The Cerne Giant is one of two major extant human hill figures in England; the other is the Long Man of Wilmington, near Wilmington, East Sussex. Both are scheduled monuments. a b c d Historic England, "Hill figure called The Giant (1003202)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 14 October 2012 Wish for rain to wash away Homer". BBC News. 16 July 2007. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014 . Retrieved 17 July 2007. Cheese logo criticised for using censored Cerne Abbas Giant". BBC News. 2 June 2023 . Retrieved 29 June 2023. I define a thriller as a book that thrills, and by that definition, maybe one in ten “thrillers” I read actually qualify.

The giant has also been depicted in multiple video games, including Pokémon Sword and Shield. [112] The Giant sports an erection, including its testicles, some 11 metres (36 feet) long, and nearly the length of its head; [15] it has been called "Britain's most famous phallus". [16] One commentator noted that postcards of the Giant were the only indecent photographs that could be sent through the English Post Office. [17] However, this feature may also have been changed over time. From a review of historical depictions, the Giant's current large erection has been identified as the result of merging a circle representing his navel with a smaller penis during a 1908 re-cut: the navel still appears on a late 1890s picture postcard. [18] Lidar scans conducted as part of the 2020 survey programme have concluded that the phallus was added much later than the bulk of the figure, which was probably originally clothed. [19]Note: I read this as a buddy read with Jen. We setup a thread to discuss the book. If you would like to see our comments, please refer to https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... Dr Wake Smart, " The Cerne Giant", Journal of the British Archaeological Association, Volume: 28, 1872. THE CHALK MAN alternates smoothly from past to present as Eddie and some old friends find out all has not been forgotten or revealed....even 30 years later. There's still more trouble to come evidenced by creepy dreams and even creepier visions from the grave. Hutchins (1742), quoted in Dr Wake Smart, "The Cerne Giant", Journal of the British Archaeological Association, Volume: 28, 1872, p. 65 Once I finished the novel, I found myself thinking about my own childhood memories and how they were shaped.

An unthinkable accident happens when a part of a fast-moving ride breaks loose and crashes into 17-year-old Elisa. It turns out that Eddie had been admiring the young Elisa when the accident occurred. The newly hired teacher Mr. Halloran grabs Eddie and two of his friends to try to stop the bleeding of Elisa’s leg with his belt. Eddie turns away when he discovers what the accident did to Elisa’s once beautiful face. This author C.J. Tudor has a fabulous way with words. There is so much depth and knowledge to this novel, that I found I escaped to another plane, and experienced my youth all over again. One particular quote I liked was from teacher, Mr. Halloran to Eddie, and one that I live by. This was such a creepy, twisty tale, alternating between 1986 and 2016. The 80’s references were fabulous, the characters were believable, and the whodunnit aspect of the story is like nothing I’ve ever read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and C.J. Tudor for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The novel plods along, revealing things that made no impact on me. Even the "twist" is not really a twist for anyone who doesn't underestimate the wise words of crazy old ladies. The slowness gradually fades into an anticlimax and the book peters out. It's an interesting idea that Tudor had, but unfortunately that never translated into a compelling story for me. A map referred to as the "1768 Survey Map of Cerne Abbas by Benjamin Pryce" is held at the Dorset History Centre, [46] though a record at the National Archives notes there is evidence the map may date to the 1790s. [47] By the following century the phallus was invariably omitted from depictions, either in line with the prevailing views on modesty at the time or as it had become grassed over; the figure seems to have become increasingly neglected and overgrown during the 19th century until in 1868 its owner Lord Rivers arranged to have the Giant restored "as near as possible to his original condition". [48] Before I could even finish The Hiding Place — C.J. Tudor’s sophomore offering—I resigned myself to the fact that The Chalk Man would end up in my hands sooner rather than later. What can I say, the foreboding tone of that storyline and deliciously dark happenings piqued my curiosity. What else was this author capable of?Tudor’s rise to fame came about in 2018, when her debut novel, The Chalk Man hit bookshelves around the globe. This novel is a blood curdling coming-of-age murder mystery that shifts lanes between 2016 and 1986 when the readers are first introduced to the 12-year-old Eddie and his good friends. These kids invent a game that includes drawing figures on the ground to communicate secretive messages. However, this game turns out evil when these figures begin to appear on their world and lead them to discover the body of a teenage girl. In 1989, Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry designed a set of motorbike leathers inspired by the Cerne Abbas Giant. [118] [119] [120] In 1994, girls from Roedean School painted a 24-metre (79ft) replica of the Giant on their playing field, the day before sports day. [121] Eddie and his friends always met up on Saturday but THIS Saturday was different …the FAIR was in town. The fair had always been special but this was even better because it was the first time they were allowed to go on their own. No parents or other adults with them --- in their words… “it was going to be Ace”

Kindy, David. "Scholars Are One Step Closer to Solving the Mystery of an Enormous Chalk Figure". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021 . Retrieved 17 May 2021. J. H. Bettey, "The Cerne Abbas giant: the documentary evidence", Antiquity, Vol. 55, No. 214, July 1981, pp.118–21. Eddie lives a quiet life in the same sleepy village in which he grew up. His day-to-day is fairly mundane. He's a school teacher, who lives in a big house with a younger roommate and maybe he drinks too much.Marshall, Michael (12 May 2021). "Cerne Abbas Giant may have been carved into hill over 1000 years ago". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021 . Retrieved 18 May 2021. This was my first group read with the Traveling Sisters and I’m SO glad I was able to join in on this particular book - it brought out elements that I wouldn’t have noticed without ongoing discussion and I’m so thankful to have joined this group of lovely reviewers! Legg, Rodney, 1990, Cerne; Giant and Village Guide, Dorset Publishing Company, 2nd edition, ISBN 978-0948699177. [4] Lewis, Richard (1 May 2005). "Celebrating May Day the Pagan Way". The Observer. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016 . Retrieved 20 June 2008. Tom Sherry, Head of Drama North, BBC Studios says: “Telling stories is at the heart of our work at BBC Studios Drama and CJ Tudor’s chilling tale of an adulthood haunted by the past, is a story we knew TV viewers around the world would be gripped by. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with CJ Tudor and with our partners Nice Media Studios and Windowseat to bring this thriller to life.”