The Giant Under the Snow

by John Gordon

First published in 1968, THE GIANT UNDER THE SNOW created a fascinating world of magic, ancient evil and curses long before Harry Potter and His Dark Materials.Three children find an ornate Celtic buckle. To them it's treasure, a fantastic find. They have no idea that it has awakened a giant who has lain at rest for centuries. Little do they know that an evil warlord and his Leathermen have also awaited this moment, this chance to wield their deadly power. In a chilling tale full of menace and suspense the final battle between good and evil must be fought.This is a story that transcends age. Beautifully written, subtle and evocative, THE GIANT UNDER THE SNOW transports the reader into an intensely atmospheric world where the imagination knows no bounds.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Middle Grade, Adventure

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

John Gordon was an English writer of adolescent supernatural fiction. He was the author of fifteen fantasy novels (including The Giant Under The Snow), four short story collections, over fifty short stories, and a teenage memoir. For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gor...

Reviews

[mark monday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring Girl: "Look I found a strange, ancient belt buckle! And look I found a giant - under the snow! Well maybe not a giant, but a giant hand, possibly connected to a giant! And maybe not under the snow per se, but under all of that dirt and grass and mystery! But still, there's snow there too, at least it will be there eventually! When it snows!!"

Doubting Thomas: "I highly doubt that."

Boring Girl: "Doubt what?"

Doubting Thomas: "I doubt everything. That is literally all I will do throughout this novel."

Bill, the only decently characterized character in the book: "The intriguing hints of depth that I've been gifted from John Gordon means that in my effort to reply, I must juggle my crush on a Boring Girl, my friendship with a Doubting Thomas, my love of mysteries, my bravery and my cowardice, and the fact that I am the only person with an actual personality in my trio of friends. And so, all I can really say is Grumble Grumble Grumble because that's a lot for one grouchy boy such as myself to have to deal with."

Doubting Thomas: "I doubt that."

Bill, the only decently characterized character in the book: "Grumble Grumble Grumble."

⚳

A Good Witch: "Help me children!"

Doubting Thomas: "I doubt we will be able to do that."

Boring Girl and Bill: "We will help you!"

A Good Witch: "Thank you! Now I will give you magic so you can fly!"

Boring Girl and Bill: "Yahoo, we love flying!"

Doubting Thomas: "I doubt that we are actually flying. This is probably just a dream."

The Green Man: "I am a giant who is about to be the weapon of a terrible villain and his even more terrible dog! Children, come quick and intervene! Stop me from rising or else I will be forced to do terrible things and to wreak terrible havoc!"

Doubting Thomas: "I highly doubt that."

mark monday: "This is a 2 star book but heck I will give it an extra star because of Bill, speedy pacing, and lots and lots of flying. Yahoo, flying kids!"

[Bionic Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Giant Under the Snow by John Gordon, was first published in 1968. My Penguin paperback copy, bought and read just a few years later, proclaims on the back cover “A breathlessly exciting adventure by a new author”. Taking it down off the shelves recently, I had little memory of the story, but knew it must have been good for me to keep it for so long.

Sure enough, since then, John Gordon established his reputation as a popular English writer of young adult fiction, and is now widely recognised as one of the finest contemporary writers of horror and the supernatural. In total John Gordon wrote sixteen supernatural fantasy and horror novels, of which The Giant Under the Snow, was the first, four short story collections, over fifty short stories, and a teenage memoir. He died in 2017, aged 92.

John Gordon’s work has been compared with that of the master ghost story writer M.R. James, perhaps because of the slow build-up of feelings of menace. However, I think The Giant Under the Snow fits squarely in the tradition of Alan Garner. Most of John Gordon’s novels, like this one, feature teenagers in the central roles, who unwittingly find themselves caught up in a strange, fascinating world of ancient legends and magic, ancient evil and curses, and the stories have more than a nod towards Celtic mythology. His natural successor is Neil Gaiman.

We begin with Jonquil Winters, moodily escaping for a while from the rest of those on her school trip, and wandering through woods on a cold wet December day. Alone, with trees looming over and seeming to threaten her, she begins to feel jumpy:

“The copse was on a very low flattish mound so regularly shaped it may have covered the ruins of a small building, a real temple perhaps. But four or five ridges splayed out from it like the spokes of a wheel, or the rays of a sun shape. Jonk counted them. Four straight ones and one bent. Not a wheel, more like a gigantic hand with trees thrusting up between the fingers.

