Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Start discussion here for The Ogre by Michel Tournier.

Summary

An international bestseller and winner of the Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary award, The Ogre is a masterful tale of innocence, perversion, and obsession. It follows the passage of strange, gentle Abel Tiffauges from submissive schoolboy to "ogre" of the Nazi school at the castle of Kaltenborn, taking us deeper into the dark heart of fascism than any novel since The Tin Drum. Until the very last page, when Abel meets his mystic fate in the collapsing ruins of the Third Reich, it shocks us, dazzles us, and above all holds us spellbound.
~Johns Hopkins University Press

About the Author
Michel Tournier was a prize-winning French novelist who blended myth and philosophy. He wrote his first novel at age 43. Many of his works are retellings and reimaginings of other works of literature. His inspirations included German culture, Catholicism, and the philosophies od Gaston Bachelard. He died in 2016.

Discussion Questions

1. How do you feel about the main character in The Ogre? Why do you think you feel this way?

2. Is it appropriate for an author to write from the perspective of such an unlikable character? Explain.

3. How closely do you think Tournier identified with Tiffauges? Why?

~Questions adapted from Schoolbag.info

I read this years ago in French-Le Roi des Aulnes. This is not a light read, but very worthwhile and thought provoking.

I enjoyed this one. It is definitely something different.

The Ogre, also published as The Erl King, is the fictional story of Abel Tiffauges, a man who recruited children to become SS soldiers. We learn of his childhood, where he was a scrawny and often bullied kid growing up in a French Catholic boarding school. His fortunes change when Nestor, one of the school's most feared bullies befriends him and takes him under his wing. Abel grows up to become a giant of a man and believes the spirit of Nestor is still with him. He also believes he is a "childbearer" in a religious sense. Although he is not a pedophile per se (or at least has never physically acted as one and there is nothing too "cringy" in terms of his thoughts) , he gets a strange euphoria from carrying children in his arms. A false accusation leads him to the army, where his talent in getting children to trust him is seen, leading to his role as a recruiter for the German army. He is hailed by villagers as the "Ogre of Kaltenborn", based upon the local legend of a child-stealing monster.

The book switches back and forth from Tiffauge's first person diary entries to third person narrative. The plot is heavy on symbolism while incorporating many true historical facts and characters. Overall, it is a very different book about WWII than any other I have read. Perhaps a bit strange, but still very well written and interesting. I imagine it is even better read in French, since I think a lot of the book could easily be lost in translation with all of the hidden meaning and symbolism.

Just starting this! Having read the introduction I don't think it's going to be an easy read!