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  • The Giant, O'Brien

  • By: Hilary Mantel
  • Narrated by: Patrick Moy
  • Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (78 ratings)

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The Giant, O'Brien

By: Hilary Mantel
Narrated by: Patrick Moy
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Summary

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
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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)

What listeners say about The Giant, O'Brien

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Just a brilliantly read brilliant tale

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

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous narration by Patrick Moy

Beautifully researched and based on a true story, Mantel brings the characters to life, exploring the light and dark of different people, exposed to the realities of 18th century life. Brought to life by the narrator who was brilliant, managing various Irish, Scottish and English accents. Starting light hearted and comic, she imagines the choices people have to make without passing judgement.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One the best ever authors

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

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A book you need to finish

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

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A beautifully written book

The different characters and accents were very well portrayed and beautifully narrated. A very poignant and at times humorous story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating story

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.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Engaging and so well performed

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.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

the only Mantel I couldn't get on with.

tried 3 times to listen to this and couldn't be doing with it. The narration certainly didn't help.
sorry

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Terrible narration meant I didn’t get far.

I found the narration of this very annoying and gave up after half an hour

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