At Large and at Small: Confessions of a Literary Hedonist - Hardcover

Praise for Ex Libris

'Witty, enchanting and supremely well written' Robert McCrum, Observer

'Ex Libris will provide enjoyable moments of recognition for all book obsessives' Alain de Botton

'A perfect book for anyone who is passionate about books' Cormac Kinsella, Irish Times

'In literary reflections that play and delight, charm and enlighten, the love of books takes on unexpected configurations' Cynthia Ozick

In At Large and At Small, Anne Fadiman returns to one of her favourite genres, the familiar essay – a beloved and hallowed literary tradition recognized for both its intellectual breadth and its miniaturist focus on everyday experiences. With her wonderful combination of wit and erudition, 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 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. This is a perfect book for life’s passionate obsessives.