The Little Country

Rating:
Summary: Missing it already
Review: This book took me by surprise. Its not as gripping as some of the books I've read in the past. Which I appreciate. But it is really addicting. You wonder at odd moments, "whats going to happen next? And to this person?" But feel no urgent pressure to flee to the book and find out. I agree with the person above--the first sentence had me hooked. Something about "Janey Little loved two things most in the world--books and music, and not necessarily in that order." I figured with a statement like that, I could definetely relate!
The story takes place in western England, tied to the Faerie world and folk music in the modern world. Barrow stones and magic, sheer magic. Its a pretty neat story with an extremely simple solution to everything----music is the tie that binds us.
The story is also your basic good v. evil; the only complaint I can say is there are two "J" characters, I got into the 40s and realized I was reading about 2 different people and had to reread. Not a good one, Mr. de Lint! Bookwriting 101---keep the characters names seperate! Yes, if you haven't picked that up, either, there are two stories intertwined. Sadly, they don't really quite meet up in the end the way one would wish. But on the whole, its a good story relating to Faeireland. I wish I hadn't read it so fast....I want to go back to "The Little Country."

Rating:
Summary: The Little Country
Review: This is a delicious book that blends music and magic in today's world. Charles De Lint has made the impossible seem within reach. The fabric of two stories, Janey's and Joni's, are woven together to create a realistic landscape of people and events that I am reluctant to leave, or to attribute entirely to fantasy!

Rating:
Summary: The Little Country
Review: This is a delicious book that blends music and magic in today's world. Charles De Lint has made the impossible seem within reach. The fabric of two stories, Janey's and Joni's, are woven together to create a realistic landscape of people and events that I am reluctant to leave, or to attribute entirely to fantasy!

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Memory and Dream-but still good.
Review: This is a very good book, the main male and female characters are engaging and likable. But it didn't quite have the mythic weight of Memory and Dream to me...some of the characters seemed like they belonged in a second-rate detective novel, not in this book. But still well worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific urban fantasy
Review: This is my first exposure to Charles de Lint, and it certainly won't be my last. I'm generally not a huge fan of urban fantasy (I admit to being more of a 'sword and sorcery' guy), but this is a well-crafted, well-paced, and interesting tale (more accurately "tales"). It is a story within a story, drenched in the local flavor of Cornwall. The plot centers around musician Janey Little and her grandfather, who owns the one and only copy of a unique book that is highly prized by some seedy and power-hungry characters. We follow the tale of Janey and her friends as they try to figure out what is so special about the book, while at the same time we read along with Janey as she reads the book. A very enjoyable read, and definitely recommended.

Rating:
Summary: well worth reading
Review: This story is two books in one with an incredible twist to the ending. Charles De Lint does a fabulous job of tying folklore together in a way that hasn't been told before. It is a very believable work of fantasy