The Book of Small (Annotated)

The Book of Small (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. Luminous Childhood Sketches of Family, Gardens, and Colonial Life in Victorian British ColumbiaBy Emily Carr
Michael Caine
Listen with Sir Michael Caine™ and 1,000+ voices
Length6h 20m

About this audiobook

The Book of Small is Emily Carr's affectionate, sharply observed memoir of childhood in late-nineteenth-century Victoria, British Columbia, where the young narrator—called "Small"—encounters family discipline, animals, gardens, domestic rituals, and the strange immensities of the adult world. Written in brief, luminous sketches, the book combines autobiographical intimacy with the painterly compression that marks Carr's prose. Its style is deceptively simple: humorous, sensuous, and exact, yet alert to colonial society, gendered upbringing, and the child's imaginative resistance. Emily Carr, celebrated primarily as one of Canada's major modernist painters, turned increasingly to writing later in life, producing prose that translated her visual attentiveness into language. Her experiences in Victoria, her unconventional artistic formation, and her lifelong fascination with memory, landscape, and marginality all inform this volume. Published after Klee Wyck, it shows Carr revisiting her origins with both tenderness and critical distance. This book is recommended to readers interested in literary memoir, Canadian modernism, childhood studies, and the relation between visual art and prose. It is brief but richly textured, rewarding anyone who values disciplined observation, wit, and the recovery of ordinary life as art. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Audiobook details

Rating★★★★ 4.2 (573)
Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing, Amazon, StoryGraph
GenreBiography and Memoir
Length6 hrs 20 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 4, 2023
LanguageEnglish

Table of contents

1The Book of Small (Annotated)
23FATHER’S STORE
2Introduction
24NEW NEIGHBOURS
3Synopsis
25VISITING MATRONS
4Historical Context
26SERVANTS
5SUNDAY
27EAST AND WEST
Show all chapters
6THE COW YARD
28A CUP OF TEA
7THE BISHOP AND THE CANARY
29CATHEDRAL
8THE BLESSING
30CEMETERY
9SINGING
31SCHOOLS
10THE PRAYING CHAIR
32CHRISTMAS
11MRS. CRANE
33REGATTA
12WHITE CURRANTS
34CHARACTERS
13THE ORANGE LILY
35LOYALTY
14HOW LIZZIE WAS SHAMED RIGHT THROUGH
36DOCTOR AND DENTIST
15BRITISH COLUMBIA NIGHTINGALE
37CHAIN GANG
16TIME
38COOK STREET
17A LITTLE TOWN AND A LITTLE GIRL
39WATERWORKS
18BEGINNINGS
40FROM CARR STREET TO JAMES’ BAY
19JAMES’ BAY AND DALLAS ROAD
41GROWN UP
20SILENCE AND PIONEERS
42Analysis
21SALOONS AND ROADHOUSES
43Reflection
22WAYS OF GETTING ROUND
44Memorable Quotes

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