[DYY]⋙ [PDF] Modoc The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived Ralph Helfer 9780060929510 Books

Modoc The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived Ralph Helfer 9780060929510 Books

Download As PDF : Modoc The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived Ralph Helfer 9780060929510 Books

Modoc The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived Ralph Helfer 9780060929510 Books

I was significantly disappointed to learn a book promoted as true was far from factual. As I was reading it I thought "this is to good to be true" and, alas, it apparently was. It is a great story but I can't help but feel that had the author might better have promoted it as a work of fiction based on some degree of truth. Had he done so, he would have left fewer readers disappointed and would have earned, perhaps, more respect for his significant ability to tell a compelling story. Bram buries his wife only to find the evil Mr. North standing over him in a remote village in the middle of nowhere? Please.


Tags : Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived [Ralph Helfer] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Spanning seven decades and three continents, Modoc</i> is one of the most amazing true animal stories ever told. Raised together in a small German circus town,Ralph Helfer,Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived,Harper Perennial,0060929510,Animals - General,Circus animals,Circus animals.,Modoc (Elephant),Animals - Mammals,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Entertainment & Performing Arts,BiographyAutobiography,Biography: general,Circus,Domestic animals & pets,Essays,GENERAL,General Adult,NATURE Animal Rights,NATURE Animals General,NATURE Animals Mammals,NATURE Essays,Natural history,Nature,Nature : Animals - Mammals,NatureAnimals - General,NatureAnimals - Mammals,Non-Fiction,Performing Arts : Circus,Performing ArtsCircus

Modoc The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived Ralph Helfer 9780060929510 Books Reviews

This book was given to me by a friend who said she liked it.....so I started it with no big expectations, but ended up loving the story. It is a love story that spans decades and thousands of miles - life time of joy and sorrow. Anyone who loves animals and has ever looked into their eyes and seen understanding and devotion will enjoy this amazing true story.
I gave the book for Christmas to my grandson who is 13. It would be a good recommendation for young adult readers too.
I loved this book! It made me laugh and cry with such a heartwarming story. If you love elephants I would definitely suggest this book, it perfectly depicts their compassionate, loving, loyal nature.

I know some people are saying they do not like it because it is not true or Helfer over exaggerates everything, but that is apart of storytelling. Helfer discloses that this is the retelling of a story he heard from Bram, Modoc's owner. Whether you choose to believe it or not, it is a marvelous and captivating story.
(Sorry readers, it has come to my attention that this is NOT a true story. It is fiction. I did love reading it but only because I thought it was true. I never would have bought it knowing it was fiction.)

If you love animals especially elephants, you must read this book. Not always happy, but honest and real. Amazing story of the love and magical bond between a boy and his elephant. Modoc was exceptional, a very special elephant and you the reader will not want to put the book down.
I think anyone who reads this book will both fall in love (with the story and elephants in general) and feel disappointed after when they find out that it's probably not even loosely tied in to a real tale. Like so many other people I started googling the unfindable "facts" in the story -- and also dug a little deeper into elephant-based stories as well. I have always felt sorry for the captured elephants who eventually go beserk in some circus ring or village square, while assuming their breakdown has come from human cruelty around them. Naturalists remind us of the reality of wild elephants, pointing out how warm and fuzzy their community life is with one another and toward their young -- but making it clear that if the gaping tourists in the Land Rover get too close the dinosaur-sized creature will knock over a vehicle with ease and step on some human body parts as well. Without hesitation. I imagine with the elephants intelligence and family loyalty there are as many personalities and attitudes as there are situations elephants have found themselves in, whether it be a zoo, a circus, a form of daily transportation or a sanctuary. In the end I think the truth of this book is that a Modoc is possible. Haven't we all heard of or read touching stories about close unique relationships between an elephant and a person? Coming to that conclusion made me feel better about the question of whether or not this story of a boy named Bram and his soulmate Modoc really existed. While I read the book they felt real and, fictional or no, they awakened me to a deeper appreciation of elephants.
I just finished this book, and throughout, was struck by the unbelievability of the close calls that Modoc saved them from, the 2 perfect little Harelequin-style romances, the fictionally-bad bad guys, the errors in basic Indian geography and Indian culture, the repeated references to sweating elephants (they don't sweat). There were many holes in the storytelling that tell of thinly crafted social situations and heavy melodrama. It was strange that the author discounted the bond that Modoc would have had with his mother. That was never mentioned, it would have been an important factor, but the author wanted to present that Bram was the only being that Modoc could love (this is a bit codependent). There is no way an English speaking white boy traveling on an elephant was going to find his way to Burma by wandering east and asking directions! And why would Bram write Gertie a letter saying goodbye after not writing her once before, and after knowing Sian for just a few days?

I did love the relationship between Bram and Modoc, but beings do have to part sometimes, and this author was not going to allow these two to part. I definitely cried several times... I loved the spiritual sections of connecting us to nature and God through animal relationships... though, again, he didn't represent Hindu philosophy really. I appreciated the rich story telling of adventures at sea and in the jungles of India, it is great fun like Treasure Island is fun.

I went to the internet to learn more about Bram Gunterstein and his elephant. I was so disappointed to realize that this man never existed. There were no other accounts of his life or any photos... just this book and some helpful reviews.

I rated this 3 stars because I adored reading about the behavior of the elephant, her way of comforting, greeting, knowing, communicating... being joyful, mischievous and playful.

It felt like the author wanted to justify circus-performing animals using Modoc to prove that elephants love performing and if they retire, that is like death, they will feel useless. That, I do not believe at all! That is anthropomorphising and projecting codependent tendencies of man onto animals that are very happy just being and living in a natural state.
ue

This was an enticing read that I didn't want to put down, and I always love reading things that show how special elephants really are, but felt frustrated by the holes, the immature simple dialogue, and the obvious fictional aspect of the stories that had me rushing through the book to get it done.
I was significantly disappointed to learn a book promoted as true was far from factual. As I was reading it I thought "this is to good to be true" and, alas, it apparently was. It is a great story but I can't help but feel that had the author might better have promoted it as a work of fiction based on some degree of truth. Had he done so, he would have left fewer readers disappointed and would have earned, perhaps, more respect for his significant ability to tell a compelling story. Bram buries his wife only to find the evil Mr. North standing over him in a remote village in the middle of nowhere? Please.