Tag Archives: families

Father, interrupted Manfred, I pay due reverence to your holy profession; but I am sovereign here, and will allow no meddling priest to interfere in the affairs of my domestic. If you have aught to say, attend me to my chamber – I do not use to let my Wife be acquainted with the secret affairs of my state; they are not within a woman’s province. My lord; said the holy man, I am no intruder into the secrets of families. My office is to promote peace, to heal divisions, to preach repentance, and teach mankind to curb their headstrong passions.

Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library]

Hermetic quote Walpole The Castle of Otranto sovereign here no meddling priest interfere secret affairs state holy man secrets families office promote peace heal division preach repentance teach mankind

Little, Big

Hermetic Library Fellow T Polyphilus reviews Little, Big [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library] by John Crowley.

Crowley Little Big

Little, Big is possibly the best modern fantasy novel ever. It is innovative and traditional, reflective and eventful, intimate and intricately formal. In many ways, it is no more “fantastic” than any other novel, since it involves the kind of magic that is real, as experienced by a family who are imaginary in a sort of ideal way. It is best appreciated by well-read grownups who are willing to take the time to savor its details, because the mind-blowing bigness of the story is packed into its littlest bits.

“Kill them!” the queen cried. “Kill them all. Then go back into their world and kill their mother. Kill all their friends and their friends’ families. Burn down their homes. Salt their fields.” There was a maniacal look in the bee queen’s eyes, but I suppose it didn’t much matter. Crazy or not, she was the queen and there was nothing we could do to stop her

Charles de Lint, Seven Wild Sisters: A Modern Fairy Tale