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Water for Elephants Paperback – March 1, 2011
Purchase options and add-ons
- Print length368 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAlgonquin Books
- Publication dateMarch 1, 2011
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.92 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-101616200707
- ISBN-13978-1616200701
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Product details
- Publisher : Algonquin Books; Media tie-in edition (March 1, 2011)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1616200707
- ISBN-13 : 978-1616200701
- Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.92 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,087,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #49,981 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- #54,831 in American Literature (Books)
- #68,293 in Historical Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Sara lives in America with her husband, three children, two dogs, two cats, three goats, and a horse. She already has her eye on another horse and a donkey.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers praise the story as an enjoyable and well-written read. They appreciate the romantic plot with a perfect balance of drama and sweetness. The writing is described as tight, smooth, and captivating. The characters are described as compelling, colorful, and likable. Readers enjoy learning about circus life and historical details. Overall, the emotional content is described as heartwarming and heartbreaking.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoyed the story. They found it an engaging read with a timeless narrative that moves seamlessly between the past and present. The wraparound scenes of Jacob were useful for providing an introduction.
"...It is on my list of new classics (along with the likes of the Time Traveler's Wife- which was absolutely BUTCHERED by Hollywood, by the way.)..." Read more
"...I found the wraparound scenes of Jacob useful for the introduction and the wonderful conclusion, but if there was one thing I would have changed..." Read more
"...children to read, but, aside from that one quibble, this is a good read." Read more
"...The story is captivating right from the start because the scenery and characters are so richly portrayed and the plot thickens like creme brulee...." Read more
Customers enjoy the romantic story. They find the balance between gritty and romantic, with a sweet ending. The plot is well-executed, with interesting insights and scene recreations. They appreciate the realistic portrayal of circus life and time period.
"...wraparound scenes of Jacob useful for the introduction and the wonderful conclusion, but if there was one thing I would have changed about the story..." Read more
"...is captivating right from the start because the scenery and characters are so richly portrayed and the plot thickens like creme brulee...." Read more
"...A dramatic story with incredible insight and scene recreation, at times I would come to the end of a chapter, look around and remember that I was..." Read more
"...The ending was so sweet and giving. I honestly loved this book and wished there was a a part 2 to it." Read more
Customers praise the book's writing quality. They find the writing engaging and believable, with simple yet effective descriptions. The characters are well-developed, and the story is told from multiple perspectives.
"...This book actually contains two stories. The entire book is narrated by Jacob, but the story switches back and forth between Jacob's story of his..." Read more
"...The circus, run by slimy vermin "Uncle Al" is well fleshed out with interesting characters and terminology that Gruen incorporates flawlessly into..." Read more
"...It is no surprise that this novel is a best-seller. Written with extraordinary narrative drive, populated by characters who truly represent our..." Read more
"...his memories of the past, there's never a slow moment in Gruen's perfect prose...." Read more
Customers find the book captivating, exciting, and entertaining. They say it keeps them interested throughout with never a dull moment. Readers also mention it's suspenseful, action-packed, and a fun read that broadens their minds.
"...Makes the book even more interesting, doesn't it? I know I've used the word "love" a few times already, but here it goes one more time...." Read more
"..." did what a good novel is supposed to do: it captivated my interest from start to finish, and I couldn't put it down...." Read more
"...so funny and cute together, Kinkos love for Queenie was so moving and adorable, you could truly feel his heartbreak when he thought he left Queenie..." Read more
"...Rosie, the intelligent, beautiful elephant ... well, you fall in love with her right along with Jacob...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's character development. They find the characters engaging, with colorful and sympathetic portrayals of animal characters. The characters are endearing and likable, showing their individual qualities and showing compassion and dignity.
"...The characters are so wonderfully full of life. I truly came to care about so many of the minor characters as well as the major ones...." Read more
"...book also deals skillfully with difficult issues, has excellent character development, and a couple of great plot twists...." Read more
"...Written with extraordinary narrative drive, populated by characters who truly represent our national character and animated by a young man whose..." Read more
"...Interwoven is the love, the man, the compassion of caretakers. Jacob. Marlena. August...." Read more
Customers enjoy the historical accuracy of the book. They find the events realistic, with interesting twists and details about circus life. The book transports them into an era long past, with clever construction and well-drawn characters. Readers appreciate the author's note that it was based on true stories from actual travelling circus members.
