
Life Among Giants
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $22.25
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Pete Larkin
-
By:
-
Bill Roorbach
About this listen
At seventeen, David "Lizard" Hochmeyer is nearly seven feet tall, a star quarterback, and Princeton-bound. His future seems all but assured until his parents are mysteriously murdered, leaving Lizard and his older sister, Kate, adrift and alone. In a mansion across the pond from their Connecticut home lives the world’s greatest ballerina, Sylphide, and her rock star husband, whose own disasters intersect with Lizard’s - and Kate’s - in the most intimate and surprising ways.
Over the years that follow, Lizard and Kate are obsessed with piecing together the motives behind their parents’ deaths, returning time and again to their father’s missing briefcase, his shady business dealings and shaky finances, and to Sylphide, who has threaded her way into Lizard’s and Kate’s lives - much more deeply than either had ever realized. From the football fields of Princeton to a stint with the NFL, from the elaborate dances at the mansion to the gourmet restaurant he opens, it only takes Lizard a lifetime to set things right again.
©2012 Original material © 2012 Bill Roorbach. Recorded by arrangement with Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc. (P)2012 (p) 2012 HighBridge CompanyListeners also enjoyed...
-
Lucky Turtle
- By: Bill Roorbach
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When sixteen-year-old Cindra Zoeller is sent to a reform camp in Montana after being involved in an armed robbery, she is thrust into a world of mountains and cowboys and prayers and miscreants and people from all walks of life like she’s never seen in suburban Massachusetts. At Camp Challenge, she becomes transfixed by Lucky, a camp employee of mysterious origin—an origin of constant speculation—and the chemistry between them is instant, and profound. The pair escape together into the wilderness to create an idyllic life far from the reach of the law.
-
-
Do yourself a favor and listen to this book!
- By Tricolor on 05-06-22
By: Bill Roorbach
-
A Place to Land
- By: Lauren K. Denton
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Violet Figg and her sister Trudy have lived a quiet life in Sugar Bend ever since a night forty years ago stole Trudy’s voice and cemented Violet’s role as Trudy’s fierce and loyal protector. Now, Trudy spends her days making sculptures from found objects and speaking via notes written on scraps of paper, while Violet runs their art shop, monitors the bird activity up and down the water, and tries not to think of her one great love she gave up in order to keep her sister safe.
-
-
Tedious and unimaginative
- By angela r on 10-19-22
By: Lauren K. Denton
-
Birnam Wood
- A Novel
- By: Eleanor Catton
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A landslide has closed the Korowai Pass on New Zealand’s South Island, cutting off the town of Thorndike and leaving a sizable farm abandoned. The disaster presents an opportunity for Birnam Wood, an undeclared, unregulated, sometimes-criminal, sometimes-philanthropic guerrilla gardening collective that plants crops wherever no one will notice. For years, the group has struggled to break even. To occupy the farm at Thorndike would mean a shot at solvency at last. But the enigmatic American billionaire Robert Lemoine also has an interest in the place.
-
-
Outstanding thriller w/ exceptional character development
- By Bradley T. Collins on 04-21-23
By: Eleanor Catton
-
The River We Remember
- A Novel
- By: William Kent Krueger
- Narrated by: CJ Wilson
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. The investigation falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife.
-
-
This book makes me believe that there are good books written by good authors.
- By Va on 09-15-23
-
The Quarry Girls
- A Thriller
- By: Jess Lourey
- Narrated by: Jess Nahikian
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Minnesota, 1977. For the teens of one close-knit community, summer means late-night swimming parties at the quarry, the county fair, and venturing into the tunnels beneath the city. But for two best friends, it’s not all fun and games. Heather and Brenda have a secret. Something they saw in the dark. Something they can’t forget. They’ve decided to never tell a soul. But their vow is tested when their friend disappears—the second girl to vanish in a week. And yet the authorities are reluctant to investigate.
-
-
I can't
- By Brent Casey on 11-17-22
By: Jess Lourey
-
Thank You for Listening
- A Novel
- By: Julia Whelan
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.
