- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0340935286
- ISBN-13: 978-0340935286
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14 x 3.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 458 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #305,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Most helpful customer reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Larger than life characters will hook you into this magical novel,
By
This review is from: Water For Elephants (Paperback)
This is a novel with big characters and a big love story. Of course, it all unfolds under the big top that is the story's setting.Jacob Jankowski finds the loves of his life after joining the Benzini Brothers crumbling circus during the Great Depression: the charming and beautiful circus star Marlena, and the circus's other feature performer, Rosie, a delightful and crafty elephant. The sideshow of supporting characters is rich and fascinating. There is Camel, the elderly man who gets more enjoyment from alcohol in Prohibition era America than the circus he can barely work for; Kinko, the Shakespeare loving, grumpy dwarf; ringmaster Uncle Al, who feeds his animals better than he pays his workers (after all, people won't show up for a circus without animals!), and the manipulative August, the animal trainer with a penchant for hooks and whips. Author Gruen shows us the dark side of circus life after the big top closes down. Although the love story is front and centre, the sinister side of the circus life is revealed through various acts of greed, deception, and cruelty. The novel is impeccably researched for its portrayal of the circus and its performers, and also for the aching sadness and desperation of the Depression years. Water for Elephants is an entertaining read; it is like a tightrope act that makes you hold your breath in admiration until the performer takes her final step to safety. [Amy MacDougall]
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Water not so much...pass the Gin and Whiskey!,
By VM "VM" (Ontario) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Water For Elephants (Paperback)
Just finished reading Water for Elephants last night. I was hooked from the very first page. The way Sara Gruen tells a story makes you feel as if you are in the stock cars or under the big tent with the main characters the entire way through the book. I've come away with an appreciation of what circus life was all about in the depression era, and I know this is one book that will stick around in my head for a long time. As an animal lover, there were a couple of times where I had to put the book down and come back to it later. However disturbing some of the scenes where, they were an integral part of the character and plot development and Sara was able to capture them without dwelling unnecessarily on the cruelty.Both my husband and I loved this book. So many times an author takes such care in writing the story but seeemingly whips up an ending to reach the publishers deadline. Not so in this case, we were both very pleasantly surprised by the ending, both of us closing the book with a grin on our faces. I will be recommending this book very highly to friends and family.
84 of 86 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's not about the elephant,
By Art Vanderlay "Architect of the stars" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Water For Elephants (Paperback)
If you're looking for a story of glamour and sophistication, this is not it. This is a true tale of circus life and folk--the nitty-gritty reality of hard work and heartbreak. The story opens with an elderly man, Jacob Jankowski, remembering his work in the circus, set off by the fact that someone is putting up circus tents just down the road from the nursing home he's in. This at once reminded me of the novels "Fried Green Tomatoes" and "Bark of the Dogwood" both of which deal with someone remembering his past and then telling us about it. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is a remarkable book in that you can literally smell, see, and hear the animals. The opening chapter is so intense and brilliant that it will pull you in and you'll be stuck, as I was, reading for hours. WARNING: If you don't have a lot of time, don't start this book as you will have to finish it. Unlike so many other novels, this one pulls you in and never lets you go. If you liked the novels "Remains of the Day" and "Bark of the Dogwood" then you'll warm to this tale.
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