perfectly. The narrator, Peggy, is not particularly likable, but I found myself
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relating to her nonetheless. My only real problem with the book is that I was creeped out by Peggy falling in love with James, whom she first meets when he is twelve. In spite of the extraordinary circumstances of his life, and the (mostly) nonsexual nature of their relationship, I was still a little disturbed. Overall, a quick, worthwhile read, for fans of Anne Tyler and John Irving. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member miriamparker
This might be the perfect book. Oh wait, I said that about The History of Love too...that is also perfect.
LibraryThing member solla
Told from the point of view of a somewhat emotionally constricted librarian, who cherishes a giant (8 feet or so eventially) - a boy of 9 when she meets him. I feel like the narrator knows all the secrets and trials of introverts. A really good book.
LibraryThing member dawnlovesbooks
great writer but i felt the book lacked a little something.
LibraryThing member MarthaL
This is an unforgetable book. The first person narative of a librarian who struggles with her realization that her growing friendship with the ever growing younger man who visits her library regularly is an intriguing love story. James is high school student in the beginning of the story and Peggy
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is operates the small town librarian. Later on there is involvement with the circus. The end is totally unique but completes the whole thing very well. Show Less
LibraryThing member CatieN
It is the 1950s. Peggy Cort is a 20-something spinster librarian in Brewsterville, a small town on Cape Cod. Her library is her life until a very tall 12-year-old boy named James Sweatt comes into that library one day with his class. Peggy's life is never the same. James is a giant, literally, and
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Peggy develops a soft spot for him and, as he grows older, falls in love with him. Well-written book with an interesting take on unrecquited and unconditional love and also the medical condition of "giantism." Show Less
LibraryThing member bamalibrarylady
I love "The Giant's House" for various reasons and I feel that this is probably one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. The reason I give this novel such high praise is simple: It's a wonderful book written by a talented author.What first drew me to this book was the characters in the
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story. I could sympathize with the young book because I too grew up being taller that most kids my age and I also sought comfort at the library. I could too relate to the librarian who although she was an "old maid" sought to have a relationship with this the man which surpassed any type of sexual interaction.From reading this book, I learned several things about myself that I didn't realize. By this I mean that I left this book seeing that everyone needs someone in this world to connect with. Also, even though these two characters were completely different from one another, they still managed to have a beautiful relationship.In closing, maybe if we all took the time to get to know someone other than ourselves, other than someone within our race, gender, or age group, then maybe we could not only gain wisdom, but also get an experience of a lifetime as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member bamalibrarylady
I love "The Giant's House" for various reasons and I feel that this is probably one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. The reason I give this novel such high praise is simple: It's a wonderful book written by a talented author.What first drew me to this book was the characters in the
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story. I could sympathize with the young book because I too grew up being taller that most kids my age and I also sought comfort at the library. I could too relate to the librarian who although she was an "old maid" sought to have a relationship with this the man which surpassed any type of sexual interaction.From reading this book, I learned several things about myself that I didn't realize. By this I mean that I left this book seeing that everyone needs someone in this world to connect with. Also, even though these two characters were completely different from one another, they still managed to have a beautiful relationship.In closing, maybe if we all took the time to get to know someone other than ourselves, other than someone within our race, gender, or age group, then maybe we could not only gain wisdom, but also get an experience of a lifetime as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member karenwodke
I bought this book on lulu.com thinking I was getting a self-published book. However, it was not. Dial Press is apparently a trademark of Random House. Still, it was a good story and well written. The main character, Peggy, is the town librarian and she is not a very likable person. Or I didn't
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think so. She falls in love with a boy who has a disorder which makes him keep growing until he is a giant. She does not get physical with him until he is 17, though, so no worries about inappropriate relations between an adult and a child. The world's tallest boy is certainly a character that tugs at your heart strings. I never realized how many problems this condition brings with it, including balance problems. The book does not end happily, of course. This is not your usual love story. I recommend this book. It is bittersweet. Show Less
LibraryThing member TanyaTomato
I wasn't impressed with the way the story played out, but McCracken is a wonderful writer, and I enjoyed a number of clever passages.
LibraryThing member anneearney
Quick read, interesting characters - the world's tallest man and the woman who cared for him. The descriptions in the book are excellent. The main character works in a library, and I'll never look at libraries in the same way after reading her descriptions.
LibraryThing member periwinklejane
Is this book weirdly sweet or sweetly weird? I'm not sure, but I liked it. I did have a hard time, at first, with how introspective and self-knowing the main character was. That seems common to first-time authors and I find it a little annoying. "This is how I am because this is how things are and
I got over it, though, or the self-assessments lessened toward the end of the book. And it is a good book, a weird little story about a young librarian who befriends and very tall boy. It reminded me a bit of Amy Bender's work.
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let me tell you exactly why I'm behaving this way"I got over it, though, or the self-assessments lessened toward the end of the book. And it is a good book, a weird little story about a young librarian who befriends and very tall boy. It reminded me a bit of Amy Bender's work.
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LibraryThing member castironskillet
Eh, Elizabeth McCracken has done better. James as a character wasn't fleshed out enough to make me really care about him and something about Peggy's feelings for him never really rang true. The book meandered along without really going anywhere. It was disappointing because I really enjoyed Niagra
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Falls All Over Again. Show Less
LibraryThing member Betty.Ann.Beam
I haven't read this one in a long time, but I would recommend "pairing" it with THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE. I found many similarities between the two and find that this technique often helps gain deeper insight into both novels.
LibraryThing member nyiper
I think I'm confused. I did keep right on reading but I found Peggy a disturbing person to understand or feel sympathetic about---given her situation. McCracken certainly presented a very realistic picture of a VERY tall person's life but I was thinking that maybe James, in some ways, represents
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the conditions anyone with any sort of obvious disability finds himself in, in a world of what is considered "normal" sized people. Of course, given the possible variations within the brain, is there really anyone who can be considered normal? A different sort of book - probably good for discussion. Show Less
LibraryThing member KRaySaulis
I love this book. I am so in love with this book that I don't want anyone I love to read it because I don't want to hear that they didn't love it as much as I do. I love the metaphors, the love, the way the author crossed boundaries and surpassed most people's sense of normalcy. I love the
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characters. Peggy Cort is a beautiful creature. Show Less
LibraryThing member emma_mc
I just did not buy it. I didn't buy any of it! Not the beginning, not the complete lack of a plot and dragging middle, not the conclusion, not the "romance" (What romance?! That subtitle is awfully misleading, or perhaps I'm not well-versed enough in the genre, but if this is considered a typical
Totally unconvincing. Literary, yes - the writing could be quite lovely at times - but the characters were big fat flops.
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romance, that's a true pity). And certainly not Peggy Cort. What a boring, flat character! I didn't at all buy her instant love for James. I didn't at all buy her unrequited love for James. I didn't buy the age gap. I also didn't buy James's personality - another a flat bore of a character. An interesting concept, but between James's mostly one-note personality and the total drag that was Peggy Cort (apathy and annoyance describe my thoughts about her), I felt nothing but irritation at what a poor read I forced myself to endure. I was hoping the ending would be somehow redeeming, but nay. In fact, the ending made me roll my eyes. Totally unconvincing. Literary, yes - the writing could be quite lovely at times - but the characters were big fat flops.
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Subjects
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Fiction — 1996)
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 1998)
Salon Book Award (Fiction — 1996)
Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Award (Winner — Fiction — 1996)
Language
Original publication date
1996-06-01
Physical description
272 p.; 5.24 x 0.59 inches
ISBN
0385340893 / 9780385340892