readingwithhippos's review against another edition
3.0
My local public library is doing a great promotion right now that encourages participants to read books either published or set in different decades within the last 100 years. Normally that's the kind of challenge I might shy away from—I gravitate strongly toward contemporary books, and my to-read list is mostly full of books written within the past few years. What can I say, I'm a creature of the moment.
Then I found out the finisher's prize is a tote bag, and I immediately started hunting for books that would fit the bill. Because (and I'm not ashamed to say this) I would do a lot of things for a free tote bag with a book-related logo on it.
I chose The Giant's House because it was first published in 1996 and the story is set in the 1950s, giving me a couple options for how to record it on my entry form. And it turned out to be a win-win, because not only did it get me one step closer to a tote bag, it was also a good-if-a-bit-weird read.
Dour, slightly misanthropic Peggy is a small-town librarian who at twenty-six has already given up on love. It's hard to be too surprised by this, because her crotchety narration makes it clear that she's not exactly Miss Congeniality. She became a librarian because she loves order and knowledge, but most workdays finds herself silently stamping books and filing cards behind the desk, unappreciated and unacknowledged. Then one day eleven-year-old James comes to the library, and everything changes for Peggy.
James is literally a giant—he's already over six feet tall and will continue to grow for the rest of his life. He's also a sensitive soul and a voracious reader, and Peggy goes out of her way to supply her fascinating patron with a wide variety of books. Over the years, Peggy does whatever she can to stay in James's orbit, despite his mounting physical problems and her own solitary nature.
In order to like this book, you have to not only like love stories, but like them weird. There is nothing normal about a cranky librarian falling in love with an eight-foot-tall man fifteen years her junior. But book lovers will find something to relate to in Peggy—some of her musings about her library and the books in it are humorously memorable. (At one point, she characterizes library books as slutty, opening their pages for anyone who wants to read them, as opposed to the virtuous books purchased in bookstores and married to their owners for life.)
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to claim myself a tote bag.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Then I found out the finisher's prize is a tote bag, and I immediately started hunting for books that would fit the bill. Because (and I'm not ashamed to say this) I would do a lot of things for a free tote bag with a book-related logo on it.
I chose The Giant's House because it was first published in 1996 and the story is set in the 1950s, giving me a couple options for how to record it on my entry form. And it turned out to be a win-win, because not only did it get me one step closer to a tote bag, it was also a good-if-a-bit-weird read.
Dour, slightly misanthropic Peggy is a small-town librarian who at twenty-six has already given up on love. It's hard to be too surprised by this, because her crotchety narration makes it clear that she's not exactly Miss Congeniality. She became a librarian because she loves order and knowledge, but most workdays finds herself silently stamping books and filing cards behind the desk, unappreciated and unacknowledged. Then one day eleven-year-old James comes to the library, and everything changes for Peggy.
James is literally a giant—he's already over six feet tall and will continue to grow for the rest of his life. He's also a sensitive soul and a voracious reader, and Peggy goes out of her way to supply her fascinating patron with a wide variety of books. Over the years, Peggy does whatever she can to stay in James's orbit, despite his mounting physical problems and her own solitary nature.
In order to like this book, you have to not only like love stories, but like them weird. There is nothing normal about a cranky librarian falling in love with an eight-foot-tall man fifteen years her junior. But book lovers will find something to relate to in Peggy—some of her musings about her library and the books in it are humorously memorable. (At one point, she characterizes library books as slutty, opening their pages for anyone who wants to read them, as opposed to the virtuous books purchased in bookstores and married to their owners for life.)