If it closed on her … The thought made her jerk her head up … Her imagination was trying to frighten her but she would not be beaten …

the rain-sodden earth began to crumble … and she fell full-length between the fingers of the the green hand. It seemed to clutch at her and she almost cried out, but a moment later she crawled clear unhurt.”

Jonk was unsettled, still angry with her schoolmates, and annoyed at the horn of the school bus blaring out. But she saw something glittering in the earth, where it had crumbled as she fell. She picked it up and examined it. It looked like an old brooch, ancient perhaps, and made of gold:

“The green hand had given her a gift. It no longer seemed unfriendly.”

Jonk turned to go back to the bus and her friends, but could not find her bearings. Her way seemed to be blocked, and then she saw what looked like a huge dog:

“A solid mane of black hair made its head huge. Its sharp, black muzzle was pointed straight at her”.

It snarled, then vanished behind the ferns, and Jonk bolted. She was very afraid, and could hear the dog howling in the distance. On she went, the dog tracking her movements, and then it was there, suddenly in front of her again:

“The dog, black mane bristling, jaws open and red, made its final ferocious run. She screamed as it leapt. Its jaws closed on her arm … she was a beast’s prey. It began to back away among the trees pulling her with it … She whimpered. Once she got her arm around a low branch but the pain of the jaws was too great and she let go.”

Screaming, Jonk could not make sense of what happened next. A crack, like a whip, then another. The dog twisting in the air, biting at something she could not see, and a pale, slight figure, as the dog crept away into the darkness. A woman.

Jonk went back with the woman to where she lived, hidden in the woods. Elizabeth Goodenough she was called, and she wanted to know what Jonk had seen, and what had happened. Jonk felt sulky. This woman seemed strange, but now sounded too much like her teachers. She clasped the brooch more firmly. She would not tell.

Elizabeth Goodenough went back into the woods with Jonk, and soon they came across a senior teacher, who had set out with a flash-lamp to look for Jonk, as it was getting dark. Jonk explained about getting lost, and the dog, and on being questioned, Elizabeth Goodenough oddly refused to give the teacher the name of the dog’s owner.

We meet Jonk’s two friends, Bill Smith, who is imaginative and clever, but also a daydreamer and sometimes thought sullen, and Arf (Arthur Minnett) the son of two teachers, considered practical, sometimes cynical and always determined to be “the sensible one”. With these three youngsters and the strange secretive woman who lives in the woods, we now have the main characters in the story. We also have an idea of where the story might go.

After she goes home, Jonk is stalked. Sometimes she just has a feeling; an impression that she is being followed. Sometimes she sees the black dog, and its curious menacing but stone-faced master. The brooch proves to be ancient; far more so than Jonk could have imagined when she first saw it:

“like a shiny yellow ribbon, twisted in upon itself … It was circular, about the size of her palm, and was composed of metal ribbons that twisted and writhed among themselves in an endless pattern … in the middle of the interwoven gilded strips was a shape like a man standing upright with his legs together and his arms outstretched. His head was a loop of metal.”

It is also significant where she found it - and the emotions she felt at the time. Bill latches on to that very quickly; he knows about Celtic legends, and about the Green Man. He has read of a local legend that describes how a giant Green Man once strode across the countryside from Wiltshire to East Anglia. Believing the legend is the key to understanding Jonk’s experience in the woods, Jonk and Bill persuade their more sceptical friend Arf to set out to solve the puzzle of the Green Man. But none of them have any idea what might result from taking the brooch from the woods.

They decide the best place to start their investigations is in the city museum. This city is never named, but it is clearly Norwich, from the names of the street, the cathedral and the descriptions. These are urban children, not country ones. They push their way through the crowds of Christmas shoppers to one of its museums, then decide another in the Crescent although “full of junk” is better for the sort of local history they need.

This may well be Wisbech museum; John Gordon often used aspects of Wisbech in his books, and said much of his inspiration derived from the flat Fenland area, which fed his imagination.

Typical teenagers of the time, the fact that the museum is closed proves no barrier, and they soon find the gallery they wish in the deserted building. What do they learn? That would be telling, but they are now certain that this was no ordinary brooch. And what they accomplish could certainly never have been done under the watchful eye of a museum attendant.