-
-
Julia Whelan is the GOAT
- By echo404 on 08-03-22
By: Julia Whelan
-
Lucky Turtle
- By: Bill Roorbach
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When sixteen-year-old Cindra Zoeller is sent to a reform camp in Montana after being involved in an armed robbery, she is thrust into a world of mountains and cowboys and prayers and miscreants and people from all walks of life like she’s never seen in suburban Massachusetts. At Camp Challenge, she becomes transfixed by Lucky, a camp employee of mysterious origin—an origin of constant speculation—and the chemistry between them is instant, and profound. The pair escape together into the wilderness to create an idyllic life far from the reach of the law.
-
-
Do yourself a favor and listen to this book!
- By Tricolor on 05-06-22
By: Bill Roorbach
-
A Place to Land
- By: Lauren K. Denton
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Violet Figg and her sister Trudy have lived a quiet life in Sugar Bend ever since a night forty years ago stole Trudy’s voice and cemented Violet’s role as Trudy’s fierce and loyal protector. Now, Trudy spends her days making sculptures from found objects and speaking via notes written on scraps of paper, while Violet runs their art shop, monitors the bird activity up and down the water, and tries not to think of her one great love she gave up in order to keep her sister safe.
-
-
Tedious and unimaginative
- By angela r on 10-19-22
By: Lauren K. Denton
-
Birnam Wood
- A Novel
- By: Eleanor Catton
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A landslide has closed the Korowai Pass on New Zealand’s South Island, cutting off the town of Thorndike and leaving a sizable farm abandoned. The disaster presents an opportunity for Birnam Wood, an undeclared, unregulated, sometimes-criminal, sometimes-philanthropic guerrilla gardening collective that plants crops wherever no one will notice. For years, the group has struggled to break even. To occupy the farm at Thorndike would mean a shot at solvency at last. But the enigmatic American billionaire Robert Lemoine also has an interest in the place.
-
-
Outstanding thriller w/ exceptional character development
- By Bradley T. Collins on 04-21-23
By: Eleanor Catton
-
The River We Remember
- A Novel
- By: William Kent Krueger
- Narrated by: CJ Wilson
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. The investigation falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife.
-
-
This book makes me believe that there are good books written by good authors.
- By Va on 09-15-23
-
The Quarry Girls
- A Thriller
- By: Jess Lourey
- Narrated by: Jess Nahikian
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Minnesota, 1977. For the teens of one close-knit community, summer means late-night swimming parties at the quarry, the county fair, and venturing into the tunnels beneath the city. But for two best friends, it’s not all fun and games. Heather and Brenda have a secret. Something they saw in the dark. Something they can’t forget. They’ve decided to never tell a soul. But their vow is tested when their friend disappears—the second girl to vanish in a week. And yet the authorities are reluctant to investigate.
-
-
I can't
- By Brent Casey on 11-17-22
By: Jess Lourey
-
Thank You for Listening
- A Novel
- By: Julia Whelan
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.
-
-
Julia Whelan is the GOAT
- By echo404 on 08-03-22
By: Julia Whelan
-
The Vibrant Years
- A Novel
- By: Sonali Dev, Mindy Kaling - introduction
- Narrated by: Deepti Gupta, Soneela Nankani, Anita Kalathara
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When sixty-five-year-old Bindu Desai inherits a million dollars, she’s astounded—and horrified. The windfall threatens to expose a shameful mistake from her youth. On an impulse, Bindu quickly spends it on something unexpected: a condo in a posh retirement community in Florida. The impulsive decision blindsides Bindu’s daughter-in-law, Aly. At forty-seven, Aly still shares a home with Bindu even after her divorce from Bindu’s son. But maybe this change is just the push Aly needs to fight for her own dreams.
-
-
Strong and loveable characters
- By Jeanne Wang on 12-11-22
By: Sonali Dev, and others
-
Back to the Garden
- By: Laurie R. King
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Gardener Estate is one of the most storied and beloved places on the West Coast: a magnificent house in vast formal grounds, home to a family that shaped California—and fought hard to conceal the turmoil and eccentricities within their walls. And now, just as the turmoil seems buried and the Estate prepares to move into a new future, construction work unearths a grim relic of the estate's history: a skull, hidden away some fifty years ago.
-
-
I remember when......
- By Needler on 09-16-22
By: Laurie R. King
-
A Visit from the Goon Squad
- By: Jennifer Egan
- Narrated by: Roxana Ortega
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jennifer Egan’s spellbinding interlocking narratives circle the lives of Bennie Salazar, an aging former punk rocker and record executive, and Sasha, the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Although Bennie and Sasha never discover each other’s pasts, the listener does, in intimate detail, along with the secret lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs, over many years, in locales as varied as New York, San Francisco, Naples, and Africa.
