Cooler than you

CAJ called today asking about Vellum, a fantasy novel which is getting a fair amount of buzz, around arty types who like fantasy at least. SF Reviews.net, a reliable site, didn't like it. The books seems to be all style no substance, which I think is an attempt to achieve literary status while totally neglecting story or import. I like well written prose, but I think there is such a thing as a fetishization of words.

I have a book on my shelf that I think may fall into this category, Little Big. At the moment, the amazon reviews in order are "Beyond Good" "Superb" "Imaginative Masterpiece" and "Whew, not for me." Another review title sounds like a bad emo album, "The Key to My Indulgent Melancholy." I wish I could have made that one up.

People who like Little Big, and lyrically intense books in general, make the you-have-to-be-smart- to-get-it-argument, saying things like "I also would imagine that non-analytical readers may find the book a bit dull." So apparently the fans are pretentious at least.

Anyway, I will probably get to eventually. If anyone has an opinion on it, please let me know.