The tension cranks up, as the mystery deepens. Each has a sense of being watched and followed, and as well as the strange Elizabeth Goodenough, the the secretive woman who lives in the woods, another stranger, the owner of the dog seems far too interested in what they might hold. From now on, the atmosphere is chilling; full of menace and suspense:

“Their breath added mist to mist. Now they had stopped moving they once more felt the silence of the heath. The suddenly their skin seemed to shrink and their flesh went iron-hard. Behind them, in the crawling fog, came a soft gentle sound. Something rustled, pushing towards them.”

It is subtle and evocative, and intensely atmospheric. Following them is an impression of a solitary figure in the mist, and then another appeared:

“just visible in the fog. Then he seemed to see them, and stopped … A faint sound made them turn their heads. Stepping on long, thin legs over fallen branches, another man came through the mist. He halted when, like the other, he was just visible. Both tall, both very thin, they stood like two carved images that had been placed among the trees.”

It was like a nightmare. They were “being herded like cattle”.

What did it all mean? What did these strange beings want?

It is Elizabeth Goodenough who gives them protection, and explains how they have been plunged into a strange world of ancient legends and magic. When Jonk found the rusting Celtic relic, it was not an ornate brooch as she had thought, but the buckle from a belt. Once it is joined with the rest of the belt, whoever has it has infinite mysterious and dangerous power, which can be used either for good or for evil. Jonk taking the buckle has awakened a giant who has lain at rest for centuries. Also resurrected by the find, are an evil warlord and his army of thin, spidery Leather men. They too have waited for millennia, just for this moment, and their chance to wield such deadly power – and they will stop at nothing to gain the relic for themselves.

“There was a time when this part of the country was fortunate. Nothing disturbed it; nothing for generations. But then a creature came from over the sea, a warlord. He had been displaced from his own country and he came with a gang of knights who offered nothing but the sword. They fought their way steadily inland and they dragged their boat with them as a sign they would stay.”

So whoever possesses the belt buckle can wake an immense and powerful force of nature – one that has lain asleep for centuries underground, and use it for good or unstoppable evil. The stone-faced man who has been following them is none other than that ancient warlord who needs the golden buckle to regain his malevolent power. The buckle is the key to his victory. Soon Jonk, Bill and Arf find themselves under attack from the warlord, and his sinister allies: the terrifying Leather men, and are relentlessly followed by the black dog. It is Elizabeth Goodenough who guides them, aided by the gift of flight. But it is a desperate race against time, for Jonk and her friends to defeat their enemies at any cost, and return the relic to its rightful owner.

“And the legendary Giant Under The Snow is beginning to stir …”

The amount of freedom teenagers of the late 1960s had compared with now often becomes evident in fiction such as this. A casual word to parents as to where they will be, solitary walks in cities, at any time of day, far more self-reliance with no mobile phones, calls for lifts, or personal transport (other than pushbikes) contrasts sharply with the instant communication and parental involvement of modern life. Perhaps also, the world is not seen as such a safe place. Some episodes here even take place in the middle of the night, although leaving the house to meet up with friends in the early hours would probably have been difficult to arrange even then! It’s all part of the fantasy, and the feeling of a strange, otherworldliness and menace.

For this is a timeless tale of good against evil. Something has been unleashed, and it is up to the three protagonists to put it right. It is an independent-minded teenage girl, Jonk, who is the main protagonist, despite some blurbs talking about “three children finding” some ancient relic, and this is welcome in a fantasy tale from 1968. It ensures that the book is more likely to be read by both or all genders nowadays, without objections that it is “dated”. It does have anachronisms, of course. The lack of mobile phones, as mentioned, or computers and other gadgets. Some of the language is now outmoded, such as eiderdowns, or gym shoes, and nowadays Jonk might be unlikely to have a “best dress”.

However, because The Giant Under The Snow remained popular for over 35 years, Orion Children’s Books decided to republish it in 2006. “The Herald” newspaper reported:

“The welcome return of a beautiful tale beautifully wrought… has lost none of its magic in the 30 years since it was first published.”

The revised edition, which is usually the one read now, has a new cover design by fantasy artist Geoff Taylor and new chapter head illustrations by Gary Blythe. John Gordon used the opportunity to make some minor updates to the language, so that “gym shoes” now reads as “trainers”, on the beds are “duvets” not eiderdowns, and Jonk’s “best dress” has been transformed into jeans! John Gordon also clarified the origin of the Green Man, in the relevant chapters.

