The Ogre

novel by Tournier

Also known as: “Le Roi des aulnes”, “The Erl-King”

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July 19, 2026

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Michel Tournier's novel The Ogre (originally Le Roi des aulnes) is associated with the concept of the ogre, a figure from folklore and fairy tales. Traditionally, an ogre is a hideous giant that feeds on human beings. This idea has been metaphorically applied to figures like seducers, political tyrants, and dictators who exploit and consume others.12

Tournier's novel, published in 1970, uses this concept to explore themes related to the Nazi regime. The story features a French prisoner in Germany who aids the Nazis by finding boys for a military camp. The association of ogres with Nazis was a significant aspect of Tournier's work.31

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Michel Tournier
title, The Ogre), is about a French prisoner in Germany who assists the Nazis during World War II by searching for boys for a Nazi military camp. Les Météores (1975; Gemini) involves the desperate measures one man takes to be reunited with his identical twin brother,…
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title, The Ogre), is about a French prisoner in Germany who assists the Nazis during World War II by searching for boys for a Nazi military camp. Les Météores (1975; Gemini) involves the desperate measures one man takes to be reunited with his identical twin brother,…
Read More