Der Riese im Baum

The story of Melchior Thut, the giant, and Karl Eugen, the prince – one the tallest, the other the greatest in the realm, both outsiders in their own way. At seventeen, the farmer's son Thut simply does not stop growing. By eighteen, he measures 2 meters 34 and is displayed at fairs. Later, he is recruited into the army of Frederick the Great, and then serves at the court of Karl Eugen of Württemberg as a chamber servant. Thut Melchior is a human curiosity, an outsider. Alongside him is the colorful figure of the Württemberg duke: also an outsider by birth and status, a splendor-loving, excessive prince. Eveline Hasler tells a story of glory and misery, of rulers and victims. The Giant in the Tree is a historical novel that showcases the 18th century in all its contradictions: an era where the roots of our modern thinking, as well as modern misdevelopments, lie. Eveline Hasler has succeeded in presenting one of the most compelling explorations of environmental destruction.