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vanessab78's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jcamilla's review against another edition
4.0
“There is a reason people say being a mother is the hardest job in the world: You do not sleep and you do not get vacation time. You do not leave your work on your desk at the end of the day. Your briefcase is your heart, and you are rifling through it constantly. Your office is as wide as the world, and your punch card is measured not in hours but in a lifetime.” (I will come back to address this wonderful quote in Larger than Life a bit later in my review).
It is most definitely a gripping and moving story about an elephant grief and memory researcher and a baby elephant, who grow immensely attached to each other. Many sweet moments with a very cute elephant. But, I have also included above one of my favorite quotes from the novella, which is when Alice reflects on her motherly role to the elephant Lesego. There are some flashbacks to her own relationship and experiences with her mother, but to sum it up, they did not have the most loving or supportive relationship. This quote not only reflects on the larger topic of mother-daughter relationships that are addressed in the story, but also sweepingly summarizes how impactful a mother's role is in her children's and her own life.
Even though I want to be a better daughter, I am still immature in that I forget the fact summed up by Picoult's quote when I throw temper tantrums, when I get lazy and wish my mom does more for me, when I am extremely ungrateful. This quote serves as a reminder that when a mother chooses to bring a new life into the world, she willingly loves and gives her time and energy to her child. There is no role that is more expansive and consuming, and no humanly love that is greater.
Anyway, back to the actual novella: things do take a turn for the worse in the story, though the story doesn't come to an end with this novella. Maybe I'll read Leaving Time, which is a novel by Picoult with a huge connection to Larger than Life, this time about main character Alice's daughter.
I wish I had started reading Jodi Picoult sooner. Love her writing style and the lessons about life that she so effortlessly weaves into her stories.
It is most definitely a gripping and moving story about an elephant grief and memory researcher and a baby elephant, who grow immensely attached to each other. Many sweet moments with a very cute elephant. But, I have also included above one of my favorite quotes from the novella, which is when Alice reflects on her motherly role to the elephant Lesego. There are some flashbacks to her own relationship and experiences with her mother, but to sum it up, they did not have the most loving or supportive relationship. This quote not only reflects on the larger topic of mother-daughter relationships that are addressed in the story, but also sweepingly summarizes how impactful a mother's role is in her children's and her own life.
Even though I want to be a better daughter, I am still immature in that I forget the fact summed up by Picoult's quote when I throw temper tantrums, when I get lazy and wish my mom does more for me, when I am extremely ungrateful. This quote serves as a reminder that when a mother chooses to bring a new life into the world, she willingly loves and gives her time and energy to her child. There is no role that is more expansive and consuming, and no humanly love that is greater.
Anyway, back to the actual novella: things do take a turn for the worse in the story, though the story doesn't come to an end with this novella. Maybe I'll read Leaving Time, which is a novel by Picoult with a huge connection to Larger than Life, this time about main character Alice's daughter.
I wish I had started reading Jodi Picoult sooner. Love her writing style and the lessons about life that she so effortlessly weaves into her stories.
msarendt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kesslahh's review against another edition
4.0
This made my cry multiple times, but was a beautiful story.
betteyrae's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful
A short story that allows you to be transported completely to the world and life of an elephant game reserve. The first person continues to show rather than tell how Alice got to where she is now. Also, as always a very well researched story when it comes to the time, place, and elephants.
A short story that allows you to be transported completely to the world and life of an elephant game reserve. The first person continues to show rather than tell how Alice got to where she is now. Also, as always a very well researched story when it comes to the time, place, and elephants.
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
So I totally read this book out of order because I had no idea it was a prequel to another book. YEAH, I definitely live under a rock.
Larger Than Life was so freaking good. I just loved the elephants in Leaving Time so getting more of them made me even happier while reading this book. Even though I was happy while getting more time with the elephants - this was actually a sad book. Well, maybe just to me? I have no idea how anyone else felt.
The elephant's behaviors were so interesting that I couldn't put this book down. Then there's Alicia and I loved that she loved elephants. Now they aren't my favorite animal ever, because Hippos rule the world, but I definitely loved her interest in them. I also really liked that Alicia made her own decisions and didn't care what anyone else thought. Yeah it would have been nice to go to Harvard and everything. But to study monkeys? Nah, I wouldn't have accepted that either. Elephants > Monkeys all day every day.
Larger Than Life was so freaking good. I just loved the elephants in Leaving Time so getting more of them made me even happier while reading this book. Even though I was happy while getting more time with the elephants - this was actually a sad book. Well, maybe just to me? I have no idea how anyone else felt.
