Giant

On the surface, Giant is twenty-five years in the life of a Texas family from 1925 to 1950. In reality, Giant is a social commentary on the wealthy. Ferber writes, "We know about champagne and caviar but we talk hog and hominy" (p 17). Ferber's book was controversial because it revealed a stark truth about society in early twentieth century Texas. Take for example, Vashti Hake. As a daughter to a wealthy rancher, Vashti was shunned because she married a lowly cowhand, Pinky Snyth. There was class and there was Class.
The story opens with a group of wealthy and influential people coming together for the celebration of Jett Rink's new airport. This is a bitter pill to swallow for cattle owner Jordan "Bick" Benedict. Bick sold Jett a show more seemingly worthless sliver of land on his sprawling Reata Ranch. The meager land just happened to sit on an untapped oil field. Suddenly, there is competition. Who is the richest? But, the competition runs much deeper. In order to understand these important characters and their significance the story needs to first take a detour. We go twenty five years in the past to explain how Leslie the society girl from Virginia ended up marrying ruggedly handsome Bick, moving to big ole Texas, and creating drama with Mr. Rink. Using the differences between Leslie and Bick Ferber does a good job laying out the different conflicts within Giant:
Geographically - the west versus the northeast. Texas being sprawling, dry and much hotter than lush and green Virginia.
Racially - the treatment of people of color. Virginia's inclusion of African Americans while Mexicans in Texas are treated as invisible slaves.
Gender - a woman's role in the household. For example, Leslie doesn't understand why Bick wants his sister, Luz, to run the household while Leslie thinks, as woman of the house, she should assume the responsibility.
Economically - with the border of Mexico so close the socio-economic borders were bound to clash and blur.

As an aside, I really liked Leslie. She's smart, funny, and adventurous. In all aspects she truly is a fish out of water but she perseveres. show less

Giant is Edna Ferber's classic novel about Virginia socialite Leslie Lynnton and her improbable marriage to Texan cattleman Jordan 'Bick' Bennedict. Pretty, refined and sharply intelligent, Leslie makes a stark contrast to her swaggering husband. Bick is the king of the million acre Reatta Ranch in Texas. Set after the end of the first World War, Bick has strong opinions about the place of women and everyone else in society. Taught to think for herself, Leslie struggles to adjust to the harsh Texas landscape and the social customs of the society she has married into.

Fans of the movie Giant should be happily surprised that the movie followed the book so closely. Fans of Texas will probably be less pleased. While not a smear job, Giant show more does not always paint Anglo Texans in the most flattering light. Their destruction of the land through unsound farming and grazing practices is described. The inherent bigotry of the Mexican people is also relentlessly explored. The bigness, bragging, overheated egos, misogyny, friendliness, sense of family and custom and racism are all laid bare. Most startling is despite being written decades ago, many of the social themes of the novel still seem very much resonant today. show less

A tension of two cultures within the United States drives through the entire book. Makes me think about assimilation and understanding vs rigidly being right. Well written and brings out the least likeable personalities of either culture to give the reader is view behind stereotypes.

Loved this story of a family set against the backdrop of Texas in the early 2oth century. Beautifully drawn characters, tremendous sense of place, mostly steady plot.

To a 21st century reader, the depiction of the Mexican-American characters is a little troubling. They are definitely seen through white, anglo eyes. Mexican characters are seen sympathetically, but are not as developed or specific as white characters.

I love family stories, told realistically over a span of many years, so this book was perfect for me. The setting, the fabulously profitable (for the few) world of ranching just discovering the even more fabulously profitable world of oil, provides drama.

Giant encompasses the story of the Benedict family and their friends and neighbors, but it also gives the reader a series of contrasts: cattle vs. oil, the old generation vs. the new one, the east cost vs. Texas, men vs. women, Mexicans vs. Anglos. Not surprisingly for Ferber (who also wrote the novel that Showboat -- one of the best musicals of all time -- was based on), racial equality and social justice are big themes in the book. While sometimes these themes are pushed at the expense of the story, the book is an interesting read as a non-Texan's view of these ranching men and women with all their quirks -- both the endearing ones and the irritating ones. Of course, maybe I liked it because I'm not from Texas either, even though I've show more lived here for ten years. I could see "real" Texans having some problems with the book...

[full review here: http://spacebeer.blogspot.com/2010/07/giant-by-edna-ferber-1952.html ] show less

It was interesting to read about how the ranch culture and growth of Texas in the 30s-50s, and to see one take on the problems of prejudice at the time. The movie of this book came out when I was a kid and I remember it was a big deal because my dad knew the owner of the Texas ranch where it was filmed. I'll have to rent the movie to see how well it follows the book.

I have never read this, nor have I seen the movie with Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. I decided I needed to remedy both of those situations. Naturally, I had to read the book first. I’m glad I went with the audio edition. I enjoyed listening to Courtney Patterson. Aside from a few mispronounced places and names she did a good job with it and I would not hesitate to listen to her narrate another book.

The story opens in the 1950’s with a group of wealthy Texans on their way to the grand opening of a hotel owned by another flashy wealthy Texan named Jett Rink. Clearly the Benedict family, consisting of Bick, Leslie and their two children are the focus of the story. After a fight breaks out at the opening the story shifts to show more twenty-five years earlier to when Bick and Leslie first met.

She’s a society girl in Virginia; He’s a wealthy Texas rancher. They marry and Leslie is transplanted to a place and society in Texas that is as foreign to her as if she’s moved to the other side of the world. Leslie is intelligent and curious and a stark contrast to the other wives of Bick’s friends and business associates. She and Bick love each other dearly but constantly disagree regarding how she behaves versus how he expects her to. Jett Rink is an employee of Bick’s at this point in the story.

I enjoyed this one and I’m looking forward to finally watching the movie. show less