This is a tale which stays in the mind. Its elements are timeless, yet presented in a fresh way. It is a magical adventure, packed with ancient myth and elements from local folklore. The secrets, good and evil witches, the Leather men and hidden treasure all stack up for an exciting and suspenseful adventure story. With vividly described passages involving levitation and flying to dizzy heights, soaring through the snow, and the manifestation of the Green Man himself , the imagination seems to know no bounds. Some of these parts are beautifully written.

The three teenagers too are intriguing. We want to read about them because they are realistic: very different from each other - and far from perfect. The Giant Under The Snow may have been written over fifty years ago, but these characters are modern and believable. It could have been a five star read, but I felt that rather too much time was spent on the actual mechanics of flying, and learning the technique. Largely this is a fast-paced fantasy adventure, but these parts lost the impetus and tension. It was perhaps more evident on a reread, as this time I listened to the entire text on audio.

John Gordon wrote his debut novel The Giant Under The Snow whilst working as a journalist on the “Eastern Evening News” in Norwich. It has been published in at least four languages, and in 1981 the book was adapted into a five part radio series, broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and read by Martin Jarvis. There is even a little known sequel to the first book, called “Ride The Wind” published in 1989. Once again, the treasure Jonk discovered in the first book was under threat, by the same enemy. Jonk and Bill must ride the wind once more, to where the warlord waited.

But The Giant Under The Snow had never been filmed until 2019, when a feature-length film began production.

In my experience, fantasy films which began as novels can be breathtaking and magical in themselves, or they can be a dismal failure, with no atmosphere, and all the imaginative potential crushed into mindless childish tedium. I await the release of the film of The Giant Under The Snow in great hope, but not a little trepidation.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonquil Winters, known as Jonq, goes on a school trip and wanders into the woods alone. This is never a good idea and soon a scary dog appears and an adventure begins to unfold. The first 70 pages of this book were 5 stars for us, really exciting and mysterious with interesting elements from local folk lore and set in the city of Norwich where I grew up. The elements that held our interest, the scary dog, being watched and followed, looking in a museum to gather facts stopped at this point and the story seemed to drag. It became a story of good against evil and fighting. It's a pity because the first part was so good and reminded me of Elidor. We are glad we read this, especially as it has local interest for us. Luckily we bought an older copy which has not been updated. Goodreads friend Mimi alerted me to the fact that a later reprint changed words such as gym shoes to trainers, best dress to jeans and eiderdown to duvet.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1968, Gordon's eco-fantasy rings so similarly to the work of Cooper and Garner with a rawer edge of Garner perhaps tipping towards the Cheshire man's themes. Three young secondary school students find themselves caught up in the reawakening of a dark force that lay buried beneath the turf and chalk.
When Jonk unearths an item that will bring it the power that it once lost, she calls upon her school friends, Bill and Arf to put things right. There is much more to this story in terms of lore and myth that I have not fully explored and I am drawn to re-read it. Gordon's writing is deft and economic and Blythe's illustrations inside are beyond compare. Definitely an alternative book to read at Christmas.

[Karen Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding children's book that is a classic of its kind. I read this back in the 1980s, and it hasn't lost any power. Very magical, especially in its descriptions of the night flying. Very nearly structured, too. It's set in England, and should be a must for Harry Potter fans looking for somewhat similar books. Highly recommended for imaginative children.

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good attempt at a children's fantasy novel by first-time writer John Gordon. This follows the tradition of Alan Garner in offering up a tale based on Britain's folklore, with the Green Man playing a large role (quite literally as it transpires).

The tale is a simple one, simply told and without embellishment. On a school trip, a trio of friends come into possession of a mystical belt buckle which a horde of supernatural creatures want back. There's little more to it than that, and truth be told it's often obvious that this is a first novel; the characterisation is non-existent and the plotting barely enough to sustain the slim length of the book.

However, Gordon makes up for this by investing his story with a heady atmosphere and evocative descriptions, and who can't recall the magic of Harry Potter in the scenes of the kids flying through a winter landscape? There's plenty of incident involving a truly unnerving creation - the creepy 'leather men' who wouldn't be out of place in an M. R. James tale - and the climax is superbly told. I hope to check out more of the author's work in the future.

