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)

Great book!!! Reader was also great

The story was a wierd one, but it was well told. Kept my interest all the time. Not all will like this book, but that is their problem.

Excellent book !!!

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

I decided to jump in and take the chance to read Sara Gruen’s novel, after reading all the enthusiastic reviews of the book posted on several social media sites by friends and acquaintances. Well, I must say I am not disappointed at all. Although, I was a bit apprehensive as I turned the pages and realized that the book was about the circus, a totally unfamiliar word for me.
"Water for Elephants" begins violently and then veers into weirder terrain. The story is told in the first person but from two different perspectives. The book opens up with Jacob Jankowski being ninety years something and living in a nursing house. Gruen seamlessly goes back and forth between past and present. The book is perfectly consistent.
At 23 years old, Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student at Cornell, discovers that his parents have been killed in a car accident. He is left with no nothing. All his parents belongings would be either sold or will be given to the government to pay back their debts. He has to give up his studies to survive. Aimless and distraught, He finds himself on a train for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth in 1931. Needing a vet, the circus hires young Jacob to tend to their menagerie. This will drastically change the course of his life.
Jacob at 93 resides in a nursing home where he laments the curses of old age, the passing of his wife, and the waning affection of his family. The arrival of a visiting circus triggers a flashback to his youthful circus experiences.
Jacob’s story is heartbreaking, but he is unmistakably one of the most human characters I have come across in a while. Water for Elephants is a delightful, moving book, and the ending was a very pleasant surprise

Very Good Listen

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

The story seemed simple to start, then you get caught up and involved so deeply you want to keep listening.

I really enjoyed this a lot and would listen to it again.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Oh my, all of them, even August.

Which character – as performed by David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones – was your favorite?

I often don't like more than one narrator- it takes my "ear" a bit to steady into another voice in the story, but in this cae it worked very well.

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

The Polish elephant.

Any additional comments?

Nice listen, smooth story and keeps you engaged throughout.

So much better than the movie!

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

The narration really enhanced the enjoyment of the story. Having a narrator for the current day and one remembering back really helped withe the flow.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Kinko - it was interesting to see his and Jacob's relationship grow.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Jacob leaves the nursing home. You could feel his pain during this scene.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cried at the end.

Any additional comments?

I am glad I read the book first. The movie wasn't very good and sort of ruined the story. This book was so good!

loved it

a well woven tale. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cathartic.....

An excellent story overall. While reading the intermittent scenes with the old man, I couldn't help crying .-.-.-.actually I was sobbing a most cathartic cry. Worth every tear.

more enjoyable than expected

obviously put off reading this for years. what a shame, i enjoyed it immensely

Loved it!

I loved this book from beginning to end. Great listen.

Rich Characters Believable Performers

If you could sum up Water for Elephants in three words, what would they be?

Intense, Tumultuous, and Satisfying

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jacob was my favorite character because he was a blank slate, a young man without any options when the book begins. He narrates the story as an old man, recalling the early years when he first joined the troupe. Each chapter brings out more of the man he eventually becomes, a man full of integrity and faithfulness to his love for his family and the animals. My heart bled at times as I listened to his journey, and at times I laughed aloud and hoped for Jacob's life to be full of peace and joy.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are too many favorite scenes in this book to pick only one.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I wanted to listen to this book in one sitting, but it was impossible due to the length and available time. I could barely wait for commute time to listen. I was both sad and satisfied when it ended.

Water for Elephants

I really liked this audio. The use of two voices made the character believable, particularly the older voice who read with such a convincing tone. I don't think I would have got the same sense from the printed word.