-
-
Deep and dazzling novel, brilliantly read!
- By J. W. Coop on 06-29-19
By: Jennifer Egan
-
Birds in Flight
- By: Anni Taylor
- Narrated by: Harriet Gordon-Anderson
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1998, the American Jorgenson family had been on a year-long road trip in Australia. One humid, storming night, the mother - Elsa Jorgenson - vanished in an isolated stretch of Australian everglades. Elsa was never seen again. That night, twelve-year-old Lily Jorgenson was left alone and terrified in the family camper—even her teenage sister Iris is missing. When Iris comes racing back through the rain, she refuses to tell where she’s been. Lily is certain her sister is hiding a dark secret.
-
-
Kept me hooked, even with mispronunciations
- By Jujube33 on 03-10-23
By: Anni Taylor
-
Veronica's Grave
- A Daughter's Memoir
- By: Barbara Bracht Donsky
- Narrated by: Leslie S. Miller
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From beyond the grave came a cry for help she could not ignore. Reminiscent in style to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and to Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Veronica's Grave is the story of a young girl whose mother vanishes one night. No one tells her that her mother has died. She is left a confused child whose father is intent upon erasing any memory of the mother.
-
-
Thought it would be about Veronica...
- By Leah on 02-18-17
-
The Prince of Tides
- A Novel
- By: Pat Conroy
- Narrated by: Alan Carlson
- Length: 25 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A modern American classic and a family saga that spans decades, this is the story of the volatile Tom Wingo, his brilliant but troubled twin sister, Savannah, and the complex and damaging family legacy they share. Moving between the sparkling glamour of New York City and the vanishing beauty of the South Carolina low country, The Prince of Tides is Pat Conroy’s masterwork.
-
-
Narrator terrible with women's voices
- By K. Stark on 02-06-23
By: Pat Conroy
-
Nightwork
- A Novel
- By: Nora Roberts
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harry Booth started stealing at nine to keep a roof over his ailing mother’s head, slipping into luxurious, empty homes at night to find items he could trade for precious cash. When his mother finally succumbed to cancer, he left Chicago—but kept up his nightwork, developing into a master thief with a code of honor and an expertise in not attracting attention—or getting attached.
-
-
Beginning does not foretell the ending
- By Avid_readerSS on 05-27-22
By: Nora Roberts
-
The Hotel Nantucket
- By: Elin Hilderbrand
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fresh off a bad breakup with a longtime boyfriend, Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton is desperately seeking a second act. When she’s named the new general manager of the Hotel Nantucket, a once Gilded Age gem turned abandoned eyesore, she hopes that her local expertise and charismatic staff can win the favor of their new London billionaire owner, Xavier Darling, as well as that of Shelly Carpenter, the wildly popular Instagram tastemaker who can help put them back on the map.
-
-
pre-read suggestions!!
- By Marie P on 06-22-22
By: Elin Hilderbrand
-
The Sunshine Girls
- A Novel
- By: Molly Fader
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Iowa, 1967. Nursing school roommates BettyKay and Kitty don’t have much in common. A farmer’s daughter, BettyKay has risked her family’s disapproval to make her dreams come true away from her small rural town. Cosmopolitan Kitty has always relied on her beauty and smarts to get by and to hide a devastating secret from the past that she can’t seem to outrun. Yet the two share a determination to prove themselves in a changing world, forging an unlikely, powerful bond on a campus unkind to women.
-
-
I loved this book!!
- By Kelly Sanders on 02-18-23
By: Molly Fader
-
The Corrections
- A Novel
- By: Jonathan Franzen
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 21 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Corrections is a grandly entertaining novel for the new century--a comic, tragic masterpiece about a family breaking down in an age of easy fixes. After almost 50 years as a wife and mother, Enid Lambert is ready to have some fun. Unfortunately, her husband, Alfred, is losing his sanity to Parkinson's disease, and their children have long since flown the family nest to the catastrophes of their own lives. Enid has set her heart on an elusive goal: bringing her family together for one last Christmas at home.
-
-
"Grandly Entertaining"? Really?
