Little Big Man in The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Jun 27, 2011 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: humor-and-comedy, novels, fiction, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, ultimate-reading-list, westerns

I loved this book from beginning to end, there was never a time where I felt slowed down, stuck in any dull part. This is framed as the first hand account of Jack Crabb, who claims to be 111-years old and the only White survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The first line of his narrative starts: I am a white man and never forgot it, but I was brought up by the Cheyenne Indians from age ten. That first line telegraphs the rest of the story. Jack, whose Cheyenne name translates to Little I loved this book from beginning to end, there was never a time where I felt slowed down, stuck in any dull part. This is framed as the first hand account of Jack Crabb, who claims to be 111-years old and the only White survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The first line of his narrative starts: I am a white man and never forgot it, but I was brought up by the Cheyenne Indians from age ten. That first line telegraphs the rest of the story. Jack, whose Cheyenne name translates to Little Big Man, is caught between the two cultures--more than I think he even admits to in old age. It's part of what makes his story so fascinating, as he is witness both to the massacre by Custer of peaceful Cheyenne in Washita, including members of his own Cheyenne family, and the slaughter of Custer's troops by Cheyenne and Sioux at Little Big Horn.

The back of this book describes this as a "picaresque" tale--which is how another book I recently read, Kunzru's The Impressionist was described on the flyleaf. That book also dealt with a man caught between two cultures, in that case Hindu Indian and Anglo-English. Yet that book couldn't hold me while this one absolutely engrossed me. Part of that was a matter of differences in style, and because in this book a wry, ironic dark sense of humor was to the forefront--but the biggest reason is Jack, who manages to capture my sympathies--despite the fact he's by no means heroic--is something of a scoundrel--but a survivor and someone who does care about the family he makes along the way.

And along the way he's taught gun-fighting by Wild Bill Hickok, has a run-in with Wyatt Earp and encounters Calamity Jane. He's a mule train driver, a professional gambler, a buffalo hunter--oh, and yeah manages to inveigle himself as a scout for Custer. That alone, that depiction of Custer, is an interesting characterization. This was published in 1964. Way back then, I think Custer was still a hero to most Americans, a cultural icon of the West. So Berger's portrayal then of Custer as a "hard ass" a slaughterer of innocents and a fool was irreverent and brave on his part even if he also allows Custer an admirable quality or two. The book doesn't show one whit of its age despite being nearly 50 years old. It's an irreverent, funny and myth-busting look at the old West that makes me want to read more about the real historical figures featured in it. ...more

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