Zusammenfassung
Zusammenfassung von Ein Buch der Riesen
Für wen es gedacht ist
Perfect for lovers of Greek and Norse myth, Arthurian romance, fairy tales and folklore, and for parents who want bedtime stories from many lands, with a surprising dash of science.
Worum es in diesem Buch geht
Odysseus enters a one-eyed giant's cave, where strength alone offers little hope. It is one of the giant tales in the twenty-five chapters of A Book of Giants, gathered by Henry Wysham Lanier. The book moves from Zeus and the Titans to Thor, King Arthur, Finn, and the tall men of the sideshow. It asks why people have always dreamed big, and it starts with the preface, where giants stand before the gods themselves.
In dieser Zusammenfassung
- 1People invented giants and then mocked themFree
- 2Zeus and his allies battle the Titans
- 3Orion walks the sea and seeks love
- 4Odysseus needs wit against Polyphemus
- 5Thor learns that giants can fool even gods
- 6Proud giants of Mexico and Guatemala defy the gods
- 7Og and Goliath stand against Israel
- 8Knights hunt giants to prove their worth
- 9Folk tales and science bring giants down to earth
Punkt 1 von 9
People invented giants and then mocked them
Lanier opens with a playful idea. In their youth, people loved giants so much that they made more of them than nature supplied. In the frozen North, giants came before the gods. In Greece, they sprang up just after the Olympians and fought Zeus for his throne.
The preface offers a few small proofs that giants are human at heart. Ea-Bani, a huge wild man from a clay-tablet tale found at Nineveh, lives among animals until King Gilgamesh sends a beautiful woman to stand quietly near his hiding place. At the sight of her, the mighty creature follows her to the city. In Vienna, dwarfs gathered with giants for an empress and teased and robbed them until guards had to protect the big men.
The author's point is that giants have been treated unfairly. They begin as rivals of the gods, then become targets for knights, then playthings in nursery tales, and finally museum pieces. The preface ends with a Scottish legend of giants asleep in the Hall of Albyn, ready to wake at a third blast of a horn.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
- Nothing to pay today · Renews every year
- We email you before you pay
- Cancel online in two clicks
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 83,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 5 h 30 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about Ein Buch der Riesen
What is A Book of Giants about?
It is a collection of giant stories from Greek and Norse myth, the Bible, Arthurian romance, and folk tales from Ireland, Serbia, Japan, Korea and native North America, ending with real tall people and what science says about them.
Who are the main giants in the book?
The best known are Typhon, Orion, Polyphemus, Skrymir, Og of Bashan, Goliath, Ferragus, Gogmagog and Saint Christopher, along with the troll-wife and giant that Grettir fights in Iceland.
Is A Book of Giants based on true stories?
The first three parts come from myth, scripture, legend and folklore. The last part deals with real people, such as Irish show giants and Prussian guards, plus the medical study of gigantism.
Who is A Book of Giants good for?
It suits readers of mythology, fairy tales and medieval romance. The chapters are short and self-contained, with clear plots and a lively, humorous narrator, so you can read them in any order.
What is the main message of the book?
Giants stand for human fears and ambitions, and in the tales they usually fall to cleverness, courage or faith. The author finishes by saying that human minds, not bodies, can truly grow without limit.