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to claim myself a tote bag.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
piggyreadsbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kleedc73's review against another edition
5.0
This book is beautifully written and the story is heartbreaking (but in a wonderful way). The narrator of the story is Peggy Cort, the librarian in a small New England town. When she is 25, she meets and befriends an 11-year-old boy named James who suffers from gigantism (he is 6 foot 2 at age 11). James and Peggy ultimately form a very close friendship and pseudo-love affair, which is complicated by the difference in their ages but mostly by the physical and emotional problems associated with his condition (he ultimately grows to over 8 feet tall). There are so many interesting elements to this book, including the practical difficulties James faces (how do you fit in a car? where do you find size 36 shoes?), the fame he generates, the complex relationships among the characters (which is not limited to James and Peggy), etc. I could not stop reading this book, I would recommend it to anyone, of any age.
earlyandalone's review against another edition
5.0
I adored this book. While the premise sounds a little weird and creepy and...pedophilia-esque, it's really none of those things. Librarian Peggy Cort's love for James Sweatt, the tallest boy (then man) in the world, begins when he's only a teenager, but it's pure and selfless and beautiful. Honestly, it's the kind of love we would all benefit from: someone seeing us for who we are inside, not just for our bodies or what we can offer them.
dllh's review against another edition
3.0
It's a well written book with some sideshow appeal that I'm not proud to have been enticed by. I liked it, but in the end it didn't wow me.
mattyzmom's review against another edition
1.0
This was an easy book to read. The author wrote it very well but what I did not like was the content. To me, it was a trainwreck. I couldn't get into the story. I couldn't relate to it enough to like it. I wish I did.
the_sassy_bookworm's review
4.0
This was an odd little book, and when I say odd I really mean fabulously written, touching, emotional and quirky! I am looking forward to reading more by this author!
sanordstrom's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
etoile75's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this was a pretty boring "romance." Like the protagonist Peggy would say, I have a "catalogue" of complaints about this book. Number 1 being that people can't be married if they don't have sex. Peggy tells the reader that she and Gigantism James had a "true, real marriage" and then admonishes the reader, "Don't doubt that." I do doubt it, Peggy, because you didn't consummate it with sex of any kind, not even with a kiss that could be called passionate. You weren't married, not even according to the state.
I guess I didn't like Peggy, I thought she was wierd,and not in a funny sympathetic way, just in a boring way. I wish she had more of a life, so that her obsession with this boy with the pituitary gland problem could have had more meaning; like then it would affect other things/ relationships in her life. As it was, she had nothing going on exept working in the library, and so took an interest in him because he was the most interesting in her life. Then she was shocked when she found out he was going to die. (Duh, Peggy. I guess you're not as smart as you think you are).
The opening sentence was jarring: "I do not love mankind." I get that her point of view was supposed to be unique but can't put my finger on why I didn't like Peggy. The writing--her voice--although well-crafted, was dry and dispassionate, with a heavy wistfulness that almost seems contrived to me, since it was so lacking in passion. But that was supossed to be Peggy's character, a practical librarian. A scene that had potential: "I wanted to give him something that could make him forget he was a young man, dying; I wanted to give him a kiss so good he'd forget it was his first." Was immediately followed and ruined by "But I wasn't the woman for that kind of work." That kind of work?
2.5 stars. I liked the scenes when Peggy and James were in New York. Maybe my expectations were too high, since some of my Goodreads friends really liked this book, but I thought it was just OK.
I guess I didn't like Peggy, I thought she was wierd,and not in a funny sympathetic way, just in a boring way. I wish she had more of a life, so that her obsession with this boy with the pituitary gland problem could have had more meaning; like then it would affect other things/ relationships in her life. As it was, she had nothing going on exept working in the library, and so took an interest in him because he was the most interesting in her life. Then she was shocked when she found out he was going to die. (Duh, Peggy. I guess you're not as smart as you think you are).
The opening sentence was jarring: "I do not love mankind." I get that her point of view was supposed to be unique but can't put my finger on why I didn't like Peggy. The writing--her voice--although well-crafted, was dry and dispassionate, with a heavy wistfulness that almost seems contrived to me, since it was so lacking in passion. But that was supossed to be Peggy's character, a practical librarian. A scene that had potential: "I wanted to give him something that could make him forget he was a young man, dying; I wanted to give him a kiss so good he'd forget it was his first." Was immediately followed and ruined by "But I wasn't the woman for that kind of work." That kind of work?
2.5 stars. I liked the scenes when Peggy and James were in New York. Maybe my expectations were too high, since some of my Goodreads friends really liked this book, but I thought it was just OK.