The Giant Killer

by A.L.O.E.

Charlotte Maria Tucker, English author, who wrote under the pseudonym A.L.O.E. (a Lady of England), was the daughter of Henry St George Tucker (1771-1851), a distinguished official of the British East India Company. From 1852 till her death she wrote many stories for children, most of them allegories with an obvious moral, and devoted the proceeds to charity. The plot of "The Giant Killer" subtitled "The Battle which All Must Fight" features ten year old twins, Constantine and Adolphus who are chagrined to be shipped off to a private tutor in the country. Their lot appears worse when they meet their host and his family, consisting of a wife, son Aleck (who imagines himself the perfect student) and two little girls. On top of that, they are expected to study. Fun seems in short supply when they are not even allowed to pull the cow's tail, and there is no second dinner provided. This allegorical tale can be a simple, amusing story or a lesson to us all.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Classics, Childrens

174 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1856

About the author

Charlotte Maria Tucker, the English author, who wrote under the pseudonym A.L.O.E (a Lady of England), was the daughter of Henry St George Tucker (1771-1851), a distinguished official of the British East India Company. From 1852 till her death she wrote many stories for children, most of them allegories with an obvious moral, and devoted the proceeds to charity. In 1875 she left England for India to engage in missionary work, and died at Amritsar on the 2nd of December 1893.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is in our Lamplighter collection and this is my second time reading it. It’s a wonderfully rich allegorical tale about conquering the giants we deal with in life including anger, hatefulness, laziness, and selfishness.

The tale follows two boys, Adolphus and Constantine, who come to live with a private tutor and the family for a time. These boys have little values and it’s hard to know if they’ll be able to overcome them. The wife tells stories to the children with hopes to eventually open their eyes.

I liked that interspersed in between the family story, the wife tells tales about a brave knight named Fides. It keeps the book interesting. Even the children who are better behaved in the story have lessons to learn as they discover new things about themselves. It’s encouraging, and just a really nice story to share with children. The Giant Killer is wholesome and relevant enough to be enjoyed by adults as well.

4.5 stars

[forthefamilyssake Hailey White · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible tale of the Giants (hate, pride, laziness, etc.) that we all must face inside our hearts. I consider myself good at reading aloud, and the language and cadence proved challenging, which I enjoyed. My two oldest children (9 and 6) understood the allegory and begged me to continue each time I read. We also had excellent family discussions and all share common phrases amongst one another. This will be a story we read several times.

[Khari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this.

It was a better allegory than Pilgrim's Progress because the allegory was intertwined with a story about children having to adapt to each other and learning to fight their own problems instead of blaming them on others. It was very accessible and enjoyable for me. I thought that she did a good job of making theology practical.

[David Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful analogy to help kids (and adults) think about the war against sin.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I rate this at 12 stars? ;) Yup, this is most definitely a favorite read! The story is of a a little family with 3 children. Soon their cousins come to visit but they are a trial and do not have the same values as the children have been brought up with - they are quite difficult to get along with. Mother in her wisdom creates a story to tell all the children of a young man, Fides, on a journey where he must face many giants such as Sloth, Selfishness, Hate, Pride, etc. These tales are set as an allegory with each "giant" being a character flaw that we all battle in our day-to-day lives and must, with God's help, overcome.

This story is a delight, a challenge, and a treasure among books! So heartwarming and moving it left my sister and I wanting to read more and more (the first afternoon we read just about half the book!). I would encourage everyone to add this book to your "buy" list! It will challenge and encourage both young and old!

"Your faults are your enemies, the greatest enemies of those over whom they exercise the greatest power... Me desire is to lead you to consider that you are all and each of you yourselves in the position of my hero. The foes which he had to conquer you also must fight; you have the same aid to encourage you, the same motives to rouse. The same giant may not be equally formidable to you all, but every one has some enemy with whom he must struggle, in a strength that is given to him, armour not his own." (p. 35-36)

This was such a sweet book with endearing characters and beautiful godly lessons for both young and old. My sister and I read this together and I look forward to reading the sequel to this story, "The Battle" next! Another beautiful Lamplighter storybook.

[Janelle]

This classic children's book is an allegory within a story. A vicar and his wife and three children have invited into their home two spoilt and naughty boys to be educated by the vicar alongside his son. The mother of the household reads an allegorical fantasy to the children about conquering sin in your life. Her hopes are that the children learn from the story and apply the lessons to their own lives.
Given the time at which the book was written, the author was probably quite innovative in her plot. Christian books for children of the past tended to be much more didactic and realistic about the perils of naughtiness.
But it was too much for me. The two spoilt guests really were brats, and I couldn't stand them. The vicar's children weren't perfect, but they were very good, especially the two girls. They just didn't seem like normal children.
So I gave up about halfway through. Apparently I'm in the minority as the book has been highly rated on Goodreads. I guess that's me though, when I read a book I want a story, not a Sunday school lesson.
The Librivox narrator was excellent.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story within a story. A mother tells her children of the knight, Fides, who battles the enemies of his King: Giant Sloth, Giant Selfishness, Giant Untruth, Giant Hate, and Giant Pride.

Written by A.L.O.E., A Lady of England. 😀

[Jennifer V · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good. It was written beautifully (as a lot of older books are) and the moral, biblical lesson of the entire book was so thought provoking. It's sort of like a condensed version of Pilgrim's Progress but for kids, and a mother telling the story to her kids. I enjoyed this one!

[Brandy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than Pilgrim’s Progress.

[Rakayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story about fighting the giants of sloth and lying and other giants who still our joy and stop us from forgiving and being grateful.
A wonderful allegory! I enjoyed reading it.

[Onarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought a copy of this book from a second hand book store. The copy, published by Nelson & sons, is dated 1873. I love it! A book with history, such a delight to read. The book is meant for children, nonetheless I love the use of language and the story. I even got emotional at times. Well written, it took me only 2 reads (4 hours) in total to finish it.

[Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very good book. I put two stars because it was VERY challenging to read. I definitely learned a lot! I would recommend this book as a book that you read as a family, cause there are a lot of confusing words and concepts. But it was really great!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book was REALLY good! I really recommend this book! (though I recommend ALL of the lamplighter books! :-)

[Anna Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best book I've read in my life.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good . . .

but it is a bear to read; especially to read aloud. It is simply difficult to understand, turns of phrase don't always make sense, and the diction can get you tongue tied (again, especially difficult if you are reading aloud).

The story itself is pretty good. Slower than what we get today, and definitely a product of its time. Not necessarily my style, but all things considered it is a good story.

The noble knight conquers multiple giants that all represent a form of sin, the kids hearing the stories all learn lessons, and eventually we come to a happy ending. Very reminiscent of Pilgrim's Progress in that everything is allegorical, but it is easier to understand. Things are at least generally explained here.

The overworld is a tad dry and takes a lot of the excitement away from the story of the knight. Again, this is a style thing. Not really my thing, but my wife enjoyed it. Our kids were still a little young, but I'm glad we read it with them.

[Hudson Christmas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Giant Killer tells the story of the Roby children as two selfish and arrogant boys come to stay with their family. As the children seek to deal with the brothers, their mother tells them the story of the Giant Killer, an allegory for the fight that believers have with sin throughout their lives.
As a children's book, this one is extremely well done. Interesting, thoughtful, and yet able to be digested and understood by young children, this book is a breath of fresh air. With allegories and tales that led me to examine my own spiritual walk, this book was incredibly helpful and practical. An incredible children's book and a form of Pilgrim's Progress that even young children could understand. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Doug Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an encouraging book for pre-teens and young teens. It is a story within a story. Imagine Grandpa reading to his grandson in the Princess Bride, and you will begin to get the picture. Of course the book they are reading parallels challenges they are facing in their lives. Besides pointing children to the real Giant Killer, this book is commendable because it teaches the reader to take responsibility for his or her actions and that some of the biggest giants are not external to them, but within them.

[Jenny Felber (Wildflower Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I loved this book as a read aloud. The mother tells an allegorical story to her children of the brave knight Fides who must fight against giants in his service to his King. The giants names are Sloth, Selfishness, Anger, Untruth, and Pride. The allegory was beautiful. Fides was aided by a beautiful woman named Conscience who reminded him of instructions from the King, and he ends up rescuing Pleasure who had been a slave to Selfishness but when freed was able to work freely for the good King. We loved the desperate fight against evil and the triumph of good, despite Fides mistakes.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet allegory about the Christian life and the inner battles we face. It follows the story of a family who has recently taken in two young boarders. The children struggle with the temperament of the additional guests, so the mother tells the story of a knight, Fides, as he battles different giants (pride, sloth, etc) as a way of encouraging the children to overcome their struggles and fight for daily faithfulness. This was a read aloud in our family, and my kiddos really enjoyed it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun and easy read. It follows two inconsiderate little boys time with a family of five. The father is a pastor who has three children. The oldest a boy and his two younger sisters. The mother of the children reads them a story which follows a brave knight who has to go fight giants. The giants are metaphors for laziness, selfishness, lies, hatred, and pride. The knight is also followed by his steadfast sidekick conscience. This book was interesting and I enjoyed the moral undertones. Pushing the children of the story and the reader to be better.

[Kaitlyn S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've had this in our family library for a long time, and I finally got around to reading it. And it was wonderful! The ending, with the Giant Pride, made me cry for various reasons. The allegory was so rich, so wonderful . . . this one will definitely be read again!

Strong Christian themes and morals are woven into this story about the Roby family, and it's a book that won't soon be forgotten!

[Onarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought a copy of this book from a second hand book store. The copy, published by Nelson & sons, is dated 1873. I love it! A book with history, such a delight to read. The book is meant for children, nonetheless I love the use of language and the story. I even got emotional at times. Well written, it took me only 2 reads (4 hours) in total to finish it.

[Havebooks Willread · Rating 5 out of 5]

The children were transfixed by the story and the "radio theatre" quality recording of this well-done allegory. There was enough adventure to keep them engaged, yet the character lessons were so clear my 5-year-old said "This kind of makes me think of Pilgrim's Progress, Mommy!" Some friends loaned us their copy, but the children enjoyed it enough they would listen to it over and over I think.

[Danielle Espenshade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this audio book. I was a little confused at the beginning but once I realized the book is an allegory, it quickly became full of lessons in a wonderful story format! I want to purchase this book and read through slowly and mark all the amazing quotes on it!!! Will definitely put on my list to read again next year!!!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My children and I discovered the lamplighter books during this past homeschool year and, while there are many things I love about the characters and stories, they are quite full of Puritan pietism which stifled the beauty of grace that was so close and yet too far.

[Seth Goodale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its an all around good story. Would have been better if conscience wasn’t the strength for personal triumph or acting effeminate to a man “who slays giants”, but other than that, it’s a good little book.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated this book! It has such good lessons for the Christian life and they are presented in such an approachable and fun manner. I can’t wait to go through this book again with my kids.

[Anete Ābola · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book to teach children spiritual warfare or fighting against sin. It could appeal to boys especially because it talks about a knight (and boys, too). That is great, because there are less good books for boys than for girls.

[Kathy Gossen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Lamplight Theatre selections but honestly this wasn’t one of my favorites. It seemed to drag on and the humor often fell flat. The moral was good though—be careful at pointing out others’ faults because we all have faults of our own.

[Stonewall Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the read. In the same genre of Bunyan’s “Pilgrims Progress.