"...The book begins with a delightfully deceptive prologue, setting the reader up for a surprise at the climax...." Read more
"...anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book culled from the rich history of the circus world - things like the Lemonade Thief; the Animal who only..." Read more
"...scenery and characters are so richly portrayed and the plot thickens like creme brulee...." Read more
"...during the depression era, but Sara Gruen does an amazing job of bringing the train circus and the characters to life, so even if you don't wanna,..." Read more
Customers find the book emotional and well-written. They describe it as a heartwarming tale about grief and love wrapped up in a childhood fantasy. Readers appreciate that the ending is sweet and heartwarming, though not tear-jerking.
"...Love between a man and a woman; love between humans and animals; and people's love of circuses...." Read more
"...all together and made the circus a character in itself, filled it with compassion and drama, and layered it so well...." Read more
"...discovers his untapped reservoir of courage, conviction and compassion, and in so doing, he, in every manner of the American definition of the word,..." Read more
"...This novel is brash and brazen and graphic and I didn't have a problem with most of it...." Read more
Customers find the book insightful and well-researched. They say it provides a comprehensive overview of circus life in the 1930s and broadens their knowledge. The author does an excellent job with facts and storytelling, making the book more detailed and engaging than the movie. Overall, readers appreciate the book's mix of adventure, friendship, humor, and romance.
"...I adore books that are based on fact and comprehensively researched - even fiction - and this was a beautifull amalgamation of many true circuses...." Read more
"...A dramatic story with incredible insight and scene recreation, at times I would come to the end of a chapter, look around and remember that I was..." Read more
"...The story is rich and well researched, the characters practically sparkle with life, and I could smell the animals and feel the train lurching..." Read more
"...good characters cared for each other and how Sara Gruen truly wrote an amzing book...." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2011Jacob Jankowski is about to graduate from Cornell with a degree in veterinary medicine, but a terrible tragedy befalls him, and suddenly all he wants to do is run away from everyone and everything he's ever known. He finds himself hopping on board a passing train without knowing what the train holds or where it's going. Jacob discovers that the train is a circus train. To save himself from getting thrown from the train (and killed most likely) Jacob says that he is down on his luck and needs a job. He is quickly thrown into a world that is far from the glamorous, fun-filled façade one sees during a circus performance. Life behind the scenes can be absolutely terrifying. The work is dirty, sometimes disgusting. The people are often ruthless, malicious and deceiving. Jacob does back-breaking manual labor for a short time, but the boss soon discovers that Jacob is (almost) a veterinarian. He is quickly put to work in the menagerie. His job is to take care of all of the animals who perform and are on display at the circus.
His work puts him in close contact with Marlena, a young woman who performs nightly with her group of horses. Jacob is intrigued with Marlena from the first moment he sees her, but she is married to a volatile man named August. August oversees all of the animals at the circus, so Jacob's job depends on him. If August isn't happy with him, he could find himself thrown from the train in the night. "Red lighting" is the preferred method of the circus bosses for getting rid of employees who are causing a problem. (Sometimes the problem is that they just can't afford to pay them!) Jacob finds life with the circus so horrible and stomach-turning that he would probably quit (even though during the Great Depression that isn't a very wise idea). Then, Rosie enters his life. Rosie is the first elephant the Benzini Brothers' Circus has had since the owner, Uncle Al, took over. When Uncle Al buys the elephant, the previous caretaker tells him that she is the stupidest animal he has ever worked with. Jacob falls instantly in love with her, but August, who can't make her do anything, quickly becomes her most feared and hated enemy. August is inexcusably cruel to Rosie. As much as Jacob would like leave the Benzini Brothers' Circus (and maybe take Marlena with him) he can't leave Rosie with August. It seems that a happy ending for anyone involved is virtually impossible. The story comes to an incredible climax and one of the characters finally snaps.
This book actually contains two stories. The entire book is narrated by Jacob, but the story switches back and forth between Jacob's story of his life with the circus in his early twenties and his current life as an unhappy ninety-something year old man in a nursing home. In modern times a circus has set up right next to the nursing home where Jacob lives. This sparks his memories and makes him determined to go to the circus with or without his infrequently visiting family members.