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanking Len for this recommendation. I couldn't give it 5 stars because we never got enough background on Elizabeth Goodenough, and the whole plot just sort of 'flew' by (heh).
Then again, anything following on the heels of Moonwise (the previous book I read) was going to have a rough time of it. ;)
A good read for older kids (middle grade) who are getting bored with Christmas, and would rather be imagining themselves sneaking out of their houses at night and saving their sleeping city.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A junior fantasy novel from my childhood, its a mix of ancient legends, good and evil, and the Green Man buried in an age old tumulus. Reminds me of Alan Garner, who I must read again as well!

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exciting, intriguing read that left me breathless. The plot was unique and gripping, and a bit sinister. This book isn't as popular as it deserves to be, which is a shame.
Everyone should try this: yeah, some will dislike it, but some, like me, will LOVE it.
-Zanthie

[Plum-crazy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you had asked me a couple of days ago I'd have said that this was one of the most memorable books I'd read as a child. Well apparently not! While I had always remembered that it featured The Green Man (possibly how my interest started in him, I doubt I'd heard of him before this) the only other thing I found familiar to me was the title!

The actual plotline is pretty simple: a trio of young teenagers, Jonk, Bill & Arf come across a belt buckle which can be used for good or evil, depending on who gets their mitts on it first. With the help of the mysterious Elizabeth Goodenough, the children are tasked with keeping the buckle out of the hands of the evil Leatherman & their warlord leader & delivering it safely to Elizabeth.

The story moves at a good pace & the tension builds well at the appropriate times. Along with the myth & folklore there's some magic thrown in as the children are able to fly. This is something I would have expected to be a bit dismissive of but I really liked the idea of the little black bags with the cords - I want one! The children themselves are a fairly standard mix with Arf the Doubting Thomas of the group & as to the Leatherman...egh! Now my copy was published in 2006 & has chapter head illustrations, one of which (chapter 6) is of the Leathermen & had this pic been in the book I read way back in the early seventies I'd have probably had nightmares! Beautifully & suitably creepy.

An excellent read & one that deserves to be considered a classic.

[Nick Swarbrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some great insights into landscape here, both rural and urban, and the eponymous Giant gradually emerging sets the pace for an exploration of how myth, legend and landscape impact on three different young people. The menace is tangible; the magic believable.
Images and episodes that stay with me would have to include the children’s flying - a brilliant device to move the action on that culminates in wonderfully described aerial battling - and almost casually thrown away descriptions such as “the city lay beneath them like a crumpled carpet” or “the grass bowed as though it would die.” There has been a lot of thought put into this book.
The final chapter therefore came as a bit of a disappointment. The author understandably wants to return to some sense of legend having tangible presence in the everyday, and an archaeological dig provides the context. However (and I feel churlish saying it) the adult characters and occasional loose ends seemed to lack the joy and care of earlier sections, and the final sentence was an unexpected downbeat when the ideas in it could have been a highlight.
But this is a minor distraction from what was otherwise well paced, full of clever description and genuine dread.
There: and I didn’t mention Alan Garner...

[Klaus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I’d read this as a kid as I know I’d have enjoyed this a lot more than as an adult. Still a really cool fantasy plot tied in with English mythology.

[Alex Sarll]

Earlier this month, I was thinking that I really fancied reading a fantasy set in the dark English midwinter, but it was maybe a bit early for another Dark is Rising reread. And then, while packing, I found this, which I'd completely forgotten I had. In which the Green Man lies buried in East Anglian 'backlands', and an ancient warlord plots to suborn his power - all set at Christmas and with a jacket puff from Alan bloody Garner. Perfect.
Except it isn't, not quite. The warlord seems a little lacking in detail, as do the kids (Jonk in particular, who first stumbles into the story because she's being bullied on a school trip - a detail which never comes up again. Bill is a generic boy hero; Arf is a one-note sceptic, like Scully in a weak episode). This may simply be because I didn't encounter them in childhood like I did Cooper's kids, of course, so I've not had those years and rereads to fill in their contours. Or it may be that East Anglian setting - it's a terrain I always felt was somehow lacking in a primal sense, robbed of a crucial dimension in some primordial struggle or cataclysm.
There's still a certain cold grandeur here, mind, especially in the flying scenes. I wondered at times if they influenced 'The Snowman', but the feeling is very different to that, or the rhapsodic soaring of the kids in a Miyazaki film - this is winter flight and aerial combat the way raptors do it over blizzard-ravaged fields.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One shouldn't judge a book by its cover but i got this book because of the cover, though it wasn't even the cover of the copy I got from the library, but still, look at that cover it's brilliant. Three children find an ancient belt buckle and then find themselves caught up on the final stage of an ancient battle between good and evil, as you do. Granted the power of flight to help them elide the terrifying Leather Men they must thwart the ambitions of an ancient warlord, and a cracking adventure it is, too.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this as a teenager at my mother's request to see if was suitable for inclusion in an Infant School's library (it isn't!). It scared three kinds of living Hell out of me! The subject matter was an instant hit with me (anything to do with history). Quite creepy in places, with excellent writing building the suspense throughout the story. Really not suitable for very small children but an excellent read for the older child.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set around a snowy Christmas, this is a great book to read in December, but it has more in common with creepy winter ghost stories than cheery Hallmark movies. A bit of a lost gem from a similar time and with a similar feel to books by Alan Garner and Susan Cooper, it has well-written, awkward young teen protagonists and an ageless, petite woman who wears high heels and smokes as the magical mentor figure (I got strong 'cool art teacher' vibes from her), which made a change from the usual old man. The tone is ominous and threatening, the youngsters chased by vicious dogs and faceless long-limbed 'leathermen', with magical flying sequences that are both exhilarating and fraught with danger. I could easily imagine this as a Studio Ghibli film.

