Water for Elephants

Unabridged
Author: Sara Gruen
Narrator: John Randolph Jones , David LeDoux
Genres: Fiction
Publisher: Highbridge Audio
Date: June 2006
Length: 11 hours, 30 minutes
Ratings:
Formats:
  • CD
  • WMA

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Overview

An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of "Riding Lessons.
When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.
Beautifully written, "Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

Selected Reviews

Recommended!

by Yvonne
  • Book Rating: 4/5

Water for Elephants

by Steve Y
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 33

Reviews (33)

Recommended!

Written by Yvonne from Lynchburg, VA on August 27th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 4/5

I read this book in one day while on vacation. It is a great little book , based on true facts, on a topic about which I knew little to nothing (early 1900s circus in America). What an unexpected and wonderful ending (which I will keep to myself)! Definitely recommended.

Water for Elephants

Written by Steve Y on July 8th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 5/5

This was an excellent story. The presentation was interesting using both old and young Jacob to spin the tale. I was most pleased that it had an outcome even more satisfying than I could have hoped. A great story and a great writer.

Love the story

Written by Dawn Carlson on June 6th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 5/5

I love this recording I found it very entertaining both the old and they young Jacob!

Flashbacks and two narators

Written by Anonymous from Hannon, ON on May 6th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 4/5

This book had entertaining aspects to it. Especially during the flashback portions of the book, where the best parts of the plot are revealed. The two narrators are distinct, and maybe that's why the older narrator becomes annoying. His voice is stark contrast to the young narrator and much less pleasant to listen to. Otherwise, its a decent novel, but certainly not worth its high ranking on the New York Times best sellers list.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTA

Written by Anonymous on April 27th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 5/5

I didn't know what was in store other than this book is a best seller. It moved briskly and had a solid and deliberate story to tell. The significant back and forth of the older Jacob to the younger lent increased visuals to this journey. I clearly saw him as the scruffy voiced resident in a nursing home as well as the young man experiencing new life and everlasting love within the dysfunctional circus family. Read this book. You won't regret it.

Water for Elephants

Written by Anonymous on March 28th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 3/5

Gruen is a solid writer, but I just couldn't get interested in the story. It moved too slowly for me.

Just ok

Written by Anonymous on March 21st, 2008

  • Book Rating: 3/5

The opening of this book sparked my curiosity immensly. However, toward the middle to the end of the book I got a little bored. The ending was unexpected. I did like the reader. He was awesome.

Half good

Written by Sara S on February 22nd, 2008

  • Book Rating: 3/5

I rented this book on a recommendation from a friend. The book is essentially split into to voices, the young Jacob and the old Jacob. The old Jacob bored and depressed me (although I can accept that the old Jacob was supposed to depress me, I don't think he was meant to bore me). The young Jacob was terrific and fun to listen to. I learned something about elephants, and a lot about the circus. In retrospect, the book was a great read if you just skip over the old Jacob voice and concentrate on the young man's story.

Awesome!

Written by Anonymous from Sycamore, IL on February 12th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 5/5

This book had me hooked after the first few sentences. I was sad when I put in the last cd. I strongly recommend this book.

Water for Elephants

Written by Anonymous on February 10th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 2/5

Enjoyed the book, but the reader's voice for the main character when he was young (which goes through the whole book) was whiney and petulant. I can't believe the author intended him to sound that way, as there was no trace of that obnoxious tone in the old guy's voice. It sort of wrecked the book for me and I hope a different reader will be selected for the author's future books.

Selected Reviews

Recommended!

by Yvonne
  • Book Rating: 4/5

Water for Elephants

by Steve Y
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 33

Author Details

Author Details

Gruen, Sara

Sara Gruen's first novel, Riding Lessons, was published in 2004. She is an animal lover who lives with her husband, three children, five cats, two goats, a dog, and a horse in an environmental community north of Chicago. Many of the characters and incidents in the novel are based on real people and true stories gleaned from her extensive research into the world of traveling circuses of the 1930s.

Sara is a Canadian-born dual citizen (Canadian and American) who moved to the States in 1999 for a technical writing job. When she was laid off two years later, instead of looking for another job, she decided to take a gamble on writing fiction full-time. Fortunately, the gamble paid off.

Until 2007 she, her husband, three children, two dogs, two cats, three goats, and horse in an environmentalist community in northern Illinois.They now live in Asheville, North Carolina.

Her novels to date are Riding Lessons (2004) and Flying Changes (2005), featuring Annemarie Zimmer; and Water for Elephants (2006). The Ape House is due to be published in 2009.