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Water for Elephants | 
 enlarge | Author: Sara Gruen
Publisher: Hodder Paperback
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  1471 reviews
Format: Import
Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.2 x 1
ISBN: 0340935464
EAN: 9780340935460
ASIN: 0340935464
Publication Date: April 5, 2007
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1466 more reviews...
 I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! October 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is one of my favorite books of all time! It's about 90 (or 93)-year-old Jacob Jankowski remembering his life when he was young. The story starts with his parents dying in a car crash, and him having no money. He stumbles upon a circus in town, and gets hired as the veterinarian. There are many other aspects to the story, including a romance between Jacob and his boss's wife, and an elephant who captures the hearts of many.
 Too Good to be True? October 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love animal stories, but I always read them bracing for the sad ending. This book was a mixed bag.
In the first part of the book, terrible things happened to both people and animals.
In the latter part of the book, the angels practically came down to sing. Everything good that could happen, did! I'm not opposed to that. It just seemed a bit much. Too simplisic. Even the ultimate solution for old Jacob was just strangely perfect and therefore hard to believe.
A logical question that bugged me about the plot was why did Uncle Al not get rid of the schizophrenic August? And how in the world did August get to be in charge of the animals in the first place? He wasn't good with them. Jacob or the other Polish worker would have been much more effective training Rosie. If Uncle Al had ditched August, the inflammatory situation between him, Marlena, and Jacob would have been defused.
When Jacob was scooping up Rosie and the liberty horses, I was silently pleading 'Don't forget BoBo.' And he didn't. Like I said, just too good to be true.
 Great book but a little flat October 7, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
The book has some good charactors, interesting story line, but some of the charactors seemed a little flat to me. For example, the roommate in the stock car, I some how felt more connected to him than Jacob. Overall a fun and light read, but just lacking a little depth to the main charactors. I will absolutly read other Sara Gruen, I think she has some good talent as a writer. Just my opinion.
Trying a bit too hard October 6, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I usually wait to read popular bestsellers to see if the writing quality holds up after the marketing's died down. But I picked this one up on the recommendation of a sibling's book club and devoured it on a long plane flight. I would never expect to be so engrossed in a theme of misfit (sometimes repulsive) circus rowdies and second-hand animal acts, but Gruen's writing style compelled me right into the narrative and once there, I had to keep reading to solve the mystery of what happened with the characters and why I cared! My only complaint with the way the story is resolved is that Gruen tried to do too much with biblical metaphors and clever double entendres. The characters as written hold enough interest and tell a significant enough story without leaning on outside references. Overall, though, this a book that deserves the attention it's received.
Even if this isn't your typical read, you will enjoy. October 3, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen is a well written, depression-era book, that most readers ages 15-95 could read and enjoy even if you think this isn't the typical type of book you would read.
This book tells two stories simultaneously as a 93 yr. old crumudgeon embittered by his surroundings in a retirement home recollects his life as he travelled with a second-rate circus while falling in love with a married woman.
I probably would have never read this book had it not been for a family book club (Isn't that why you have them), however I'm sure glad I did, I really did enjoy this read and found the pages turned much quicker than I anticipated.
I always am interested to see how an author can write in the point-of-view pf the opposite sex and I thought it was executed wonderfully. Also, the terminology that was used was very specific to the time and to how the circus-folk spoke at the time. One could tell Gruen definately did her homework.
If there is any drawback it would be the end to one of the stories (I'm not going to say which one or how it ends don't worry). I thought it ended kind of sappy and a little unbeleivable for a story that seems very factual.
Bottom line, four stars. I am very stingy with my stars, so please read and enjoy.
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