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)

Hardship, animals, the magic of the circus & love.

I was afraid this book might be a depressing read, but Ms Gruen told a tale about one of the worst times in history with a sense of hope and promise... It starts a little slow but believe me...it catches up. The ending is perfect.... Listen to this then go see the movie!

Buy it!

Excellent and engaging book. You'll love it! This book kept me easily entertained on a long plane ride to CA and back!

A delightful adventure a joy to listen to

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

The narration is so captivating. From both the young man and old man perspective it really draws you into the story.

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

I would compare it to Huckleberry Finn. A boy goes on a journey into the harsh world of men and finds courage and conflict in himself.

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

I couldn't pick a favorite as they complimented each other so well.

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

One sitting! That would be a long one time sitting. Exercise is good for the mind, body, and soul and sitting for an entire reading of any audio book is not what I want to do.

Any additional comments?

The circus is its own mini universe.

Should have read this book ages ago, Fantastic

Very good story and very well read, great insight into Circus life, I was expecting a love story but this book is much more then that

Takes Awhile To Get Into, But Worth The Wait.

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

This is a difficult question because my library is so eclectic so far. I've got four books as of yet. As far as performance goes, this book comes in second. As far as story goes--I can't rank it because it's so different. It is a lovely story. It's vivid and definitely worth the time to hear the story.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the pacing. It's like two wonderful stories about the same man woven in together. As soon as story #1 becomes a little too intense, there's a little intermission with story #2 of present day Jacob.
I love the voice (as in what he has to say) this character has.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Jacob the elder was really good. He wasn't too dramatic and he was able to change characters by subtly changing the way in which he read. Jacob the younger was not as impressive. His portrayal of women characters was annoying and distracting. He sometimes overacted and it seemed as if he forgot which voice he wanted to use on some of the other characters. He wasn't bad. He was actually quite good--with some major infractions.

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

Yes! There were moments all through out the nursing home that made me angry. As far as tears and being emotional...there were several moments towards the end of the book that made me a little teary. I don't wanna spoil it...

Any additional comments?

It's a little slow to get into. It took me until almost chapter three to get in it. I almost gave up. I'm glad my mom talked me into waiting it out because it truly is worth it.

Outstanding!

What did you love best about Water for Elephants?

Beautiful book that explores courage, love and compassion. The narration is impeccable andthe topic is so unusual. Lovely read!

Fabulous!

This was such a good story with excellent writing and AMAZING narration. My favorite parts was with the 93 year old Jankowski. Very believable! I'll always remember this story.

terrific narration of a terrific story

I thoroughly enjoyed this from beginning to end. The story is funny sad and engaging by turns, and both narrators give wonderful and moving performances

The Best I've Ever

Absolutely mesmorizing! From the first words, this book captivates, absorbs and enthralls the listener. Never boring, this book travels through years of a man's life and transforms a by-gone era into the here-and-now. One of the best books I've ever "read."

Absolutely beautiful.

This story is absolutely captivating. One becomes attached to the characters almost instantly - not only because of the beautiful prose, but also the brilliantly acted narration.
Jacob as a young man ... and Jacob at 90... or 93. Now they (he) feel like family - I feel as if I was a part of that circus.
A must listen.