This is the second time in a year's time that I have seen a trailer for a movie that made me want to read the book. First it happened with Eat, Pray, Love and now it has happened with Water for Elephants. I saw a trailer online, and thought, "Wow! That sounds like a great story. It's got romance, betrayal, danger, and a CIRCUS!" I remembering picking up this book in an airport years ago and deciding not to buy it even though I was really wanting to buy something to read. Whatever synopsis was written on the back of the book certainly didn't depict the story very well. But the movie trailer hooked me.
I have to begin my commentary by saying this is one of the best books I have read in a LONG time! It is on my list of new classics (along with the likes of the Time Traveler's Wife- which was absolutely BUTCHERED by Hollywood, by the way.) The characters are so wonderfully full of life. I truly came to care about so many of the minor characters as well as the major ones. The villains are real enough to be even scarier than your run of the mill bad guy. The time period (The Great Depression) is almost a character itself. It permeates the entire story. I love the way the author pulled you back and forth from the past to the present. I would get so caught up in the romance of Jacob's thrilling life as a young man. It was like being doused with cold water coming back to his life as an old man. But I loved the way that felt. And is that what it's like to be old? Inside you're this young person, who has had all these adventures, but your body has betrayed you, and people treat you not like a stupid child? All your rich experiences are completely ignored? It makes me shudder. Another thing I loved about this book was the way the author began the book with an excerpt from the climax at the end of the story. Number one: the excitement of it completely pulled me into the story right away. Number two: the whole time I was reading I knew that these characters were headed for a disaster. I just didn't know how they would get to that point and who would survive. It was a brilliant choice by the author! I also loved reading the interview with the author at the end of the book, too. It turns out she did extensive research on circuses and elephants while writing this book. And some of the craziest things that happen in this book are actually events that (reportedly) really happened in circus history. Makes the book even more interesting, doesn't it? I know I've used the word "love" a few times already, but here it goes one more time. I LOVED this book, and I think others will too. It is very rare that I read a book, finish it, and know for certain that I will read it again someday. But this book is one of those books! If I had borrowed it from the library I would be searching for a copy to buy. But as luck would have it, I did buy it already. I can begin reading it again anytime I want to!
P.S. Parents and teachers, be aware that this book contains some very adult content (some violence but mostly that of a sexual nature). I would not feel comfortable recommending it to a student who wasn't an adult.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2008I almost exclusively read nonfiction, with perhaps one or two novels a year thrown in for a diversion. This book was given to me and came with highest recommendations, so I started reading it on a plane trip. I am normally not especially captivated by fiction, but suffice it to say that I read the book over the course of one day because I enjoyed the characters so much. The book is told in flashbacks by a 93 year old man, and addresses his years as the vet on a circus train. I found the wraparound scenes of Jacob useful for the introduction and the wonderful conclusion, but if there was one thing I would have changed about the story it was the incessant excursions to the present sprinkled throughout the story which really don't advance the plot other than to explain some issues about senior care in an assisted living community.
The book begins with a delightfully deceptive prologue, setting the reader up for a surprise at the climax. I must admit that I had my suspicions about the murder in question, but found the execution to be more skillful than I had imagined. The victim, August, is a megalomaniac with a temper and forms one point in a love triangle with the protagonists, Jacob and Marlena. The circus, run by slimy vermin "Uncle Al" is well fleshed out with interesting characters and terminology that Gruen incorporates flawlessly into the book. I found the character of Walter (Kinko the Clown) to be the perfect complement to play off of Jacob and their relationship was one of the most interesting parts of the novel for me.
Gruen handles difficult situations well, even delving into dreams vividly, as when she relates Jacob's nightmare of struggling to get back on the train while pursued by malevolent animals ("Behind us, a wall of badgers. In front of us, a dozen alligators.") Her turn of phrase and tendency to sly understatement is notable throughout, and adds to the story as much by omission as by overt statements. The pivotal murder is one of the most brilliant ever concocted, and the subtlety of its telling, particularly in contrast to the version in the prologue is exquisite: the wording was changed very slightly to enlighten the reader to a plot twist that may or may not have been expected, but nonetheless was wonderfully executed. The ending of the book was likewise unexpected inasmuch as the reader is so focused on the story of Jacob in the circus, they aren't giving as much consideration to the 93 year old who is actually narrating the book.
