Login
You're viewing the sfba.social public feed.
  • Jack William Belljackwilliambell@rustedneuron.com
    Aug 9, 2026, 6:05 PM

    @marick

    Shit. I loved John Crowley's work. Even, perhaps especially, some of his earlier novels.

    I consider 'Engine Summer' to be a true masterpiece of complex, layered storytelling — better even than 'Little, Big' while being a quarter of the word count. I can go on at length about why, but I doubt you want to a fifty post thread in your mentions.

    I can say I've read it at least five or six times and every single time I was crying on the last page.

    > en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_S

    💬 1🔄 3⭐ 3

Replies

  • 💬 1🔄 0⭐ 0
  • Jack William Belljackwilliambell@rustedneuron.com
    Aug 9, 2026, 10:53 PM

    @marick

    I suspect most people give 'Engine Summer' a surface read and miss what Crowley is doing. As I said: Layers. And not a wasted word. The real trick is understanding what is happening on the last page, when the protagonist is both achieving his wildest ambition far beyond his wildest dreams — and losing everything at the same moment.

    In a sense he becomes Saint Boots for an entire advanced culture, but doesn't know it himself; much less have a way to truth-say it.

    (Ya, coded language.)

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0