Water for Elephants

By: Sara Gruen

Narrated by: David LeDoux, John Randolph Jones

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

An atmospheric tale of life and love in a Depression-era traveling circus.

Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It's the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets the freaks, grifters, and misfits that populate this world. Jacob introduces us to Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; to August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus' animal trainer); and to Rosie, a seemingly untrainable elephant.

Beautifully written, with a luminous sense of time and place, Water for Elephants tells of love in a world in which love's a luxury few can afford.

©2006 Sara Gruen (P)2006 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

• Book Sense Book of the Year Award, Adult Fiction, 2007
• Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, Unabridged, 2007

" Water for Elephants resembles stealth hits like The Giant's House, by Elizabeth McCracken, or The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. . . . With a showman's expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale.” ( New York Times Book Review)

"Just like a circus, the magic of the story and the writing convince you to suspend your disbelief." ( Booklist)

"Gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes, and freaks who populate her book." ( Publishers Weekly)

Beautiful story, dynamic narration!

I bought this on a friend's recommendation. The story is seductive and heartbreaking. The narration was so spot on.

the best

this is the best audible book i have ever had...great narrating and great story

A great view into circus culture

I loved hearing the circus lingo & the glimpse into that time frame of American history.

held my interest from beginning to end.

use of 2 actors to narrate, helped to separate young Jacob from old Jacob. well done!

Good, But?

This was a good listen, but sometimes hard to hear about the abuse of both animals and humans. Believe it or not it was harder to hear about the way they treated Rosie. I really wanted to smack someone. All and all a good book.

The Narration Makes it!

While I am sure that I would have enjoyed this book immensely if I had read it rather than listened, I doubt that I could have matched the performance of these readers in my mind. The narration was masterfully done, and at times I felt as if I was watching a movie or experiencing the same sensations and events along with the characters. I would give more stars for the performance if I could!

The story itself is very human, very emotional, very real. Quite different from any novel I've read before in that the story is so unique, but yet I found that I could relate deeply to the characters and their experiences.

Don't miss this listen.

I loved it

narrator was awesome. very good book wouldn't trade it. hoping to read the titles that go with this 1.

Easy to Follow

The voices of the characters really allowed me to picture each chapter. Great story of nostalgia!

Memories should last a life time.

What made the experience of listening to Water for Elephants the most enjoyable?

Enjoyed the historical pieces that highlighted the storyline.

Which scene was your favorite?

Im all about the love scenes

Who was the most memorable character of Water for Elephants and why?

I loved Rosie the elephant

Any additional comments?

Those animal lovers that might turn away from this story for fear of violence should toughen up and stick it out - happy endings can happen.

a beautiful story

a loved every minute. the characters are well written and come to life with ease.