“The truth is always made up of little particulars which sound ridiculous when repeated.” So says Jack Crabb, the 111-year-old narrator of Thomas Berger’s 1964 masterpiece of American fiction, Little Big Man. Berger claimed the Western as serious literature with this savage and epic account of one man’s extraordinary double life.After surviving the massacre of his pioneer family, ten-year-old … pioneer family, ten-year-old Jack is adopted by an Indian chief who nicknames him Little Big Man. As a Cheyenne, he feasts on dog, loves four wives, and sees his people butchered by horse soldiers commanded by General George Armstrong Custer. Later, living as a white man once more, he hunts the buffalo to near-extinction, tangles with Wyatt Earp, cheats Wild Bill Hickok, and fights in the Battle of Little Bighorn alongside Custer himself—a man he’d sworn to kill. Hailed by The Nation as “a seminal event,” Little Big Man is a singular literary achievement that, like its hero, only gets better with age.
Praise for Little Big Man
“An epic such as Mark Twain might have given us.”—Henry Miller
“The very best novel ever about the American West.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Spellbinding . . . [Crabb] surely must be one of the most delightfully absurd fictional fossils ever unearthed.”—Time
“Superb . . . Berger’s success in capturing the points of view and emotional atmosphere of a vanished era is uncanny. His skill in characterization, his narrative power and his somewhat cynical humor are all outstanding.”—The New York Times
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Absolute classic! Saw the movie? Read the book!
The strange thing about Thomas Berger’s novel is that it has so little in common with Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, which is a somber tragedy about the 1890s or the final 10 years of Native American resistance to White incursion. Berger’s novel is about the same conflict and takes place in the same settings, but it is actually a Beat book …
This was the most realistic sounding of the Old West than anything else I have read. I saw the movie, but it did not do a good job of presenting the book. Outstanding book as “told by J. Crabb!
I remember seeing this movie when I was a kid and was thrilled to finally read the book that inspired the movie.
A great read by a modern day version of Mark Twain.
A great read, feels like it’s a book on the history of a crazy time in America!
Without a doubt one of my all-time favorite books. I can’t say enough about it. It is a must read. This book changed my life. When opportunity presents itself go for it.
It’s truly an epic story. Fascinating insights into people of all persuasions. Some tall tales woven in to what sounds like authentic western history.
Outstanding!
better than the movie
Thuroughly enjoyed this book. It made me look at the differences two cultures have. Both having qualities that look different from the outside and offers understanding and acceptance of the differences from the inside. Read it, then you’ll understand what I’m trying to say.
I wish I had read this book much sooner.
Thoroughly enjoyed it! I saw the movie years ago, so I wanted to read the book to find out what I missed.
Kept me awake reading past my bedtime too many nights in a row!
Also got Audible version….. absorbing historical fiction
I loved bed the movie…didn’t know it was based on this book. Difficult to read due to the insistence that it be in the first person, especially since the narrator speaks poor English. Got tired of the writing style…it got boring quickly…felt no need to continue with the book. Too bad…I was really looking forward to reading this.
Although tragic, this character was smart and had the ability after tragedy to move on to his next adventure. This was great historic fiction and told both sides of the story of the American Settlers battle with various Indian tribes. This guy lived with the Indians and with the settlers at different times. I gave it 4 stars because I feel the …
I wish a little big man really existed
Thought provoking. In the “What If” areana. Raises which it’s a damn fun read. LBM has to be one of the luckiest men alive. And I’m sure he still is. Probably passing his 150th as we speak. Wait! I forget. He died. It’s in the I troduction so don’t worry, I didn’t ruin the story for you.
I loved this book !