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd never heard of this book - stumbled upon it while searching the web - not unlike the main character stumbling into adventure while searching the in the woods of the backlands. This is a fast-paced fantasy-adventure that is actually quite suspenseful and often scary. Ancient myths are featured - as well as a protector witch. I'm not going to give too much away. An evil is awakening and three teens have to save the day. The chief protagonist is a girl - which was refreshing. The kids were bright - but not unrealistically so; their problem solving never seemed contrived. I gave this a very high rating because I found it hugely entertaining and truly engrossing. Couldn't wait to get back to it when forced to put it down.

[Rachel Bonnington · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this book, the plot and characterisation lacked depth compared to similar books I've read recently. Having said that, I loved the landscapes, the folklore, and Blythe's magical illustrations, and Gordon's descriptions are enchanting:
'The sky was blue and clear. Behind them the dark line of the forest was like a mysterious shore seen from the sea, and away to their right the sun glinted on the red of the bus as it sailed towards them.'
'The night creaked.'
'[T]he city lay beneath them like a crumpled carpet patterned by rows of lights.'
'[T]he earth below was dark, a jumble of shadows with here and there a silver glint of the moon on water.'

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate this book so boring AND jonk jonk is call a girl what don read this if you like trash

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 out of 5 stars. I suspect I would have given it 4 out 5 or higher the first time I read it, at somewhere around 12 years old. I remember this quite fondly from back when I stumbled on it on an Elementary School book shelf and was attracted by the cool cover, the one below to be exact.


And while much is as I remember it, I obviously confused it with another book whose name I can't remember anymore. Seeing this cover decades later I remembered a story about kids playing around the mounds out on a moor, my first encounter of the Celtic word Sidhe (the faerie or people of the mounds), iron horseshoes on doorways to keep them away, and a story that both thrilled and scared me. The reality is the book had little to none of that, though I can see how I confused them, and I suspect this would indeed have thrilled and scared me a little as a kid. I'd still like to figure out the book I confused this one with, but glad I went back and read this oldie but goodie again.

What this book has that I remembered quite well as I read is a girl stumbling upon an ancient artifact (a gold belt buckle with a mystic symbol on it) on some mounds shaped like a hand out on the moors during a school trip just before Christmas break. The mounds turn out to indeed be the hand of a long sleeping giant (the Green Man of legend) that the wilderness has grown over and mostly concealed, and who is now starting to wake. Other cool features are a large black, red-eyed supernatural dog that chases the childhood main characters (the girl who found the belt and 2 boys from her class in school), keeping up with a bus; a funny good witch character named Elizabeth Goodenough (an almost James Bond like name), some scary Leather Men (long armed corpse-like creatures whose heads have no openings but you kind of see a mouth behind the leathery skin stretched tightly all over their bodies and whose screams you can hear inside your head and cause you to lose your ability to concentrate and go into a frozen daze). And last but not least the spirit of a long sleeping but waking evil Warlord who is trying to reassemble the magic belt (whose buckle the main character found at the mound) so that he can take control of the Green Giant (seeing through it's eyes) and rule the land again. The main characters receive help in the form of awesome magic backpacks provided by the witch Goodenough that allow the them to fly like birds. They join forces with the witch and of course foil the evil Warlord's plans just before Christmas morning.

