The Giant
Fiction, Literary Fiction
Tilman was supposed to be a roofer – just like his father and grandfather – but it wasn’t long before his size prevented him from following in their footsteps. At two metres thirty-nine, he is the tallest man in Germany. As Tilman continues to gain in height, he loses his girlfriend and his job but becomes a media sensation, his fame increasing in proportion to his size. However, he grows in other ways too, learning to play the piano and becoming a discerning reader. Before long his frame outstrips its surroundings. He is now a giant by profession – and learns how to make the best of it. But ultimately his life is threatened by his size – if he keeps on growing, his heart will eventually fail him.
This is the touching story of a man who grows to be an outsider and comes to see it as an advantage. A poignant novel full of surprising twists, imbued with gentle irony.
Stefan aus dem Siepen, born in 1964, studied law and entered a diplomatic career in 1992. After postings in Bonn, Luxemburg, Shanghai and Moscow, he is currently working for the Foreign Office in Berlin. He has published two more novels (“Luftschiff” and “Die Entzifferung der Schmetterlinge”).
Tilman was supposed to be a roofer – just like his father and grandfather – but it wasn’t long before his size prevented him from following in their footsteps. At two metres thirty-nine, he is the tallest man in Germany. As Tilman continues to gain in height, he loses his girlfriend and his job but becomes a media sensation, his fame increasing in proportion to his size. However, he grows in other ways too, learning to play the piano and becoming a discerning reader. Before long his frame outstrips its surroundings. He is now a giant by profession – and learns how to make the best of it. But ultimately his life is threatened by his size – if he keeps on growing, his heart will eventually fail him.
This is the touching story of a man who grows to be an outsider and comes to see it as an advantage. A poignant novel full of surprising twists, imbued with gentle irony.