At Large and at Small: Familiar Essays

Anne Fadiman

2007 • 241 pages

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Average rating4

In At Large and At Small, Anne Fadiman returns to one of her favorite genres, the familiar essay—a beloved and hallowed literary tradition recognized for both its intellectual breadth and its miniaturist focus on everyday experiences. With the combination of humor and erudition that has distinguished her as one of our finest essayists, Fadiman draws us into twelve of her personal obsessions: from her slightly sinister childhood enthusiasm for catching butterflies to her monumental crush on Charles Lamb, from her wistfulness for the days of letter-writing to the challenges and rewards of moving from the city to the country.

Many of these essays were composed "under the influence" of the subject at hand. Fadiman ingests a shocking amount of ice cream and divulges her passion for Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip and her brother's homemade Liquid Nitrogen Kahlúa Coffee (recipe included); she sustains a terrific caffeine buzz while recounting Balzac's coffee addiction; and she stays up till dawn to write about being a night owl, examining the rhythms of our circadian clocks and sharing such insomnia cures as her father's nocturnal word games and Lewis Carroll's mathematical puzzles. At Large and At Small is a brilliant and delightful collection of essays that harkens a revival of a long-cherished genre.

*from rear cover*

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Deb Nance

I paid full price for this book; I only do that for books I really, really want to read.

The truth is that I was disappointed. I don't know why. Partly, I think, it was because the subjects of the essays were not of particular interest to me. But I think it was primarily that the essays felt forced, not written naturally out of love for the subject, but to meet the requirements of completing a book.

January 1, 2007

David Woodger

Eight years ago I read Ex Libris by Ms. Fadiman and really enjoyed it, so I was interested in checking out this batch of essays as well. A “familiar essay” is a reflection on a subject held dear by the author. Some of the subjects Ms. Fadiman covers include butterfly collecting, Victorian writers, little known Arctic explorers, coffee, ice cream, and finally, a tragic canoe trip. I found most of it interesting and all of it well written.

October 13, 2008

Court

‘Collecting Nature' mostly about collecting butterflies, but also about a loss of innocence and natural sciences.

‘The Unfuzzy Lamb' mostly about Charles Lamb, but also about two other writers and family ties and tragedy.

‘Ice Cream'; ice cream is not a favorite of mine, but I enjoy culinary information, history, science.

‘Night Owl' about Larks and Owls and differing preferences for differing sleep patterns. I love this topic. There's also the mention of Linnaeus' flower clock.

‘Procrustean and the culture wars' introduced me to Greek lore I was unfamiliar with, but ideas that I have had before.

‘Coleridge the Runaway'

‘Mail' I love letter writing.

‘Moving' I enjoyed how she described her experience of New York (city).

‘A Piece of Cotton' about the flag after 9/11 which really resonated with me.

‘The Arctic Hedonist' about one of her favorite arctic explorers, who takes a friendlier view of the icy climes. She also speaks briefly of degrees of separation and through two degrees (or so) she has shaken hands with him. This amused me as my sweetheart said that through a few degrees (2 or 3) I have shaken hands with former French president Sarkozy.

‘Coffee' I adore coffee and coffee culture. I also have a respect for caffeine.

‘Under Water' surprised me and touched me in a way that I value.