The story is well told, and some of the descriptions of characters, scenery and action are really well done. But needless to say the story isn't very deep or moving outside its very basic childhood adventure setting. Still I'd definitely recommend it to a young reader.

[Alejandro Fion · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring

[Christopher Bunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lately, I find myself more and more irritated with modern books written expressly for grownups. There are exceptions, but I find a great deal of them boring, ponderous and staggering under the weight of their self-imposed importance. Perhaps this is due to my advancing years, my own impatience and cantankerousness; I suppose that's the charitable interpretation. Whatever the reason, I've been looking back more to the past and rediscovering the books I enjoyed as a child and a teenager. A great many of those books do not hold up well with the years. Happily, a great many do.

John Gordon's The Giant Under the Snow is one of those books that holds up admirably, despite the years. I think I first read him when I was 10 or 12. He's a deft writer, careful with his words. If he were a painter, I'd imagine he'd be something along the lines of a Japanese minimalist (is there such a school?), painting masterpieces with spare strokes, cold, wintry landscapes hinting at great distances and mystery.

Giant is an enthralling, mysterious story of three friends who discover an ancient belt buckle while on a school outing. The discovery brings alive a world of danger and magic that exists right on the edge of their own mundane world. I hesitate to say too much, as the story should be enjoyed pristine the first time. Suffice it to say, I own a copy and re-read the story every couple of years.

I would argue that Gordon's book is one of the very first urban fantasy books to ever be written, long before the term had been coined. I'm not fond of the genre as it currently exists; however, if there were more writers like Gordon out there, I would become a devotee of the genre.

[Imillar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my all-time favorite children's books ever, and if you check out the reviews on Amazon, you'll see I wasn't alone in that opinion. I still own the battered Puffin copy sent over from the UK by my grandmother, with a graphic, creepy cover that nicely captures the eeriness of some of the book. I'm on a personal mission to bring this back into paper print, although it is thank God in e-book format too. There are 3 main characters- 2 boys and a girl - who accidentally discover part of an old Viking belt buckle on a school field trip out in the snowy countryside at the end of the year, and this discovery sets some very sinister creatures after them, including the Leather Men, a dead Viking chieftain, and the wolf pack that obeys him. There's a witch who helps them; much to my joy she chain-smokes (you would too if those things were after you) and she gives our heroes leather bags that can make them fly, to avoid these creatures. It's the most convincing description of what it would really feel like to lift off the ground and fly I've ever read. The joy is in the story though - it has a very satisfying dramatic climax and a bittersweet resolution.

[Jonathon Dabell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, fast-moving childrens' fantasy story about three kids who discover that an age-old struggle is taking place in their home city and the surrounding countryside (referred to throughout as the "backlands"). It begins when a young girl gets separated from her school party and discovers a hand-shaped mound in the earth, between the fingers of which lies a golden belt buckle. Soon, she is caught up in an invisible battle between the forces of good and evil. Befriended by a character called Elizabeth Goodenough, who knows all about the power of the belt, the girl and two of her closest friends must complete a dangerous quest before a powerful warlord can once more attempt to conquer the land. Gordon's descriptions are very evocative, and he's absolutely brilliant at suggesting unseen menace. But the story itself - plot, characters, events - just doesn't add up, or at least it doesn't reach the fever pitch of excitement and wonder that I was hoping for. It's a quick and easy read, enjoyable enough if you've nothing else to read, but I was just expecting so much more.

[Pablo Samayoa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made my head hurt because it is so boring

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining. Gordon’s strengths here are in keeping up the momentum of his character’s rambling, questing journey and in the occasional, brilliant moments of weird perception changes when characters are confronted with supernatural threats.

3.5 stars

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was compelling and kept us interested, although the writing seemed to drag a bit in places - a little too much detail in the descriptions of action, perhaps. Still, an enjoyable bit of fantasy.

[Nikhilā · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I really did try and read this, but the writing style is so annoying and awkward that I gave up...

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ritual reread. This book has been my jam since I read it first age 9, so yeah, high levels of comfort and nostalgia! That Gordon’s books are set in the part of the world I grew up in adds to this.

[Ana Pao · Rating 1 out of 5]

reading this book felt like a chore (normally i enjoy school reading). the storyline just didn't work out for me.... i'm actually relieved that i finally finished this!!