A New York Times Book ReviewNotable Book of the Year nbsp A Los AngelesTimes Best Book of the Year nbsp London 1782 center of science andcommerce home to the ne... » 

A New York Times Book ReviewNotable Book of the Year nbsp A Los AngelesTimes Best Book of the Year nbsp London 1782 center of science andcommerce home to the newly rich and the desperately poor. In the midst of itall is the Giant OBrien a freak of nature a man of song and story whotrusts in myths fairies miracles and little people. He has come from Irelandto exhibit his size for money. OBriens opposite is a man of science thefamed anatomist John Hunter who lusts after the Giants corpse as a medicalcuriosity a boon to the advancement of scientific knowledge. nbsp In heracclaimed novel Hilary Mantel tells of the fated convergence of Ireland andEngland. As belief wrestles knowledge and science wrestles song so The GiantOBrien calls to us from a fork in the road as a tale of time and a timelesstale. «