The elephant's behaviors were so interesting that I couldn't put this book down. Then there's Alicia and I loved that she loved elephants. Now they aren't my favorite animal ever, because Hippos rule the world, but I definitely loved her interest in them. I also really liked that Alicia made her own decisions and didn't care what anyone else thought. Yeah it would have been nice to go to Harvard and everything. But to study monkeys? Nah, I wouldn't have accepted that either. Elephants > Monkeys all day every day.
judithdcollins's review against another edition
5.0
For all you Jodi Picoult fans, you cannot miss LARGER THAN LIFE, a new e-book short story novella, setting the stage for her heartwarming and upcoming LEAVING TIME, Oct 14, 2014.
Set in Botswana, in 1999, Alice is a naturalist, and researcher, focused on studying elephants. In LARGER THAN LIFE, we learn details about Alice, and her love and passion for elephants since she was ten years old, as she describes the life of an elephant in comparison to a human; which are no so different, after she completed a watercolor painting of an African elephant.
She remained intrigued with elephants and learned both affect and are affected by their environment and live in female herds—the matriarch, the oldest in the family makes all the decision.
Now she finds herself in the middle of a massacre of five elephants, and recalls a few months ago when she worked in South African at Madikwe Game Reserve. She knows the job of scientist is to study wildlife, but not to interfere with it. (Hence, why they are called naturalists).
She knows there have been many times in the past year when she has wondered if that might be an excuse for not having to be held responsible when something goes wrong. She knows elephants grieve and they will return for years to the site where a family member has died and will mourn. So now, this calf (baby elephant)is missing her mother and follows her home. She is all it has.
Alice will risk her career to care for the calf. Yet what she comes to understand is the depth of a parent's love.
As readers will learn in upcoming LEAVING TIME, Jenna will be searching for her mom Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident, when she was a child. Jenna only has her mom’s Alice’s journals, as she studied grief among elephants and the animals she loved, as she frantically continues to look for clues of her mother while seeking the help of Serenity Jones, a psychic and Virgil Stanhope, a jaded private detective who originally investigated Alice’s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues.
Would also recommend WHERE THERE’S SMOKE: Another (free) e-short story as a prequel to LEAVING TIME, about Serenity Jones and her unusual psychic gifts.
What is not to like about Jodi Picoult? Everything she writes is powerful, riveting, and brilliant! You will not want to miss this series, and as always, no one can tell it better than Picoult!
http://www.judithdcollinsconsulting.com/#!Larger-Than-Life/cmoa/80A30186-1ED4-4AD7-8DE3-FD1F57494753
Set in Botswana, in 1999, Alice is a naturalist, and researcher, focused on studying elephants. In LARGER THAN LIFE, we learn details about Alice, and her love and passion for elephants since she was ten years old, as she describes the life of an elephant in comparison to a human; which are no so different, after she completed a watercolor painting of an African elephant.
She remained intrigued with elephants and learned both affect and are affected by their environment and live in female herds—the matriarch, the oldest in the family makes all the decision.
Now she finds herself in the middle of a massacre of five elephants, and recalls a few months ago when she worked in South African at Madikwe Game Reserve. She knows the job of scientist is to study wildlife, but not to interfere with it. (Hence, why they are called naturalists).
She knows there have been many times in the past year when she has wondered if that might be an excuse for not having to be held responsible when something goes wrong. She knows elephants grieve and they will return for years to the site where a family member has died and will mourn. So now, this calf (baby elephant)is missing her mother and follows her home. She is all it has.
Alice will risk her career to care for the calf. Yet what she comes to understand is the depth of a parent's love.
As readers will learn in upcoming LEAVING TIME, Jenna will be searching for her mom Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident, when she was a child. Jenna only has her mom’s Alice’s journals, as she studied grief among elephants and the animals she loved, as she frantically continues to look for clues of her mother while seeking the help of Serenity Jones, a psychic and Virgil Stanhope, a jaded private detective who originally investigated Alice’s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues.
Would also recommend WHERE THERE’S SMOKE: Another (free) e-short story as a prequel to LEAVING TIME, about Serenity Jones and her unusual psychic gifts.
What is not to like about Jodi Picoult? Everything she writes is powerful, riveting, and brilliant! You will not want to miss this series, and as always, no one can tell it better than Picoult!
http://www.judithdcollinsconsulting.com/#!Larger-Than-Life/cmoa/80A30186-1ED4-4AD7-8DE3-FD1F57494753
seemadyal50's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0