Little Big Man (1964) by Thomas Berger is a satirical Western and picaresque novel that follows the supposed memoirs of Jack Crabb, a 120-year-old man raised by the Cheyenne. Through his encounters with figures like Wild Bill Hickok and General Custer, Crabb drifts between Native and white societies, constantly reshaping his identity while narrowly surviving the violent clashes of the American West. Both parody and homage, the novel critiques frontier mythology and explores cultural conflict. Though initially modest in sales, it became a critical and commercial success, winning major literary awards, inspiring Arthur Penn’s 1970 film adaptation, and later spawning a sequel, The Return of Little Big Man (1999). Berger himself was a versatile American novelist, acclaimed for his genre-spanning works over a career that produced twenty-three novels.
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