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The Giant, O'Brien

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About this listen

Charles O’Brien, Irish bard and giant: The cynical are moved by his flights of romance; the craven stirred by his tales of epic deeds. The Surprising Irish Giant may be the sensation of the season but only his compatriots seem to attend to his mythic powers of invention. John Hunter, celebrated surgeon and anatomist, buys dead men from the gallows and babies’ corpses by the inch. Where is a man as unique as The Giant to hide his bones when he is yet alive?

©1998 Hilary Mantel (P)2014 W F Howes Ltd Dark Humour Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Medical Comedy

Critic reviews

"From the two-time Man Booker winner, The Giant, O’ Brien is an unforgettable novel; lyrical, shocking and spliced with black comedy"
"A novelist of remarkable diversity…She writes with wit, compassion and great elegance. Her books never fail to surprise, nor to delight: in this one she is at her very best - so far." ( Independent on Sunday)
"Mantel can out-write most writers of her generation, male and female. What she has done here is disturbing, grievous and extraordinary." ( Sunday Times)
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I liked this book very much and the brilliant narration of each character brought them to life. There is alot of dark humour in the story and the opportunity to exploit a human being that is different from the rest draws many parallels with today's society.

Fascinating story

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Clever,fascinating and, as always, superb prose. The narrator, whilst initially irritating, does a great range of voices for the different characters.

A book you need to finish

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A fantastic tale - expertly narrated - it rattles along like a runaway train - and crashes spectacularly over the edge

Just a brilliantly read brilliant tale

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The story has many elements of truth but as fiction Hilary Mantel provides an engaging story that paints a picture of 1780 as good as any. It is humorous and at times horrific but most of all a good story. This is amplified by the narrator Patrick Moy whose embodiment of the characters with accent and personality makes for a good listen and I have no doubt I will queue this one up for a second listen.

Engaging and so well performed

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Simply brilliant read and listen Mantel knows her characters and is at her best here , possibly not the easiest read but the narrator brings the audio book to life

One the best ever authors

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