Water for Elephants

De: Sara Gruen

Narrado por: David LeDoux, John Randolph Jones

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

• 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)

Amazing read!

I read alot of my books while I am running and this book made for great company during some of my 2 hour runs on the weekends. I was completely engrossed by the story... who knew that a story about the circus could be so entertaining?

Captivating !

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot. The 2 narrators were awesome! I intended to buy this audio for long drives or flight, and I ended up finishing it so quickly. It's a rich storytelling that anyone can relate to. It makes you ponder upon your priorities in life, as life does pass by quickly. What if I live to be a hundred ? Which memories will I retain ? I enjoyed Memoirs of a Geisha and Kite Runner. I was waiting for something similar - Life and culture. It's A Must read !

Best ever!

I am a book listener and this was the best. I cannot decribe how this book took me into the world of this carnival and took me forward to the book ending. The only downside that I can mention is the VERY end was a little weak. I was expecting more. Still a five star and more. Love the charactors and the narrators. Both narrators are exellant. So real. Thanks to the author and I hope she provides many more just as good as this one. I look forward to them.

Endearing

A masterful construction of true to life experiences of the 23year old and the
93 year old. I loved the end.

I wish all audiobooks were like this

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Excellent listen - a great example of an audio book that is much more than just the book. It shows how important getting the right voice actor is to making an audio book work. A captivating story told in the most excellent way.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Betty the elephant.

Which scene was your favorite?

Several - in particular where Betty is described as a thinking individual that acts way above that of a normal animal. How it won't listen unless using it's right name, the right language and respect.

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

If I could have, yes.

Any additional comments?

MORE! Please! After having heard so many great books made bad in audio, this was the first time I saw it go from good to great in the audio universe. Great job!

Excellent Book

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

Right up there with the best audio books I have listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

The depth of the emotion is just exceptional

Which scene was your favorite?

How many animals do you need to make a zoo or was that a family? Really brought a smile ... you will get it when you read the book.

Excellent narration and story

Well paced and great characters throughout the story. The narrators were excellent. They created depth in each character's voice. I couldn't get enough of this audiobook.

Goodbye Ringling Brothers.

I remember the circus coming through town as a youth. I worked my way through college doing concessions at an arena for events like the circus. This was a fun story about the circus long ago. I only gave it 3 stars because of the obvious gimmick of adding the syrupy sweet geriatric plot line that was superfluous and unnecessary. Getting old is painful and we'd all like one last Dance. You can pretty much add that onto any memoir novel can you not?

Loved it!!

very exciting and very emotional. great read! I highly recommend this book. Really paints a great picture.

a great book i will "read" many times.

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

i think the readers did a wonderful job reading the book. the story was very unusual and good with some humor in it.

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

i have not read a book like this before.

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

old man jacob was done amazingly. still my favorite character was an animal...rosie.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

not a moment, but rosie moved me. she seemed so patient and kind and put up with a lot of abuse. i was surprised and in the beginning when the got rosie i was surprised that i felt this way, she was really important to the story.

Any additional comments?

i will read this again and again. a class act read. a story that would be hard to top. i recommend this book. especially if it is your first book. you won't make a mistake getting this one!