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Water for Elephants  By  cover art

Water for Elephants

By: Sara Gruen
Narrated by: David LeDoux, John Randolph Jones
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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)

What listeners say about Water for Elephants

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    13,812
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    5,869
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    1,926
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Performance
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great but Disturbing

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

It's a fast, gripping novel of circus life and tragedy.

What other book might you compare Water for Elephants to and why?

It is beyond comparison. It's just great.

Have you listened to any of David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Never listened to the narrators before. Felt the older one could have been more dynamic but nonetheless.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic listen and story!

Would you consider the audio edition of Water for Elephants to be better than the print version?

I have not experienced the print version, so I can't answer this question.

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

The most memorable character is Jacob. His character was always changing and I really liked how most of the story was the older Jacob looking back in the days of the younger Jacob. I would like to think that all of our memories of our younger days will be so clearly remembered.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the story telling by both narrators and the story was so easy to follow. I really wish the movie would have followed the book better.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not as great as I expected

Where does Water for Elephants rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Everyone who I've talked to about this book has raved about how great it is and how I must read it. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it probably isn't something I'll be re-reading anytime soon. I'm not sure if it was the performances that I didn't care for, but I just found it sort of boring. I liked the movie (which I had watched before reading), but the book just left me wondering what all the hype was about.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this Story!

Would you listen to Water for Elephants again? Why?

Yes. The story was engaging, sensitive and poignant. I especially loved the switch back and forth from the old man of present and the young man of the past. Great readers.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Water for Elephants?

The last big show! I loved the way the book started there with the old man's dream.

What about David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones ???s performance did you like?

They both gave great depth to each character.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved everything about it!

The choice to have 2 narrators for this book was fantastic and added a realism you couldn't get otherwise! I loved the story, loved the narrators. Easy and fun to listen to.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining

Having visited the Ringling Museum with my sister, she recommended this book. It brought to life what I saw in the museum. Entertaining and unpredictable. The one (or two) characters were well narrated giving two perspectives to the story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • J
  • 02-08-12

Storytelling at its best

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

The old and young actors carried me acrosss the decades with ease.

What did you like best about this story?

The hints of mistery, excitement, and romance kept me wanting to find out more

What about David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones ’s performance did you like?

Both David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones are masters of emotion. They made me feel the characters and their interactions

If you could rename Water for Elephants, what would you call it?

Behind The Show

Any additional comments?

I clapped at the end of this story...a must read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I really liked this book!

This audiobook was great. I loved the story and the behind the scenes feeling of a Depression Era Circus was spell binding. I could vision the tents, the animals and most of all the clothing the circus's ring master Big Al wore.

Having the main character, Jacob (90 or 93 years old) remember his past while living in a retirement home is so endearing. The writer makes you think, really thing about the people in retirement homes and how we start to think for them when we think we are taking care of them.

I loved the narrators voice in this audiobook. The older Jacob was a great old man voice that made me think they rolled a 90 year old man into the studio and told him to talk about his days in the retirement home.

With that said, the only thing I would change is the voice of young Jacob as he reads any and all the parts of a women. It was awful. He did so many great voices in the book but crashed and burned on the female voices. It would have been nice to have a female voice added to this romance novel.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Get ready to feel all of your emotions.

This story combines many things. Love, hate, fear, sadness, anger, happiness.
I enjoyed the story very much. I could almost be there with them in this book. I wanted to lash out or cry. I wanted to reach out. Sarah Grurn did a great job of making the reader a real part of the story. Also a good look at the times of the depression and why people had to be the way they were. A sort of history lesson. A short read but well worth a credit...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Water for Elephants

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

David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones brought this book to life for me. Excellent actors narrating. I've tried to get into a few audible books that were top best sellers but could not. Reason why? Poor narration primarily because the person

Who was your favorite character and why?

Walter. He befriended Jacob and Camel and was by far the ethical savior for Jacob when he needed it the most.

Which scene was your favorite?

Rose killing August so Jacob wouldn't have to. And all the menagerie of escaping animals surrounding the scene.

If you could rename Water for Elephants, what would you call it?

The title is fine because it leads the reader from the 90 or 93 year old Jacob into his life. The reader understands that the title will reveal itself somewhere in Jacob's life in the circus and is revealed in his relationship with Rose. Full circle also when he becomes her owner.

Any additional comments?

Just a great book. Wondering if I should see the movie. You know, the book is always better.

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