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)

Outstanding!

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

Top 10

What did you like best about this story?

Spellbinding plot

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

No

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

To Menagerie From Cornell

Any additional comments?

Loved it . .

Elephant

The reader for the old Jacob was absolutely terrific. This is such touching book in so many ways. The portrayal of life in a depression era circus gave much for one to think sbout.

This is a wonderful book.

Fantastic!

A wonderful story told by two great voices! The decision to use two readers provided depth of character and brought the story to life. I was sad when the story was over, but loved the ending. I did not see the movie and don't intend to after having enjoyed the book.

Pretty good, but not that exciting

I enjoyed this audiobook. The tale was told well although it wasn't that exciting. The narrators are excellent - there is one narrator for the young Jacob and one for the older Jacob. The young Jacob narrator does a great job of changing his voice to imitate the various characters in the circus. Water for Elephants reads like a fictional memoir.

Wow! I really enjoyed this novel!

This was a truly engaging story. Not a complicated story line, but that's what I liked most about it. I enjoyed the two narrator perspectives, and I thought the narrators were both quite good. I am always seeking a nice long novel that keeps me engaged with the story 100% of the time; it's a rare treat to find one this enjoyable. Highly recommended!

Ever so good!

Why did I not read this story before? I thoroughly enjoyed it and if you have not taken the time to listen, do it now! Marvellous! Thank you.

Great pairing of story and narration

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

Loved the readers in this book but the background music between chapters can be really annoying. Story is very satisfying and engaging.

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

Both are amazing! Perfectly cast.

One of the best books I've ever read

I've recommended this book to several friends already. It's a great story, and the narration brought me to tears more than once. The way LeDoux and Jones weave the story, old and young, is captivating and it just moves you. It's all the easier for them in that they had a great story to work with from the start.

This was one of the first stories I ever listened to on Audible, and finds like this is why I keep my subscription.

Wonderful Narration!

The narration kept me engrossed for long periods of time. It was a wonderful story that really drew me in and made me care about the characters. Most of the time, I would listen to this at the gym. I couldn't wait for my next session on the treadmill!

Fantastic!

This is a great, well written book. The characters come to life, the narration is perfect, and I never wanted it to end.