The Giant, O'Brien

By: Hilary Mantel

Narrated by: Patrick Moy

London, 1782: center of science and commerce, home to the newly rich and the desperately poor. In the midst of it all is the Giant, O'Brien, a freak of nature, a man of song and story who trusts in myths, fairies, miracles, and little people. He has come from Ireland to exhibit his size for money. O'Brien's opposite is a man of science, the famed anatomist John Hunter, who lusts after the Giant's corpse as a medical curiosity, a boon to the advancement of scientific knowledge. In her acclaimed novel, two-time Man Booker Prize winning author Hilary Mantel tells of the fated convergence of Ireland and England. As belief wrestles knowledge and science wrestles song, so The Giant, O'Brien calls to us from a fork in the road as a tale of time, and a timeless tale.

©1998 Hilary Mantel (P)2014 W.F. Howes

Amazing range of voices from just one narrator

Hypnotic storyline with amazaing range of voices from just one narrator, Patrick Moy. Never doubted the identity or the motivation of a character’s speech or thought. Highest standard.

Dark, Delightful, Disturbing

The audiobook is a brilliant performance of an insightful, magnificently written, but ultimately harsh tale. It’s too true for comfort. It presents an appropriately bitter window on Anglo-Irish history and a haunting reflection on humanity. The Giant O’Brien is a compelling, thoughtful work by a clear master of the craft of storytelling.

The True Story of the Irish Giant

Very poetic telling of a true event in history when the Irish Giant came to London in the 1780’s to be exhibited in a side show. His life intersected with the anatomist John Hunter in a very heart rending way. Fantastic story. Fantastic narration. Brilliant writing by Hilary Mantel. I found this title after listening to the Wolf Hall series.

Brilliant, terrifying, relevant

The writing is sumptuous, with variations of evil unparalleled. Although it’s historical, the relevance to the hubristic in knowledge seeking is incredible. Earth too is a giant O’Brian.