As I mentioned before, there is more narration here than is absolutely necessary (but then again I normally read technical nonfiction), and as an animal lover the cruelty to animals is appalling (even if it's fiction, and despite it being historically based) although admittedly necessary to develop the plot. I mention this as the book may not be suitable for some younger readers for this reason. I found Gruen's choice of the name Jacob, and the obvious Biblical references to Jacob found in Genesis compelling and one of the things that separates this book from most contemporary fiction.
Although light reading on one level, this book also deals skillfully with difficult issues, has excellent character development, and a couple of great plot twists. Also included are interviews with the author and a set of book group discussion questions, which were not written by Gruen, and which I found contrived and dull.
"Water For Elephants" did what a good novel is supposed to do: it captivated my interest from start to finish, and I couldn't put it down. I recommend it without reservation for anyone wanting to read a wonderful contemporary novel about true love, murder, and reflection.
Top reviews from other countries
- CandypoppyReviewed in Canada on July 18, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasure to read
Loved the book, kept me page turning to the end.
-
Friedhelm GerlingsReviewed in Germany on March 22, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Super Teil
Super Teil
- priyanka r.Reviewed in India on July 29, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Got in best condition
-
poppyReviewed in France on July 31, 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars une très jolie histoire
Les personnages (humains ou non ) sont très attachants et l'interview de l'auteure à la fin du livre apporte une lumière historique sur le récit , ce qui donne envie d'en savoir davantage sur cette période et les cirques aux états unis durant la Grande Dépression . Pas étonnant que le cinéma se soit emparé de ce roman pour en faire une adaptation qui sortira l'an prochain ...
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朱里九Reviewed in Japan on August 28, 2008
5.0 out of 5 stars これは喜劇の上をゆくハッピーエンドだと思う。
私はあまり読むのが早くはないんですが、読むの延べにして2週間はかかりませんでした。
本書は物語の構成がすごくしっかりしていて、物語の進行がテンポよく話も面白くて興味がつきなかったことと、
もんすごくはっきりしたアメリカ英語で、サーカス用語が多かったにもかかわらず調べやすかったことがあります。
本書は、1930年前後の、世界恐慌後の禁酒法とspeakeasy の時代に
不況の中で生き残りをかけたサーカスで獣医を7年間やったことのある、
今は93歳の老人でホームで認知症の同居者たちのなかで、薄れゆく記憶力や意識を半ば自覚しながら、
それでも一般の人が考えるよりもまだまだ老人の域には達しきれない人物の、
若き日の喪失と挫折と性への目覚めから恋や冒険の回想として物語は進んでゆきます。
物語的には、93歳という、社会的に抹殺されそうな危機感に義憤を感じながらじっと耐える老人と
血気盛んな20代そこそこの青年という正反対の一人の人物の物語を平行させながらも、
新参者に対するどちらかといえば軽蔑と敵意の混じった扱いとか、
食堂の座る位置が恒に固定されていることとかに代表される集団内のヒエラルキーの様子が、
時代や場所や立場を変えてもオーバーラップされていて、サーカスという特殊な社会を描きながらも、
普遍的に人生を描いているところがいいですね。
また、各章の物語が始まる前に、プロローグとして、物語のkeyにあたる部分が書かれていて、
最初はなんのことか全然分からないのですが、読み進んで、その場面に行き当たったとき、
あとの結末が待ちきれなくて、本書を手放せなくなり、最後の100ページくらいは一気に読んでしまいました。
そして、さらに、最後には喜劇を超えたハッピーエンドが待っています。
老いるということ、老いた人にどう接するか、についても、考えさせられるものがありました。
私が読んだペーパーバックの版には、物語の最後に、著者へのインタビューがあり、
サーカスの詳細への取材がどんな風に行われたか、など、興味深く読むことができました。
また、更にそのあとには、読書会をするのに良さそうなトピックや設問が用意されていて、
教材としても使えそうな一冊だということを付け加えておきたいと思います。