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Summary: You may not believe it, but you won't be able to forget it
Review: It's hyped as a true story yet the author's comment as using "poetic license" to tell his story left me wondering how much was fact vs. fiction. For example, the book made several references to Modoc's tusks but the photos in the book of Modoc didn't show her as having tusks. Nevertheless, I loved this book. It amazed me how this magnificent animal retained her gentle spirit after suffering so many years of abuse in the hands of men. It confirms my belief that the most dangerous and evil species on this planet is the human species. Oh what a horrible place our planet would be without its animals.
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Summary: Modoc -- a love story
Review: Magical and moving... This book touched my heart. I wish I could have met Bram, Mosey, Gertie, etc.. Ralph Helfer did a terrific job making the reader "feel" the story. Best book I have read in years.
Rating: 
Summary: A slow read
Review: Please if this title sparks your intrerest, check it out at local book store or libary first. The writing it just plain bad, and the story jumps from one plot line to the next without really covering the storyline. What was of life or death importance to the charaters, then is suddenly unimportant by the next sentance. The story spread very thin seems to drag...you read only so you can be done with this book. And as other reviewers have said it seem all fiction except for that fact that Modoc did exist and when I did a search for North circus I found
John Ringling North. AND apparenty the "Ralph" at the end of the book, is the author and he did resuce Modoc from abuse & neglect.( So why not say who you are &
give dates and facts?) Also, Modoc was known for her grace in dancing. But what of the other tales spanning almost 80 years? Interesting story that may be more interesting if it were to be rewritten. An index and dates would have left us wondering less. Please see the reviews for both hard & soft cover,as many are mixed. As one Amazon reviewer put it...
" The author is obviously a caring, compassionate man, who loved Modoc deeply. But that does not qualify him as a writer or thinker." I have to agree. BUT, his message of respecting all life forms is the important part.
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Summary: Wonderful Story of Pachyderm Devotion
Review: It's been a while since a book produced the sort of emotive response, upon completion, that Modoc did. The last few chapters were the ones that caught me feeling pain and pathos for the great elephant, and a smiling appreciation of her love for her trainer. This sweeping epic tells the story of a boy and his female elephant, inseparable from their dual births on the same day in turn of the century Germany. Born to the circus, Modoc and Bram forge a career of adventures as they travel the world experiencing metaphysical lessons in life and love. These lessons are taught through their interactions with Bram's two great [human] loves, the bigoted and megalomaniacal circus owner, ship and circus mates, and Indian leaders, spiritual and temporal. It is billed as a love story first, adventure second, and it is plain to see the special, almost supernatural bond the elephant and the trainer hold as they both age well into their 70's. This novel gives one pause thinking about our own interactions with animals, and pets. I chuckled to think of how things would be different if my Siamese cat were suddenly 10 feet tall and 3 tons. Playtime would take on a slightly different dynamic. Yet Modoc was always gentle and a constant lifesaver to Bram, aware of her immense power and always desirous of his happiness. It was also interesting to see that the author Ralph Helfer, was also the same Ralph in the story who found Modoc and employed Bram and her for the last 20 years of their lives. I'm not sure what the target audience age was but it proceeds easily and swiftly, and reminded me of the Black Stallion books I read back in 7th grade. Ultimately a feel-good, slightly embellished, true story that is recommended reading.
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Summary: A soul-stirring, heart wrenching love story
Review: This is a wonderful book. I must say, I love to read, but most of my books I read are about horses, I usually don't like other books. But this book reached into my heart and I will not soon forget it. The touching relationship between Bram and Modoc was so cool, and what was more incredible was that it is a true story. This book will make you cry, laugh, and don't be surprised if your heart swells with emotion. I highly recommend this book!
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Summary: Awesome book!
Review: I normally dont like reading books at all. I always catch myself thinking about different things like whats going on in my life, and not remebering anything that i just read. When i read Modoc, i caught myself thinking about other things, however those other things were everything thats been going on in modoc's life other than my own.
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Summary: The Greatest Book I've read today!!
Review: Modoc is a heartwarming story about Bram, a likeable German boy and his elephant, Modoc, and their trials and tribulations, ups and downs, and their adventurous life. It takes place over a period of 78 years, from the hour that both friends are born to when they die. Along the way, they meet a variety of people who often help, but sometimes hinder them. This book is an amazing tale that should be read by animal lovers and human lovers alike. After I finished reading it, I had a great feeling of satisfaction. My only caution would be to parents of young children, believing this to be a "Dumbo" like story. There is some more mature violence, language, and sexual content that might be unappropriate for immature audiences. But IT IS A GREAT STORY, SO EVERYONE SHOULD DROP WHAT THEIR DOING AND READ IT!!!
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Summary: How Much of Modoc is True?
Review: Well, folks, I'm just finishing Ralph Helfer's "Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant that Ever Lived." It would be a fun work of fiction, if that were its humble claim. Touching, too, about the bond of love that can (truly) exist between humans and animals. But this book claims much more. It claims to be true, and that stretches things. Maybe a lot. Now, don't get me wrong. I love fiction and I love biography; but they are two rather different genres. This author left me continually wondering where THIS biography stopped and where fictionalizing picked up. Now that I'm at the end of the book, I wonder whether Bram, the source of the story, suffered from Munchausen Syndrome-a psychological affliction characterized by compulsive lying, with the narrator serving as his own hero. My point?-it's about how much credibility we should assign to this story. I don't doubt that Modoc existed, that she was a remarkable animal, and that she and Bram had a remarkable bond. I have severe doubts about the tale of their amazing adventures in India and Burma. And those doubts are further fueled by the author's uncritical accceptance of Bram's New Age-ish accounts of paranormal phenomena, including a night-visit with a swami-like figure and an invisible elephant swimming in an Indian lake. I really like elephants. Always have. I'll probably even like them more as a result of reading "Modoc." But that does little to settle my suspicions about this interesting, uneven, and ultimately frustrating book.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Story
Review: This is truely one of the best books I have ever read. It is a touching and poignant story of the relationship between a boy/man and his elephant. No other story that I have read has captured the bond between human and animal as convincingly as this. Other reviewers are too hung up on the accuracy of the author's claim that the story is true. He clearly states at the beginning that there is a certain amount of "hearsay" and poetic license taken with the story. I could not put this book down. It hooked me from the beginning and didn't let go until long after I had read the book. This book begs to be made into a movie. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: AN ENDEARING STORY FOR ALL
Review: This is the most touching and beautiful story I have ever read. I am grateful to Ralph Helfer for telling it. I would recommend the book to everyone.
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