- By Georgia Burns on 10-08-13
By: Jonathan Franzen
-
Silver Girl
- A Novel
- By: Elin Hilderbrand
- Narrated by: Janet Metzger, Marianne Fraulo
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meredith Martin Delinn just lost everything: Her friends, her homes, her social standing - because her husband Freddy cheated rich investors out of billions of dollars. Desperate and facing homelessness, Meredith receives a call from her old best friend, Constance Flute. Connie's had recent worries of her own, and the two depart for a summer on Nantucket in an attempt to heal. But the island can't offer complete escape, and they're plagued by new and old troubles alike.
-
-
Unexpectedly entertaining, dear I say enlightening
- By Brendolynne on 03-29-13
By: Elin Hilderbrand
-
The Beach Club
- A Novel
- By: Elin Hilderbrand
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Beach Club, the juicy first novel by Elin Hilderbrand, a series of personal dramas are played out during one summer at a Nantucket Beach Club. It's about the love of summer, summer love, and the special feelings we all have for that special summer place—in this case, a hotel and an island.
-
-
Narration of older characters is depressing
- By T. Martin on 02-27-19
By: Elin Hilderbrand
What listeners say about Life Among Giants
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cici
- 01-18-15
Not great literature but lots of fun
If you could sum up Life Among Giants in three words, what would they be?
entertaining curious food
Who was your favorite character and why?
The characters do not stick with you. I finished it about 2 weeks ago. I listened to it. I suppose, the sister's boyfriend since he was the most "normal" and intellectual.
Have you listened to any of Pete Larkin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No. I do not know.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Crazy financeer, ballerina, football, mystery with architecture and amazing food.
Any additional comments?
Long plotline across several decades. It was fun and pulled me in. Each chapter leaves you wanting to read more. Not deep or thoughtful but good.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Yasmine
- 01-21-13
Quite an interesting read.
Would you listen to Life Among Giants again? Why?
Yes. I enjoyed the book but since I'm doing audio I'm actually repeating it to make sure I didn't miss anything.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Life Among Giants?
When Lizard watched his parents being murdered.
Which scene was your favorite?
Towards the end at the restaurant when they were all working together to catch their parents murders.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I didn't cry but quite a few parts that made me laugh.
Any additional comments?
This book goes back and forth so you really have to be completely tuned in or you may miss something vital. Overall I liked the book and its wacky characters. Lizards family and all the secrets kept amongst them all made things a mystery. You could never really guess what was happening next.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Patricia
- 10-15-16
VERY ENTERTAINING and highly recommended
I bought this based on a few reviews. I usually listen to non-fiction when I drive but thought I would try this book.
It is just great - well written, fully developed characters, unexpected twists and turns. All played out against people who are famous and/or kind of famous - from pro football and tennis to rock and ballet.
"Lizard" the narrator is an excellent choice.
You'll be hooked from the first chapter!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- cristina
- 11-29-12
Great little story
The funny thing about this book is that the characters are all strange -- an overly tall teenager, a rock star, a Swedish prima ballerina, a quirky butler, a father who seems to be a character out of Mad Men...And yet, the thing that makes the story come alive is that they all seem so real. Their problems, even though (hopefully) they are nothing like your own (the main character's parents are shot right in front of him) seem like they could have happened to anyone because the characters' reactions to what happens to them makes so much sense. You relate to all of them. You get to know them. By the end of the book, some of them are like dear -- if emotionally disturbed -- friends. (Think a very toned-down John Irving.)
The language is perfect. And Mr. Larkin does a great job with the narration.
Definitely will be keeping an eye for more from this author.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kelly
- 11-25-12
Smooth
The smooth language, perfect amount of character detail and interesting enough plot make for a memorable listen. It's the kind of book that grabs you right away and doesn't let go. But, it's not really an intense kind of grab, it's more like a light hug or an arm around your shoulder. I didn't really realize I had been thoroughly intrigued by the story until it was over. Well done.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KarenLee
- 01-12-13
Ummmm, No.
What a miserable waste of a credit. Pointless, boring, silly, and not a single likeable or memorable character. After 6 hours I gave up because I did not care what happened to any of them. Narrator was pretty good. That's all!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mart
- 01-03-13
Ridiculous story and terribly narrated
Don't waste your time and money. the story wanders and never sees to get anwhere. You don't care about any of the characters. The worst part is the narration. The tone, the flow, the voice are just awful. If there is a plot it gets lost in all the time that is covered. Lost interest early on and just kept listening hoping for something that never came.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful